Chef Stevan Novoa

Private Chef In San Diego

I am a professional chef of thirteen years experience working in kitchen's up and down the coast of california and in mexico with many different styles of cuisines. Working with local purveyors, for farming, livestock and fish. I was in the military 8 years and decided to make this career my new path in life. I want to make the best food possible and a most enjoyable experience.

For me, cooking is...

It is my passion, my life choice and what I just wake up and enjoy doing.

I learned to cook at...

I went to culinary school at the Art institute of san diego, multiple restaurants in San diego and mexico under different chefs and cuisines.

A cooking secret...

Ability to work in small settings. Coming up with new things on the fly

My menus

Socal surprise

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Scallop aguachile

Blue fin tuna , olive oil toast

Grilled shrimp with chimmichurri

Oyster bone marrow mignonette

Charcuterie board with cheeses and pickles

Yakitori chicken soy glazed spring onion

Adobo Beets , zaatar goat cheese crema

Snap peas with buttermilk and chives

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Seaweed salad ,miso dressing, charred raddichio cherry blossom

Black cod, japanese pickles and mustard

Truffle gnocchi with sundried tomato and parmesan

Cesar salad pickled onions, cotija, sardines

Honey glazed carrots and pecan dukkha

Beef tartare with egg yolk sauce and miso

Whole roasted vadouvan curry cauliflower

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Branzino ,herbs and polenta with roasted vegetables

Salmon , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Halibut poached with local vegetables and risotto

Aged bavette steak , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate cake and gelato

Baklava, rice pudding, date syrup, vanilla and lemon

Berry salad with sorbet and mint

Creme brulee with local fruit

Local seafood

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Scallop aguachile

Blue fin tuna , olive oil toast

Oysters pea and mezcal mignonette

Bone marrow gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Octopus with calabrian chili jam and beans

Seaweed salad ,miso dressing, charred raddichio cherry blossom

Black cod, japanese pickles and mustard

Miso duck and squash puree

Yakitori chicken soy glazed spring onion

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Branzino ,herbs and polenta with roasted vegetables

Halibut poached with local vegetables and risotto

Aged bavette , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Dry aged bavette steak, french style mashed potato, grilled vegetables

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate cake and gelato

Baklava, rice pudding, date syrup, vanilla and lemon

Berry salad with sorbet and mint

Creme brulee with local fruit

Vanilla coffee crunch cake and matcha gelato

Private specialty

STARTER

Choose 3 dishes

Bone marrow with elote red tortllas

Oysters and tobiko with mezcal mignonette

Spring peas, lardo, rye, calabrian jam

Hamachi crudo

Patatas bravas with chorizo iberico

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Persimmon salad honey, walnuts, radicchio, fennel flower

Cavatelli with clams and parsley white cheddar

Pork belly with panang curry, bok choy, sushi fried rice

Broccolini with cacio pepe burrata

Smoked potato, black garlic, pickled aioli, dill

Portugese stew with scallops, chorizo, shrimp and mussels with rice

Charcoal and chili prawns

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Aged bavette , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Campanelle pasta with fennel braised pork and rainbow chard

Bavette steak, taragon sauce, pomme frite

Dry age pork pizzaola , roast vegetables, polenta

Salted cod, egg and potato and olives

Bomba rice, pork belly spinach puree

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Crepe cake apple butter, candied pecans, farmer cheese

Chocolate budino with devils food cake

Japanese cheescake and matcha caramel

Tres leches with strawberries and mezcal

Macarons, gelato and hazelnuts

Local Italian

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Cacio pepe polenta cakes

Tomato with brodo and pasta

Confit tuna toast

Bone marrow pesto gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Campanelle pasta with fennel braised pork and rainbow chard

Papardelle with peas and leeks

Penne with prosciutto and ragu

Corn and tortellini with sour honey and ricotta

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Aged ribeye steak , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Chicken marsala and risotto

Salmon , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate budino with devils food cake

Tiramisu

Pistachio panna cotta, honey tuille candied lemon

Bday celebration

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Blue fin tuna , olive oil toast

Grilled shrimp with chimmichurri

Charcuterie board with cheeses and pickles

Pesto gnocchi sundried tomatoes and parmesan

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Octopus with calabrian chili jam and beans

Bone marrow with scallops

Honey glazed carrots and walnuts

Cesar salad pickled onions, cotija, sardines

Broccolini, with parmesan, pine nuts and black garlic

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Branzino ,herbs and polenta with roasted vegetables

Aged bavette steak , wild risotti and roasted vegetables

New york steak with truffles asparagus and lardo

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate cake and gelato

Baklava, rice pudding, date syrup, vanilla and lemon

Berry salad with sorbet and mint

Creme brulee with local fruit

Local California

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Cacio pepe polenta cakes

Tomato with brodo and pasta

Confit tuna toast

Bone marrow pesto gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes

Charcuterie meat board with cheeses and pickles

Broccolini, with parmesan, pine nuts and black garlic

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Corn and tortellini with sour honey and ricotta

Honey glazed carrots and pecan dukkha

Adobo Beets , zaatar goat cheese crema

Dry age cherry glazed duck and vegetables

Beef tartar

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Aged bavette steak , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Chicken marsala and risotto

Salmon , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate budino with devils food cake

Tiramisu

Pistachio panna cotta, honey tuille candied lemon

Japanese izakaya

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Yakitori chicken soy glazed

Assorted nigiri

Japanese octopus and polenta

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Steamed or fried Gyoza

Pork belly with panang curry, bok choy, sushi fried rice

Crab with daikon and granny smith apple

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Soy charred Bavette steak Oyster mushrooms sushi rice

Miso glazed chicken and vegetables and sushi risotto

Miso glazed salmon dish sauce vegetables and yakisoba

Halibut , japanese risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Matcha caramel.apple cake miso vanilla gelato

Japanese cheesecake and plum sorbet

California coastal

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Radishes with pate'

Oysters and pearls

Baguette

Broccolini, radicchio with parmesan, pine nuts and black garlic

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Salsa matcha cauliflower

Salmon tartare

Beets , zaatar goat cheese crema

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Aged ribeye , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Chicken marsala and risotto

Yogurt marinated chicken and fall vegetables

Salmon , crispy brussels sprouts, zataar

Yogurt marinated chicken and roastedvegetables

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Rose' infused apples, golden mylk cake, saffron crunch, hibiscus gelee

Tiramisu and gelato

Arroz con leche

Baklava, rice pudding, date syrup, vanilla and lemon

Pistachio panna cotta, honey tuille candied lemon

Socal surprise

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Scallop aguachile

Blue fin tuna , olive oil toast

Grilled shrimp with chimmichurri

Oyster bone marrow mignonette

Charcuterie board with cheeses and pickles

Yakitori chicken soy glazed spring onion

Adobo Beets , zaatar goat cheese crema

Snap peas with buttermilk and chives

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Seaweed salad ,miso dressing, charred raddichio cherry blossom

Black cod, japanese pickles and mustard

Truffle gnocchi with sundried tomato and parmesan

Cesar salad pickled onions, cotija, sardines

Honey glazed carrots and pecan dukkha

Beef tartare with egg yolk sauce and miso

Whole roasted vadouvan curry cauliflower

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Branzino ,herbs and polenta with roasted vegetables

Salmon , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Halibut poached with local vegetables and risotto

Aged bavette steak , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate cake and gelato

Baklava, rice pudding, date syrup, vanilla and lemon

Berry salad with sorbet and mint

Creme brulee with local fruit

Local seafood

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Scallop aguachile

Blue fin tuna , olive oil toast

Oysters pea and mezcal mignonette

Bone marrow gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Octopus with calabrian chili jam and beans

Seaweed salad ,miso dressing, charred raddichio cherry blossom

Black cod, japanese pickles and mustard

Miso duck and squash puree

Yakitori chicken soy glazed spring onion

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Branzino ,herbs and polenta with roasted vegetables

Halibut poached with local vegetables and risotto

Aged bavette , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Dry aged bavette steak, french style mashed potato, grilled vegetables

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate cake and gelato

Baklava, rice pudding, date syrup, vanilla and lemon

Berry salad with sorbet and mint

Creme brulee with local fruit

Vanilla coffee crunch cake and matcha gelato

Private specialty

STARTER

Choose 3 dishes

Bone marrow with elote red tortllas

Oysters and tobiko with mezcal mignonette

Spring peas, lardo, rye, calabrian jam

Hamachi crudo

Patatas bravas with chorizo iberico

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Persimmon salad honey, walnuts, radicchio, fennel flower

Cavatelli with clams and parsley white cheddar

Pork belly with panang curry, bok choy, sushi fried rice

Broccolini with cacio pepe burrata

Smoked potato, black garlic, pickled aioli, dill

Portugese stew with scallops, chorizo, shrimp and mussels with rice

Charcoal and chili prawns

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Col Morada / grilled red cabbage, hibiscus honey mustard, fuji apple, red beets, queso fresco

Aged bavette , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Campanelle pasta with fennel braised pork and rainbow chard

Bavette steak, taragon sauce, pomme frite

Dry age pork pizzaola , roast vegetables, polenta

Salted cod, egg and potato and olives

Bomba rice, pork belly spinach puree

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Crepe cake apple butter, candied pecans, farmer cheese

Chocolate budino with devils food cake

Japanese cheescake and matcha caramel

Tres leches with strawberries and mezcal

Macarons, gelato and hazelnuts

Local Italian

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Cacio pepe polenta cakes

Tomato with brodo and pasta

Confit tuna toast

Bone marrow pesto gnocchi, sun dried tomatoes

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Campanelle pasta with fennel braised pork and rainbow chard

Papardelle with peas and leeks

Penne with prosciutto and ragu

Corn and tortellini with sour honey and ricotta

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Aged ribeye steak , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

Chicken marsala and risotto

Salmon , wild risotto and gold Oyster mushrooms

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate budino with devils food cake

Tiramisu

Pistachio panna cotta, honey tuille candied lemon

Chef Stevan's reviews

4.58

•

32 services

Stevan did an incredible job and was very professional. The food was incredible!

Stevan was incredible! We had him cook for my mom’s birthday and the whole experience was amazing. He was engaging and the food was fabulous! He was very communicative while building the menu and he had great suggestions for menu swaps. We would absolutely work with him again! Hire him, you will not regret it.

I used TakeaChef as a unique experience for me and my wife for Valentine’s Day. The experience on the site was very intuitive. Once I selected Asian cuisine, Chef Stevan sent us a menu proposal, with multiple courses and dessert. We asked for some substitutions and he was accommodating Chef Stevan made us a delicious meal of blistered shishito peppers, pork belly bao buns, pork and chive Chinese dumplings. We really enjoyed the noodle dish he made and the perfectly cooked prawns they came with. We enjoyed the kimchee he had been fermenting, and an interesting cocktail that included gin, matcha, maraschino cherries, and honey. It was a great experience, and he left our kitchen cleaner that when he arrived. We had leftovers for days. I would have chef Stevan come cook for us again anytime.

Amazing experience! Booking again.

We hired Chef Stevan for a birthday dinner at our Airbnb and he absolutely exceeded our expectations. He was incredibly patient and accommodating throughout the menu planning process, working with me on all the details to make sure everything was just right. The food was outstanding—each course was beautifully prepared and so delicious that we were almost too full by the time dessert came around. It was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend him for any special occasion!

Stevan did an incredible job and was very professional. The food was incredible!