Chef David Harrington

Private Chef in Canberra

Well traveled and highly experienced chef with 20 years in the industry. From Michelin starred restaurants in France, to stints in Peru and Ecuador in South America. Proficient in many styles of cooking, with a focus on quality ingredients and outstanding flavours. Expert in wine pairings, whisky pairings and craft beer food combinations. Have cooked for celebrities and dignitaries in formal and informal settings.

I feel comfortable cooking in many different styles, adopting regional methods from all over the world, while tilting naturally towards solid french technique. I love quality ingredients, natural yet distinctive flavours and a little bit of spice.,

For me, cooking is a form of artistic expression that speaks of terroir and community, with a healthy splash of technique and science.

For me, cooking is...

A form of artistic expression that speaks of terroir and community with a healthy splash of technique and science.

I learned to cook at...

Various establishments in Sydney, Canberra, Peru, Ecuador, France and have taught and cooked in Nepal, Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, Canada, Thailand...

A cooking secret...

Looking at the same ingredient with a different cultural or technical angle, every time I step into the kitchen.

My menus

Local/Surprise - Exclusive

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Merrimbula oyster ceviche in the shell with chili, lime and caviar

Spicy kangaroo tartare with gochujang, sesame crisps and pickled beetroot

Vine ripened tomatoes, chilled tomato consommé, mozzarella di bufala and basil oil (vegetarian)

Seared truffled tuna belly nigiri

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Truffle Soup VGE

Yellowfin carpaccio with pepperoncino oil, fregola sarda, capers and fresh basil

Spring pea and ricotta ravioli with garden herb emulsion (vegetarian)

Foie gras terrine with sourdough toasts

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Wagyu and serrano ham filet mignon, king mushroom jus, roasted carrots and truffled mash

Grilled spatchcock with preserved lemon, fregola sarda and spring vegetables

Roasted vegetable paella with artichoke and saffron (vegetarian)

Lobster tails with garlic butter

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Dark chocolate verrine with flourless almond genoise, cocoa crumble, créme anglaise and berry gelato

Hibiscus poached pears with pistachio anglaise, chocolate cremeux and cocoa tuile

Basque cheesecake with seasonal fruit poached in vanilla syrup

Warm zabaglione with berries, vanilla ice cream and chocolate almond crumble

Japanese - Exclusive

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Seared truffled tuna belly nigiri

Octopus maki sushi with sriracha

Yellowfin and kingfish sashimi with ponzu and puffed rice

Vine ripened tomatoes with burrata and basil (vegetarian)

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Opulence maki with seared wagyu and truffled unagi sauce

Oysters with ponzu dressing and tapioca caviar

Spicy miso soup with enoki and shimeji (vegetarian)

Tuna tataki with spicy ponzu

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Wagyu striploin with soy butter and Asian greens

Grilled salmon nigiri with avocado mayo

Spicy lemongrass and coconut broth with king prawns

Honey and miso roasted eggplant with curry sauce (vegetarian)

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Mandarin and yuzu soufflé with matcha ice cream

Dark chocolate verrine with cocoa crumble and gelato

Hibiscus poached pears with pistachio anglaise

Mochi with seasonal fruits

Fusion - Basic

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Baby banh-mi sandwiches with pork belly

Avocado and tomato ceviche with lime (vegetarian)

Tuna and avocado tartare with tapioca tuile

Mushroom toast with garlic (vegetarian)

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Angus beef sliders with cheddar

Chicken and chorizo paella

Vegetarian paella with saffron and artichokes (vegetarian)

Grilled spatchcock with Moroccan spices

DESSERT

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Chocolate tres leches with almond genoise

Pavlova in a glass with passionfruit

Apple and Rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream

Coconut panna cotta with tropical fruit

Local/Surprise - Basic

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Spanish omelette with saffron aioli

Mini prawn taco with corn salsa

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Butternut pumpkin and apple veloute with seared scallops and Thai herbs

Fire Roasted tomato and chili soup with corn tortilas, sour cream, fresh cheese, and avocado (Sopa Azteca)

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted vegetable paella with artichoke, saffron and broad beans (vegetarian)

Chicken and chorizo paella

Taco platter with pulled brisket, pico de gallo, guacamole, refried beans, sour cream, sautéed mushrooms with chili, and salsa verde

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Vanilla and caramel flan, with chantilly cream

Chocolate Tres Leches, with almond genoise, chocolate anglaise, bitter cremeux, cocoa crumble and torched meringue

Spanish Fiesta

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Tapas Platters: Galician style octopus with confit potatoes, olive oil and smoked paprika, spanish omelette, serrano ham, manchego cheese and marinated olives with toasted sourdough bread

Tapas: Spanish omelette with saffron mayo, manchego croquettes with pears and port, melon and strawberry gazpacho

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Almond and chile Romesco with tiger prawns and grilled spring onion

Grilled seasonal vegetables with romesco sauce and garden herbs

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chicken and chorizo paella with roasted capsicum and snow peas

Chicken, prawn, calamari and chorizo paella with mussels, saffron rice, roasted capsicum and snow peas

Paella Negra: Squid ink paella with tiger prawns, pippies, calamari and snow peas

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Flan: cream caramel with dulce de leche, whipped cream and seasonal fruit

Catalan cream with caramelized figs and vino coto syrup

Basque cheesecake with seasonal fruit poached in vanilla syrup

Mediterranean - Basic

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Tapas: Spanish omelette with saffron aioli (vegetarian)

Antipasto: rustic breads, cured meats, olives and roasted vegetables

Garlic prawn skewers with chimichurri

Grilled watermelon and feta skewers with pomegranate dressing (vegetarian)

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chicken paella with roasted capsicum and snow peas

Roasted vegetable paella with artichoke and saffron (vegetarian)

Swordfish steaks with caper butter and roasted potatoes

Lamb cutlets with rosemary, garlic and porcini risotto

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Catalan cream with caramelized figs

Pavlova with seasonal fruit and vanilla cream

Apple and Rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream

Almond and berry tart with vanilla ice cream

Japanese - Basic

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Chicken gyoza with dipping sauce

King prawn and avocado maki with wasabi mayo

Vegetarian sushi with mango and daikon (vegetarian)

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Miso Shiro soup with shimeji, shiitake and enoki mushrooms

Beef tataki with wakame salad and ponzu dressing

Yellowfin tuna donburi, with wasabi mayo and nori salt

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Vegetable and tofu tempura with yaki meshi rice (vegetarian)

Miso cured eggplant, japanese curry sauce, rice cake, and pickled vegetables

Crispy skinned salmon with miso beurre blanc and Asian greens

Angus striploin with forest mushrooms, soy butter and Asian greens

Panko crusted jumbo prawn, unagi kabayaki, rice cake and pickled vegetables

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Green tea matcha cake with strawberries and white chocolate chantilly

Coconut and ginger panna cotta with citrus and sesame praline

Basque cheesecake with seasonal fruit poached in vanilla syrup

Japanese Exclusive

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Seared tuna belly nigiri with truffled mayo

Scallop gratin with Masago chives and citrus emulsion

Yellowfin and kingfish sashimi with ponzu and puffed rice

Opulence maki with seared wagyu eel and unagi sauce

Oysters with ponzu dressing and ikura

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Aged angus striploin tataki with wakame salad and ponzu dressing

Miso Shiro soup with shimeji, shiitake and enoki mushrooms

Tamagoyaki with spicy tuna tartare, avocado and sesame mayo

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Wagyu striploin with soy butter and Asian greens

Crispy skinned salmon with miso beurre blanc, citrus and grilled baby vegetables

Panko crusted jumbo prawn, unagi kabayaki, rice cake and pickled vegetables

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Kumquat soufflé with matcha ice cream

Green tea Verrine: Matcha cake with white chocolate cremeux, marinated strawberries and candied ginger

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Chef David's reviews

4.87

•

106 services

Chef David was amazing! He knew his food, cooked up a storm and was absolutely lovely. Can’t wait to do this again and would highly recommend.

We had a wonderful dinner for my partners birthday. David was amazing. Highly recommend!!!

The entire experience was spectacular and far exceeded our expectations and we will definitely do it again. I think it was great value for money and every single person at the party has been raving about it since.

Chef David Harrington and Michael were amazing! Catered to many dietary requirements, was super engaging with our guests and created a delicious menu suitable for all! It made our event memorable and would very highly recommend! Thanks so much David! I look forward to seeing you for our future events!

Chef David prepared an outstanding meal for us and provided expert advice on wine matching that panned out to be perfect for each dish. It was really something to have such incredible food served to us in the comfort of our own home, at our own table, on grandma’s dinner set, listening to our favourite music, in our finest dinner suits and cocktails dresses and with our slippers on! Chef David regaled us with fabulous stories of his culinary adventures around the world and provided an insiders insight into the behind the kitchen doors goings-on in Michelin starred restaurants. We loved every minute. We will definitely be back for more!

David was an excellent host chef and worked seamlessly with assistant Rocio to allow us to celebrate in style in my own home. Every course was expertly crafted and beautifully presented. The flavours in all dishes served were next level delicious. All guests dietary requirements were catered for and easily accommodated. We all thoroughly enjoyed the evening as a night to remember. The bonus was being able to sit down and enjoy my guests while sharing an exquisite 4 course dinner totally handled by David and Rocio. David, Rocio and the whole experience come highly recommended. 10 stars!

David was excellent - I wasn't quite sure how it would all go, first time for us trying a chef cooking at our place - but it worked so well and all family members were very happy. David was very accommodating re dietaries too, which was great. Finally, he got the balance down well of talking to us about the dishes while also giving us the space to chat among family. Would certainly recommend him to others.

Chef Harrington gave us an amazing girls night in. He was so responsive to any requests both before and during the evening. Would 100% recommend and we will definitely contact him again for future events.

Awesome service from David. So glad I chose his service for my sister's birthday. Will do it again no questions

David provided outstanding food for my husbands 40th birthday party in Canberra. The food options proposed worked so well for a fussy crowd and the quality of food and presentation was awesome. Everyone loved it. He was punctual, and responsive when I would have questions during planning. My kitchen was left absolutely spotless too. Highly recommend David!

David was a wonderful addition to our evening. He worked swiftly and provided a delicious meal for our guests. David left the space completely cleaned. He went above and beyond to make our event fun and fulfilling.

We loved our experience with Chef David. From the unique menu, dish quality to the story behind each dish - it was all thoughtful and delicious. Chef David was engaging and happily shared his knowledge and expertise with our group. It couldn’t have been better.

Chef David did an awesome job cooking for 7 of us guys for a 30th birthday dinner. Communication was easy and he definitely nailed my brief of a dinner with big flavours and had menu options for all the things I requested in the brief. The food was excellent and all my guests complimented his creations, we especially loved the Orange Blossom Panna Cotta with Pistachio Praline for dessert. Because we were doing the event at an AirBnB I was curious what the cleanup process would be like but David left the place spotless and all I had to do was turn the dishwasher on. I would definitely hire David again and recommend to my friends.

David was fantastic. Amazing food, great conversation and overall experience. Liz was friendly and attentive. Highly recommended and will engage him again. Better than a high class restaurant!

Chef David was amazing, he cooked us the most delicious Spanish feast and was such a pleasure to work with. I would highly recommend chef David!

David provided us with an exceptional meal and a wonderful night for us and our guests. I would heartily recommend his services and would definitely use him again, should another such event arise.

Chef David was incredible. Will book him again when our next occasion comes! Going above and beyond just cooking a meal for us, great experience and great conversations!

Chef David not only delivered astounding food, but was also very engaging in conversation and was a very interesting person to talk to. Had an excellent night and would highly recommend for anyone else. Will very much be booking this again!

David Harrison was excellent. His food was delicious and creative - tuna cerviche, king mushroom risotto, delicious scallaps with pumpkin and apple veloute, lamb shank provencale and hisbiscus poached pears accompanied by chocolate deliciousness. The tastes combined some South American influence together with some Asian and modern Australian tastes. Incredible! Highly recommend, David.

Chef David Harrington was incredible! All 10 of us including our guests immensely enjoyed the delicious 4 courses he prepared and served. He accommodated all our dietary preferences and requests and was lovely and approachable. We will definitely use his services again and highly recommend him!