Raised in the far southeast side of Chicago, I was exposed to a myriad of different cultures, and with that came some pretty incredible food experiences. On top of that, my Korean and Cajun heritage provided a vast foundation of cuisine to indulge in and explore. With food playing such an integral part in my life, I knew at an early age that I wanted to pursue a career as a chef.

After graduating high school, I studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. With my new degree in hand, I immediately plunged into the professional culinary world. Over the years, I deepened my knowledge of Spanish, French, and Contemporary American cuisine. My biggest passion throughout my career has been teaching and leading young staff with little to no professional kitchen experience. I believe that with a little patience and dedication, anyone can learn to cook and excel at it. I have made it my goal to break the standard “hardcore” atmosphere of kitchens and create an environment where people feel safe and inspired to create and develop their skills with out fear of being constantly berated and belittled. After working 15+ years in the restaurant industry excelling at catering, private events, public functions, opening of several restaurants and more, I am currently working on developing my own catering business, where I can express my true love and passion for Korean food and culture and share it with the world.

For me, cooking is...

For me, cooking is my most genuine form of expression and gratitude. I love to host people and make them feel celebrated through food.

I learned to cook at...

Le Cordon Bleu Chicago in 2005. I went on to work in professional kitchens across the Chicagoland area, and am currently in NY as a private chef.

A cooking secret...

My secret in the kitchen is to stick to the basics and keep things simple. I like to showcase a product by enhancing/complimenting it-not masking it.

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Chef Tanya's reviews

4.86

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9 services

Chef Tanya did an incredible job! I hired her for an 8 person dinner party and the event was a complete success thanks to her. The menu she prepared was korean influenced and every single dish was amazing. The presentation and explanation with each dish was great as well. I would absolutely hire her for another event.

Chef Tanya was absolutely incredible! It’s a complete joy to experience a private dinner curated by a chef who is TRULY passionate about her craft. Chef Tanya arrived on time with all of her tools and food ready to be prepped and served. She was extremely warm and engaging and interacted with us every step of the way. She also went above and beyond and made the experience for my fiancé a night to remember! I HIGHLY recommend Chef Tanya for any of your events! You will not regret it! Oh, and I am STILL craving her salmon tartare!

Tania is great, gentle, personable and kind, pays attention to detail. I really enjoyed eating food she made. She brought her own dishes and plates which was truly surprising.

Tanya is a rockstar! We really enjoyed having her cook for us. She made the best meal we have ever had.

My gf and I booked Chef Tanya for our anniversary and we could not be happier. We’ve already started recommending her to my friends. She made the entire experience very enjoyable from the great conversation to the incredible food. The flavor of all the dishes she made was mind-blowing and very imaginative. She also gave us a lot of attention and was a joy to talk to; she’s a genuinely fun person. If you’re having any hesitations about a private chef experience, just book her. It’s definitely worth it.

We were blown away by the dinner Chef Tanya presented. It was even better than I’d hoped. I loved that she brought her own twist to each dish, it made it all the more special. I would 100% recommend that others book her in the future, truly a one of a kind experience and incredibly delicious food!