Scratch Test Kitchen — Local services in Long Beach

On August 17, 2024, Chef Dorian presented in my home for six guests an extraordinary 7-course meal with selected wines by his sommelier. The facts: I have hired many chefs over the years, have a private chef on my yacht, and regularly attend Michelin-starred restaurants throughout the world. To my dismay and utter joy, the gastronomic experience was beyond any past hired chef and rivaled the best of Michelin-starred restaurants. Chef Dorian can hold his own in regard to venue and quality of food. All ingredients were fresh, plates were beautifully presented with inspirational and complimenting china, and the wines were perfectly well-matched for each course. Now there was a twist to the dinner that was touching and warming. Chef Dorian built the meal in honor of his deceased mother as a tribute to the woman she was. His course descriptions entailed tearfully remembered loving antidotal stories of his mother. In regards to the business aspect, Chef Dorian is responsive to emails and phone calls in a timely manner. He provided all menus well in advance for discussion and approval. Now, if I did not mention one improvement, it would be suspect that I am not critically analyzing all aspects of the food, presentation, and staff. in that regard, I can only find one recommendation for improvement, and it is quite minor. The NY steak was beautifully presented and the tastes were fantastic. The steak had been sous vide and then charred. I would only recommend that the meat be sous vide for an additional 1.5 hours so that the tough texture of the NY cut is diminished. Not a major flaw in any way, but there is always possible improvement. However, I cannot think of one other change or improvement that can be recommended. That is quite...

EVENT: Private Dinner Party - Celebrating My 60th Birthday.

With about 45 days’ notice, Chef Dorian agreed to fly from his hometown of Los Angeles, CA to Gaithersburg, MD to prepare dinner for ~30 family members and friends in honor of my 60th Birthday.

Together, we reached an agreement on the menu (see attached photos of some food items) and afterward, finalized the price. The entire process took about two weeks to complete. A small deposit was due at contract signing and the final payment was due 2 weeks prior to the event.

Upon arriving in Maryland, Chef Dorian went grocery shopping to purchase food for the event. On the next day, he spent between 6-8 hours preparing for the main event. On the day of the event, he decorated the buffet, dessert, and appetizer tables. He and Susan monitored all tables and replenished food as needed.

The food was DELICIOUS. Everyone had plenty to eat during the event and some folk even took food home afterwards. Although I fell asleep shortly after the event (too much wine), Chef Dorian and Susan remained and cleaned the kitchen; leaving it the way they found it. 

My first encounter with Chef Dorian was in Cerritos CA where he prepared a Mother’s Day ‘plated’ brunch for six of us. The food was AMAZING, so I asked if he ever traveled for events. He said, “Yes, as long as I have my knives.” Well, about 30 of us can attest that the food and service was deserving of five stars. Now that I know he is willing to travel, I will be open to calling upon him for future events.

Chef Dorian and Susan, I had an AMAZING 60th birthday party, thanks in part to...

Amazing experience! I booked Chef Dorian for a quiet NY eve dinner at my house. He was really easy to coordinate with, a good communicator, and he tailored the menu to my liking and even paired wines with each dish. He arrived on time, had all of his own things with him including wine glasses and when he left the kitchen looked like no one had just cooked a 5 course meal. He tolerated my 3 crazy pugs and maneuvered around them even though they tried to break the barrier down to get in his kitchen. The flavor/texture combinations for each of the courses was well executed and the wine pairings were on point. He had edible flowers which were really fun and had some flavor which I wasn't expecting. One meal not shown...I forgot the pic until I'd eaten half. I truly enjoyed this experience and would gladly invite him back to cook...