Chef Rachel Erkan

Private Chef in Hilo

I am a Culinary Institute of America trained Chef and have 20+ years experience ranging from private guest ranches, convention hotels, high end restaurants, as well as tropical resorts. I specialize in farm to table cuisine and dietary restrictions. I have spent the past 2 years in the begining stages of developing a food forest on my homestead in Mountain View Hawaii. My dream is to be completely self sufficient with my culinary needs and to teach others how to obtain this lifestyle. I offer a variety of culinary experiences and create a custom experience based on my customers vision. I require a minimum of 4 days commitment prior to booking before your event because I use the freshest possible ingredients in my menus.

For me, cooking is...

My passion, a way to bring people together in a fun energetic atmosphere.

I learned to cook at...

The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York

A cooking secret...

Raw ingredients, I stay away from processed foods and only cook from scratch.

My menus

Latin

STARTER

All inclusive

Ahi/prawn ceviche with tostones

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Ulu/Jackfruit/Rabbit/Chicken/Beef tamale with refried bean dip, corn salsa, pineapple salsa

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Citrus Pan seared fresh catch Casada, Black Bean, Rice, Tomato & Avocado Salad, Roasted Plantain

DESSERT

All inclusive

Coconut Lilikoi Tres Leches

Brunch

STARTER

All inclusive

Seasonal Fruit Platter with yogurt, homemade granola and fruit curd

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Braised Pork Belly with Mulberry/Blackberry Jam, Leek Confit & Quail Eggs

Avocado Toast with local micro greens, seasonal veg & poached eggs

Shrimp & Grits

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Eggs Benedict

Sourdough quiche with local cheese and Vegetables

Chilaquiles with Temerity Acres Over Easy Egg, Ranchero Sauce, Pico de Gallo, Cotija Cheese, Tortilla Chips

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Bananas Foster French Toast with Candied Macadamia Nuts and Mascarpone whipped cream

Macadamia Nut Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Blueberry and Lemon Scones

Sourdough Banana Bread with Lilikoi Curd

Sushi

STARTER

All inclusive

Miso soup, tofu, green onion

Seaweed salad

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Ahi poke bowl with sushi rice, furikake and green onion, sea asparagus

MAIN COURSE

Choose 3 dishes

Spicy tuna roll/hand roll

Shrimp, avocado cucumber roll/hand roll

Asparagus roll/hand roll

Sweet potato roll/hand roll

Ahi sashimi

Tako

Quail Egg

Smoked salmon sashimi

DESSERT

All inclusive

Banana Lumpia with lilikoi curd

Green tea ice cream

Mediterranean Menu

STARTER

All inclusive

Garden gazpacho with green salad

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Big Island prawn scampi with garlic toast

Falafel, hummus, babaganoosh, Tzaziki, feta, pickled red onions, cucumber namasu, pita

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Family Style Italian salt baked whole fresh catch, polenta, seasonal vegetable, Salmoriglio

DESSERT

All inclusive

Hawaiian style Baklava

Pacific fusion

STARTER

All inclusive

Sweet potato bread with miso aioli, pickled quail eggs, and Kim chee

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Coconut shrimp with pineapple pico de Gallo and Sriracha aioli

Ahi poke bowl with sushi rice, furikake and green onion, sea vegetable

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Honey soy glazed Ahi, pineapple salsa, wasabi and lemongrass jasmine rice

DESSERT

All inclusive

Banana Lumpia with lilikoi curd

French Menu

STARTER

All inclusive

Charcuterie board with local cheeses, cold cuts, pickled mustard seed and marinated vegetables

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Roasted beet and chevre salad, citrus segments, macadamia nut, preserved citrus vinaigrette

Beef Tartare, egg yolk, red onion, Dijon, gherkins, fresh herbs, crustini

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Roasted Chicken, Mediterranean hollandaise, tapenade, roasted root vegetables, roasted rosemary potatoes

DESSERT

All inclusive

Lilikoi-coconut creme brulee

Italian

STARTER

All inclusive

Charcuterie board with local cheeses, cold cuts, pickled mustard seed and marinated vegetables

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Antipasto salad with roasted peppers, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, red onions, tomato, salami and buratta cheese with a house made italian dressing

Beef Carpaccio, cured egg yolk, arugula, pickled mustard seed dressing, radish, oven dried tomato

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Family Style Italian salt baked whole fresh catch, spinach and lemon orzo, Salmoriglio

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lilikoi lemon tart

Kids Menu

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Vegetables and hummus or ranch dressing

Chips and salsa

Cheese and crackers

Garden salad with ranch dressing

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Veggie/chicken/ground beef quesadilla

Grilled chicken breast, carrots and broccoli and mashed potatoes

Grilled chicken or ground beef tacos with homemade corn tortillas

Spaghetti and meatballs

Chicken nuggets and french fries

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Ice Cream with chocolate sauce and sprinkles

Chocolate cake

Chocolate chip/peanut butter cookies

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Chef Rachel's reviews

4.87

•

35 services

Chef Rachel was everything we were looking for and expecting. Communication was excellent. She worked very patiently with us on the menu and it turned out to be exactly what we had requested. She provided many options for us. She arrived on time, prepared everything beautifully and all was delicious. She explained each course and was very engaging. Everything was cleaned up perfectly afterward. Would definitely recommend Chef Rachel to others looking for a private chef experience.

Great private meal drop off!!

My daughter was recently married and selected the big island of Hawaii for her and her new husband's honeymoon. My wife and I really wanted to do something special and truly unique for them so decided to book them a private chef experience at their rental home on the east side of the island, around 30 minutes from Hilo. I did most of the arrangements (to preserve the surprise) via email or messaging through email or the Take-A-Chef app. I already knew the kids were in for a treat based on the highly professional communication of the chef and the "I wish I was going to get to eat that" menu I had seen (several difficult choices were made -- everything looked amazing). The morning after the meal I got this text (along with several pics): "Learned a lot, talked a lot, ATE A LOT! One of the coolest things we’ve ever done! Super chill and nice. We will tell you more about it soon! But it was PHENOMENAL Thank you guys for a super thoughtful gift." I'll call that an all-around win! Thanks Chef Rachel!

We cannot thank Chef Rachel enough for her making our elopement dinner such an incredible, delicious, passionate and memorable experience. We cannot wait for her to be our private chef in the future when we return to the island.

Incredible food and presentation with local emphasis.

Rachel was fantastic!! She cooked for my new husband and I after our elopement. All dishes were very good and we were talking about how delicious the short ribs were for days afterward. She was very communicative and accommodating to allergies and special requests (we asked for a small wedding cake along with our meal). 10/10, 5 stars, 2 thumbs up!!

Rachel did an incredible job for a family celebration. Her menu options, service, food quality, and more were all excellent. She was also very educational in answering our questions. Highly recommend for a special experience!

Chef Rachel was WONDERFUL! We had the most special evening - laid back, delicious, and in good company. Rachel herself is very talented, punctual, and a talented chef with much knowledge about the land and its incredible local food options. Thank you so much, I hope to be in touch!

Rachel was incredible. She was professional, engaging and very knowledgeable. We very much enjoyed our interactions with her throughout the evening. Highly recommended. Much of the food served was from her own homestead.

Unfortunately we had a member of our party test positive for Covid and chef Rachel couldn’t cook in person. She still delivered the food and gave special instructions for reheating the food. The presentation was better than expected and her communication was outstanding. Would definitely recommend her!