Gourmet Guideline

All about our chef partners
  • Who are the personal chefs on MobiChef?
  • What services will the personal chef provide?
  • How can I find the right chef / menu for my upcoming occasion?
  • How can I find out more about a chef?
  • The chef I want to book has no available dates in calendar, can I still book him/her?
All chefs listed on MobiChef are experienced culinary masters. They include chefs from hotels, restaurants, cooking instructors from cooking studios, and private chefs. We carefully screen the chefs, who are subject to background checks. We partner with experienced chefs only so you can enjoy trusted, quality dining for any occasion at your place.
The personal chef will source and buy ingredients, then prepare and cook them for your occasion. They do their best to ensure you and your guests enjoy special moments at home. After cooking, the chef will return the kitchen to its original state and clean used cookware. Please note that washing tableware is not the responsibility of a professional personal chef. 
Make use of the MobiChef search engine! You can choose a date and meal time (lunch or dinner), and then browse the menus of the available chefs. You can also filter the results by type of cuisine, budget, chef’s spoken language, etc.
You may also try Chef Shuffle to find an available chef or Menu Shuffle that gives you some ideas on menus you could select.
The chef’s profile page includes his / her bio that may include his / her background, experience, cooking style, specialities or philosophy. You will be able to find out a chef's spoken languages. More importantly, read a chef's note before you make a booking request. We sometimes blog about the chefs’ stories and their adventures in the kitchen. Our review system also helps you understand a chef better. Check out the photo album featuring other Gourmets’ photos of the chef’s creations. 
Yes, please send email to [email protected] or whatsapp to +852 6115 3175. We will check with the chef for a special arrangement.
Be a Gourmet
  • Who can register as a Gourmet?
  • What do I need to host an occasion using MobiChef's services?
  • What is "My Kitchen"?
  • Can I register more than one kitchen (address)?
  • How are my personal details displayed on MobiChef?
  • Will the personal chefs go anywhere in Hong Kong?
MobiChef is for people who love to share memorable times with family and friends. People who enjoy fresh, delicious cuisine. And people who would love to share their kitchen with a personal chef. If that sounds like you, you’re welcome to join us as a Gourmet.
You only need basic kitchen facilities and equipment and a dining room. Stove hobs, fridge, water and power source are essential. Most menus also require cookware like pots, pans or woks. Some dishes need appliances such as an oven. Some chefs may use yours but some like to bring their own. Required facilities and equipment are listed in each menu to help you check what you need before requesting a booking.
Let chefs know what you have in the kitchen by completing "My Kitchen". You can introduce your kitchen to a chef by uploading photos of the interior, facilities, equipment and cookware. The more details you provide, the better a chef can prepare for you. A chef may contact you if he / she has any questions regarding the kitchen facilities or equipment. Visit My Kitchen now!
Definitely. We know you might want to organise one event in a friend's home and another in a rented venue. You can save all the dining venues in your Gourmet account to make future bookings easier.
We know privacy is important and do our best to protect our members. We don’t display your personal information on your public profile. Your address and kitchen information are only given to your chef after the booking is requested. Your phone number and other details stay private. Please read also our Privacy Policy.
Currently MobiChef provides services in all parts of Hong Kong. Though a chef may choose to accept or decline a booking request, they always try their best to make it happen at your place. However, sometimes chefs may find it difficult to go to certain areas. If this is the case, they will decline your booking. If you live in a remote area, and need our assistance to select a suitable chef, please contact our Concierge via [email protected].
Making a booking
  • How can I make a booking?
  • Is there someone I can contact to make a booking instead of doing myself on the website platform?
  • Is there any minimum charge? What is the minimum no. of diners in a booking?
  • What is tableware rental?
  • How can I communicate with the chef directly?
  • Why was my booking rejected?
  • Can my chef prepare children's portions?
  • What if I have dietary restrictions?
  • Can the chefs cook a designated dish I request? Is there any restrictions?
  • When is the furthest booking I can make?
  • What’s the latest time I can make a booking?
  • When will I know if my booking is confirmed?
After you choose a personal chef and select a menu. Request to book and secure your chef of choice by completing the payment. An email (plus a SMS, depending on your settings) will be sent to you within 24 hours to notify you whether the booking is accepted by the chef. To speed up the confirmation, you’re recommended to complete "My Kitchen" by checking the items you have in the kitchen and uploading a few photos. This helps the personal chef understand the kitchen scene and equipment he / she will work with.
Yes. You may whatsapp our Concierge to make a booking. This is a more personalised service, especially for bookings with urgency or complications, however, please note that you are not able to earn Reward Points for all bookings made via Concierge. You may not apply Online Promo Code to bookings made through Concierge too.
Chef design their own menu. Each menu is priced differently according to ingredients, preparation time and other factors. The minimum and maximum number of dining patrons for each menu also varies. You may add no. of diners up to 2 days prior to the dining day. However, deducting the no. of guaranteed diners within 5 days prior to dining date will not be refunded. Inputting the estimated number of diners in filter will help you search for the right menu.
If you face one of the situations below, MobiChef’s tableware rental service could be a solution for you.
  • I do not have enough tableware for all the guests.
  • I have enough tableware but they are not of the same tone for a decent presentation.
  • I simply do not want to wash the tableware afterwards!
MobiChef arranges porcelain tableware and matching cutlery for the menu you ordered. We communicate with the chefs so as to make sure all courses in the selected menu are covered. Please note that we do not arrange tableware for kids under 8, you have to prepare tableware for them separately.

The tableware is delivered to the venue 2 to 4 hours before the dining time, and collected 3 to 5 hours after the meal starts. Our logistic team will call you to arrange on the day. We pack the necessary tableware in a box. You do not have to wash them after use, just rinse away all the remaining food and pack them back to the box for our collection.
If the dining venue is located in a remote area, Concierge will contact you to quote the additional delivery fee. Any venue that is not directly accessible with a elevator, the delivery team will collect cash HK$300 per floor of staircase as additional charge.
MobiChef may charge you for missing, broken and damaged items at their cost. The cost of each item will be printed on a list along with the box.
There is a Message box in each order. Your personal chef may contact you for more details if anything in your booking is unclear. You can also contact your chef there if you require any special arrangements. Please use the Message Box to communicate with the chef. We retain messages in case a dispute needs to be resolved.
Our chef partners are passionate about creating the best possible dining experience and would not decline a booking without a reason. Sometimes a chef may decide a home cooking occasion not feasible, for example if there is no stove hob or fridge, or insufficient space for catering the amount of guests you requested. Check Chef's Note before making a booking request, some of them may tell where they don't go (e.g. venue with pets / remote disctricts)
If you need assistance, please contact our Concierge via [email protected].
We understand that not all food is suitable for kids. Some menus include nutritious kid-friendly dishes. To cater for the children at your occasion please choose a menu with suitable items. Children under the age of 8 can enjoy kids’ portions (half portion) with a 50% off the menu. You may also put in remarks requesting Chef to propose kids food with a quotation. Please note that a child is not counted as one head when calculating the minimum number of guests required in a menu.
Include any dietary restrictions and allergies in the “Remarks” section before submitting your booking order. Your personal chef should be happy to adjust the menu or change some of the ingredients for you and your guests. You may discuss this with your chef via the Message box even when the order is confirmed.
Yes, if you have a specific dish to include or need a customised menu, you may contact our Conicerge inquiring about the quotation before placing the order. We will try our best to accommodate, however, our platform does not offer shark’s fin dishes due to the environmental conservation reason.
You can make a booking online up to 90 days in advance. If you need to book for a later date, please contact our Concierge via [email protected].
All bookings must be made 3 days prior to the dining day so your chef has enough time to prepare and deliver quality service. Your booking will be confirmed by the chef within 24 hours. Please note that no changes can be made 2 days prior to the dining day.
Your booking will be confirmed by the chef within 24 hours. You’ll receive a booking confirmation message by email or SMS. You may also view the status of your booking under "Bookings" after logging in.
Paying the bill
  • Do I need to pay for ingredients, transportation on top of the bill?
  • How should I pay?
  • Is the payment gateway secure?
  • Can I settle the payment by bank transfer or a cheque?
The payment you do on mobichef.com includes food ingredients, transportation (except for venue located in remote areas; chef/ Concierge will contact you for additional transportation fee after your order is placed.) , chef's cooking service and our platform's admin fee (10%).  There is no need to worry about any cash payments (or even a gratuity) during or after the event. If you have any questions, please contact our Concierge via [email protected].
We accept online payments via PayPal account or any credit cards that is accepted by PayPal without creating a PayPal account.
You may also pay via PayMe from HSBC or direct bank transfer (HSBC). Please whatsapp +852 6115 3175 for arrangements.
As a pioneer of online payments, PayPal offers world-class security for all its users. You may check out their website to learn more.
PayMe is a new mobile payments service from HSBC. PayMe allows easy and secured payments via social network. For more information, please check out their website.
If you need to settle the payment by bank transfer or a cheque. Please send email to [email protected] or whatsapp +852 6115 3175 for arrangements. Please note that cheque payment is only applicable for bookings requested at least 7 days in advance.
Changing booking details
  • Can I change my booking after it’s confirmed?
  • Can I cancel the booking and get a refund?
  • What happen if a Chef has to cancel my booking?
  • What is the arrangement under adverse weather?
Guest number changes are possible if made earlier than 5 days prior to the dining day. Go to Bookings after logging in and select the booking you want to change. Edit number of diners. Adding diners in the booking require additional payment. Deducting number of diners will require manual procedure for partial refund after the dining occasion as the new bill amount is lower than the originally paid amount. Contact Concierge to arrange the credit bringing forward to your next booking or we will refund to your credit card (taking around 6-8 weeks). Your bill on booking page will be updated with the final payment in your record. Please note that there is no refund if you deduct guest number or cancel the booking within 5 days prior to the dining day. Also, cancellation or deduction of guests for bookings fallen into Festive Period will not get a refund.
You may also change your dining time. Please also consider chef’s arrival time for preparation when you decide your starting time. Your chef will arrive prior to the dining time and start preparation, every chef's required preparation time is shown in Chef's Note and you will be reminded when making a booking request. If you need to change the venue, please message your chef to arrange. Please ensure that the new venue fulfills the kitchen requirements of the menu. Venue change can only be valid only if chef accepts. 

Please note that you cannot choose a different date or a different chef once your booking is confirmed.
Our chef partners are all passionate chefs eager to devote their personal time and share their expertise with you. Your confirmed booking locks your chef’s schedule and prevents others from booking that meal period. For flexibility we do allow some changes to your booking (see above). However, we understand that sometimes there are reasons that you must cancel the bookings. Our cancellation policy here tried to be fair to both the Gourmet and the Chef.
If a booking is made on Non-Festive Period:
1. Cancellation made 120 hours prior to the scheduled dining time or earlier will receive a full refund. Alternatively, the entire payment will be transferred to the new booking if rescheduled.
2. No refunds are provided for cancellations made within 120 hours prior to the scheduled dining time. In case of rescheduling, the full payment will be transferred to the new booking.
3. No refunds are provided for cancellations made within 72 hours of the scheduled dining time. In case of rescheduling, the payment will be subject to a 30% deduction, and the remaining balance will be transferred to the new booking.
4. No refunds are provided for cancellations made within 48 hours of the scheduled dining time. In case of rescheduling, the payment will be subject to a 50% deduction, and the remaining balance will be transferred to the new booking.
5. No refunds are provided for cancellations made within 12 hours of the scheduled dining time. In case of rescheduling, the payment will be subject to a 80% deduction, and the remaining balance will be transferred to the new booking.
6. No refunds are provided for cancellations made within 6 hours of the scheduled dining time. No rescheduling can be arranging for requests made within 6 hours of the scheduled dining time.
7. All rescheduling must be arranged within 4 months from the original booking date.
8. No any refunds/ rescheduling for menu that requires over 5 days preparation or food orders, these menus are specified in the description.
The above policies do not applied to the designated festive days, there is no any refunds/ rescheduling for bookings made on the designated festive days as announced on the platform.
All bookings shall be cancelled through MobiChef’s concierge and is deemed cancelled only upon receipt of MobiChef’s confirmation of the cancellation.
In case of illness or emergencies that the Chef has to cancel the booking, you may choose to reschedule with the same chef or request for a full refund. If you need to book another chef for the occasion, please contact Concierge for assistance.
In the event of bad weather (typhoon signal no. 8 or above and black rainstorm signal), Chef shall go ahead to cook at the booking venue only if both the Chef and the Gourmet agree to. In the event either party would like to cancel, the chef should provide a date within one month for reschedule arrangement even if he/she has already prepared the ingredients (rescheduled date to be suggested by the Chef). If the Gourmet cannot reschedule, the booking will be cancelled without any refund.  
Welcoming your chef
  • When will my personal chef arrive for the occasion?
  • When will the rented tableware arrive?
  • How should I prepare my kitchen?
  • Can I stay in the kitchen when chef's cooking?
  • Do I need to clean up after my occasion?
Your chef will arrive prior to the dining time and start preparation, every chef's required preparation time is shown in Chef's Note and you will be reminded when making a booking request. For some special cases, a chef may need to arrive at a different time. They will notify you via Message box. If there is any unexpected delay our Concierge will call you via phone.
If you have chosen MobiChef’s tableware rental service, the tableware will arrive the venue 2 – 4 hours prior to the dining time. Our logistic team will call you to confirm the time on the day.
Please set aside your cookware for the chef's use. Prepare your available tableware so the chef knows what he can utilize; or just put the box of rented tableware in the kitchen. Advise your chef about anything to be mindful of in your kitchen. Then relax and take care of your guests.
Kitchen can be a dangerous place especially when our chef is doing multiple tasks at the same time. Please let them work in the kitchen themselves and talk to them when they finish cooking. The elderly and children should stay away from the kitchen, otherwise you shall be responsible for any accidents caused.
Your chef will clean all cookware they have used and return your kitchen to its original state. Please note that cookware still being used on your table will not be cleaned, and chefs will not wait to wash tableware and glassware. If you have rented our tableware, just repackage the food-free tableware in the same containers in which they were received. We will collect them afterwards. You don’t have to wash them at all. Read more about "tableware rental service" under “Making a booking” section.
Reviewing your experience
  • How can I write a review?
  • Can I write anything in a review?
We will send you an invitation to write a review after your occasion. You may write comments and share photos after log-in. If you have enjoyed your home restaurant experience, and appreciate the chef's work, make use of the review system to show appreciation and encouragement. You may give your chef some “Endorsements” there. Please also let he / she know if you think there is room for improvement.
We believe in freedom of speech, transparency, and clear communication. Gourmets should stick with the facts when writing a review. Good reviews provide constructive information for other Gourmets' reference.
MobiChef usually do not censor, edit, or delete reviews. However, we reserve the right to remove reviews that violate our content policy. We don't allow:
· Reviews that do not represent a user’s personal experience.
· Reviews unrelated to the actual reservation (e.g. political, religious, or social commentary).
· Content that endorses or promotes illegal or harmful activity or violence, or is profane, vulgar, obscene, defamatory, threatening, or discriminatory.
· Content that violates another person’s or entity’s rights, including intellectual property rights and privacy rights (e.g. publishing another person’s full name, address or other identifying information without permission).
· Content that is proven to be used as extortion.
· Content that refers to a MobiChef investigation.
Didn't find your questions above? Send a message to our Concierge via [email protected].