TESTIMONIALS
SIR ION EDGAR
LADY EDGAR
“Jan and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal you prepared last evening.
The food was beautifully presented, with delicious flavors. The lamb was probably the most tender we have ever tasted & the salads complimented the meal extremely well.
We look forward to engaging you to prepare a similar meal for our guests”
MARION BOTHERWAY
“We have been lucky enough to enjoy Fabien’s food in two different ways. We have been guests at a dinner party and also participants in a really fun and informative cooking lesson. The food was delicious, innovative and interesting. His passionate interest in providing great food is obvious. ”
BORIS THOMAS
“I was delighted by the creative expression, variety and no-holds-barred tastiness of Fabien’s culinary creations. I experienced a week of his cooking, ranging from a wonderful fragrant curried cod to a broccoli, spinach and coriander soup to the BEST rack of lamb that I’ve ever tasted. He’s passionate about his craft, knowledgeable and willing to share, and an infinitely warm and friendly presence. His meals are comparable to (and at times exceed) fine dining I experience in New York City ”
THE GEIB FAMILY
“Fabien was our private chef (for a party of 6) on our last day of our two week vacation to Queenstown. Well, what can we say? The food was awesome and Fabien was fabulous. The entire process was excellent. We met with Fabien 10 days before our scheduled dinner. He was excellent at asking us about the the things we liked, any dietary constraints (there was one vegetarian in our group), the venue for our dinner and various other items. Within a couple of days he emailed us a proposed menu, we made a couple of minor tweaks, and set the schedule for the final night’s dinner event. On the day of the event he arrived early just to make sure things would go smoothly without a hitch, which they did. The food was fresh and prepared exquisitely. Fabian definitely exceeded our expectations. I’ve eaten at some of the finest restaurants in the world, including Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry in the Napa Valley and I can assure you that Fabien takes a backseat to no one. When you consider all of the other activities that a group can do in and around the Queenstown area (rafting, canyoning, wine/bike tours, shotover jet, etc.) the price we paid for a evening with Private Chef Fabien provided us the greatest value. Definitely one of the key highlights of our journey to New Zealand ”
RACHEL ROSE
“I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy Fabien’s cooking several times. Each time, no matter who sat down at the table, regardless of the occasion, the food was superb – fresh, flavourful and filling. His passion for colourful, seasonal food is obvious, and special dietary requirements seemed only to inspire creativity.
Whether sourcing, preparing or serving meals Fabien maintained effortless professionalism. I would thoroughly recommend Fabien as a chef for every day, special occasions, or to teach friendly and informative cooking classes.”
ANNABEL LANGBEIN
“ I am pleased to recommend chef Fabien Simon, who i met recently for the first time in Queenstown, when he cooked a fabulous dinner for us at the home of Abby M. O’Neil and Daniel Carroll Joynes.
Fabien has been a private chef for them over the New Zealand summer.
Fabien’s food is thoughtful and considered; the flavours are well balanced, seasonal, fresh and light- a pleasure to eat !
We so enjoyed the meal he prepared for us ”
MARIA COLE
“Fabien Simon is known to me through some very dear friends for whom he was engaged as their Personal Chef. As such, I was the attendee at numerous dinners and lunches as well as some informal cooking classes prepared by Fabien, and I can attest to his outstanding culinary skills, his absolute professionalism and commitment to quality.
These friends are sophisticated international travellers who entertain extensively and have high expectations from the person in this role. I have seen a number of Chef’s attempt to fulfil this role over the years, but Fabien for very good reasons is always invited back. Fabien is also a very charming Frenchman who is easy to work with, unflappable and completely cognisant of the brief from his clients. I heartily commend his services”
DANIEL CARROLL JOYNES
ABBY M. O’NEIL
“Fabien Simon is a notably gifted chef, trained in France, but always learning new things: recipes, ingredients, techniques. His approach is to make delicious meals out of the best available vegetables, fruits, fish, grains and meats, but always with a distinctive flair. He has a clear vision of the experience he wants to provide for his clients and how he wants to prepare and present what he creates. He loves what he does, takes great pride in his work, is highly disciplined, and on top of all this, has an ease and a sense of humour that make working with him a pleasure. We have had two years of experience with Fabien and are looking forward greatly to our third!