Chef Vasily Shichkov

Personal Chef in Taneytown

I am Chef Vasily Shichkov, a private chef specializing in refined seasonal tasting-menu experiences for clients who value restaurant-level dining in the comfort of their home.

My approach is shaped by classical European technique and professional experience in some of the Washington region’s most respected kitchens, including Park Hyatt Washington and The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC. These environments formed my standards of precision, elegance, and hospitality.

Today, I create structured multi-course menus inspired by the seasons, the Chesapeake region, and the traditions of Modern American fine dining. Each experience is carefully composed to feel personal, balanced, and quietly sophisticated.

My goal is not simply to cook a dinner, but to design a memorable private dining experience that reflects the level of care and refinement expected by discerning hosts and their guests.

I accept a limited number of engagements each month to ensure every event receives my full attention.

For me, cooking is...

For me, cooking is a form of expression shaped by ingredients, technique, and the pursuit of a complete dining experience.

I learned to cook at...

My culinary approach was shaped in kitchens including Park Hyatt Washington and The Ritz-Carlton and is grounded in classical European technique.

A cooking secret...

My secret in the kitchen is working with seasonal local ingredients, classical technique, and refined modern influences shaped by American and Europea

My menus

Chef’s Signature Seasonal Experience

STARTER

All inclusive

Signature Beet Borscht with garlic croutons, beef threads, farm sour cream, root vegetable brunoise, dill,

Lobster Consommé with butter-poached lobster medallion, fennel brunoise, tarragon oil, micro herbs

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Tuna Carpaccio with yuzu vinaigrette, compressed cucumber, sesame crumble, micro herbs

East Coast Oysters with Black Caviar with arugula pesto, classic mignonette, lemon gel

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Lightly Smoked Duck Breast with cherry demi-glace, fondant celery root, glazed baby carrots, pickled cherry, cherry spice gel, green apple gel, duck skin crisp, micro greens

Filet Mignon with Béarnaise Sauce with pommes fondant, seasonal vegetables, herb oil, microgreens

DESSERT

All inclusive

Modern Carrot Cake Composition with mascarpone cream cheese custard, carrot marmalade, orange-carrot gel, candied walnut crumble, citrus segments

Classic Chocolate Soufflé with ricotta mousse, raspberry - strawberry coulis, fresh berries

Modern American Tasting Menu

STARTER

All inclusive

Lobster Bisque with tarragon crème fraîche, lobster salad, brioche croutons, microgreens

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Tuna Tartare with chive, cucumber, seaweed, sesame, Asian vinaigrette, guacamole

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Filet Mignon with potato purée, roasted seasonal vegetables, garlic confit, port wine jus, microgreens

Pan-Roasted Halibut with Carolina broken rice perlau, carrot-ginger purée, shaved carrot and rhubarb vinaigrette, country ham (optional)

DESSERT

All inclusive

Pistachio Crème Brûlée with fresh berries, raspberry coulis, almond tuile

Seasonal Chesapeake Private Dinner

STARTER

All inclusive

Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with lightly charred baby tomatoes, shaved jalapeno, farm sour cream, chili threads, micro greens

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with green mix salad, pickled red onion, lemon vinaigrette and gribiche sauce

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Grilled Lamb Chops with parsnip purée, roasted tomatoes, mint pesto, crisp phyllo, crisp leeks

DESSERT

All inclusive

Anna Pavlova Dessert with mascarpone cream, seasonal berries, raspberry coulis

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Chef Vasily's reviews

4.84

•

133 services

Fantastic experience and very professional

Chef Vasily prepared a fantastic dinner for a family birthday dinner. He presented a wonderful menu with two choices for each course and he accommodated dietary preferences. Before the dinner, he was easily reachable and quickly responded to questions. He arrived with everything for the dinner including his own pots and pans, serveware, tableware and napkins. All we needed to provide was the table and glassware. The food was beautifully plated and tasted amazing! The flavors were interesting and complex but not overwhelming. Chef Vasily explained his vision for each of the dishes. The meal was comparable to fine dining at a restaurant. After the meal, there were no dishes to be done and the kitchen was clean. We are thrilled to have connected with Chef Vasily and will definitely be using asking him to cook for us again!

Chef Vasily was responsive to inquiries and respectful of dietary restrictions. He ensured that each guest was able to enjoy each meal course based on what they could consume. He arrived 30 minutes early to get the lay of the land and had the meal on the table at the agreed upon time. He presented each meal and gave us ample time to enjoy. He left no trace, the kitchen was as if he was never there. We really enjoyed the experience and would use Chef Vasily again or recommend him to others.

Chef Vasily is extraordinary. The way he curates his dishes with such mindfulness to not only taste and palate but beautiful placement and thought. Each dish was unique and exemplified his knowledge of what it takes to create a fine dining experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking for something exquisite and unique.

Chef Vasily was phenomenal from start to finish. We booked Chef Vasily for a special occasion dinner with family. Booking was very easy, and the menu he sent over was a perfect choice for us. He was very prompt, polite, and easy to communicate with leading up to the dinner. He sent his recommended wine pairings (sometimes specific bottles, sometimes regions and varietals) for each dish, all of which were excellent. He arrived just ahead of time, which we appreciated, was friendly and courteous, even taking his shoes off when he came into the house. The food was absolutely incredible, he shared a bit about each dish when serving. To top it off, my niece and nephew were curious about chef’s preparation of dessert - they went over to the kitchen and asked questions about what he was preparing and he patiently and kindly explained what he was making to them. We will certainly book Chef Vasily again.

We had the most incredible experience with our Chef. The food was incredible, and our chef was engaging, professional, and fun. You never know how one of these things are going to go when you can’t meet the chef ahead of time, but I could be more pleased and I’ll be recommending his services to everyone I know.

Chef Vasily did an amazing job.

Chef Vasily did a great job engaging us beforehand to ensure we had a menu everyone loved, and expertly delivered said menu. His presentation was thoughtful and beautiful, and everything was delicious. Thank you for making our birthdays special!

Everything was excellent. Everyone loved the meal and presentation. Highly recommended.

Such an incredibly unique experience for my husband's 60th birthday. Chef didn't leave any tiny detail behind. Selfishly, it was much more enjoyable for me as a host since Chef did all the work. Walking into a spotless kitchen after a dinner party was a tremendous win, win!

Chef Vasily was incredible! He made and served a fantastic multi-course dinner for my wife and I at our home and we loved how he walked us through this history of each dish in detail. The food was absolutely delicious and we enjoyed it with a nice bottle of wine. We're hoping to have Chef Vasily back for an even larger dinner party we may host! Highly recommend him!

Chef was so good, we've done in home chefs before (other websites) and he was by far the best!

Chef Vasily provided a fantastic dining experience for our private dinner party. He was responsive while we were planning the event, professional and served a divine dinner. I would highly recommend his services and hope we can use him again!

Chief was amazingly polite with a smile. He was very attentive and engaging. He answered questions and was very interactive with everyone at the 10-person birthday dinner party! I was most impressed with him taking off his shoes when he entered my home. And he brought his trash can and took the trash with him after joining my family to say good night. Thanks, Chef, you made my birthday special!

Our experience with Chef Vassily was fantastic in every way. We would would highly recommend him!

We had a wonderful experience, the food was excellent and the chef was very polite, timely and professional. Great experience!

Chef Vasily was prompt, professional, courteous, and made coordination incredibly seamless. Our entire group was absolutely thrilled with the food and the presentation. Dinner was delicious and delightful. I would strongly recommend booking Chef Vasily for your private chef experience!

Chef Vasily was simply straight to the point yet properly explaining all the dishes and made it very streamline for us. He came on time and got to work immediately while I finished up some work upstairs. He also has a great sense of humor! The experience was very enjoyable for both my girlfriend and I. We would definitely hire him again for special occasions and recommend him to friends and family!

Chef Vasily is one of the best chefs we have ever had at our events and we already are planning to hire him in the near future. We have used many chefs over the years and have rarely recommended anyone, but he is different. His food is well sourced and delicious. Thank you for recommending him to us!

Words cannot express our experience. Chef Vasily made our evening one that will be remembered and talked about for years and years to come. Our party was so excited about our evening but upon Chef Vasily’s arrival we knew we were in for the night of our lives and he did not disappoint! From the smells, the presentation to the taste of the food was beyond anything we could have ever imagined. This was our first time using a professional Chef but I can assure you, it will not be our last! And we can’t imagine having anyone other than Chef Vasily provide us with that delicious meal! Thank you Chef for making it the perfect evening!!