Today we’d like to introduce you to Arnaud Jullien.
Hi Arnaud, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Provence, where meals were simple rituals around fresh ingredients from our garden. At 14, I was already spending time in a restaurant kitchen in Avignon. After graduating from high school and college I spent my twenties foraging European foods in London, Paris, Amsterdam and Lisbon. Then I became a TV journalist and documentary film maker in my thirties, but this is a story for another time.
Meanwhile, I trained as a chef at the Paul Augier Culinary School in Nice, where I got my Culinary Arts degree with honors. On the Riviera, I learned the discipline and precision of French technique, refining my skills in Michelin style kitchens like Relais & Châteaux Le Mas de Pierre. Later, I decided to start a career on superyachts but a couple of days before I embarked on my first vessel, I met with a special lady in Antibes, who invited me to visit her home country and would become my wife a few years later.
Fast forward to Auckland, New Zealand where I launched my first private-chef business. During 10 years, I crafted fine dining events for high-end clients, hosted hundreds of public vegetarian & vegan classes, and offered team-building cooking to corporations. Those experiences shaped my philosophy: food doesn’t have to come with pressure – unless steamed – it should be a relaxed and fun experience.
Here in LA, I source produce from local farmers’ markets. My menus are rooted in French and Italian cuisines but colored by Californian, Japanese and Indian influences — a reflection of the city’s diversity.
Today I focus on three things:
• Private dinners & celebrations — restaurant-quality experiences in the intimacy of a home.
• Meal prep services — healthy, Mediterranean weekly menus for busy and retired people.
• Cooking classes — interactive, hands-on experiences where anyone can feel like a chef.
I’m busy all week and most weekends, and expanding my In-Home Meals service across LA, while developing video content, and building a “culinary memory” project seeking sponsors 😉 LA has a long love story with storytelling and that’s my way to blend in as tastefully as I can. I love to help people feel special, have a great time and make those precious moments last.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I got my first kitchen job in Avignon at 14, and the Maitre D was an old school bully who shouted at people. It didn’t stop me from spending my high-school and college summers working in restaurants who sometimes tried to charge us staff meals to deduct them from our well-earned wages. I just kept pushing until I graduated from culinary school in Nice, then worked in high-end kitchens on the Riviera. I was about to join the superyacht circuit in Antibes when I met my wife — instead we moved to New Zealand, where I built my private chef business, and after 3 years of hard work I could make a decent living out of it. Today I still operate in New Zealand remotely with a few selected chefs working for my clients there while I’m doing the same in Los Angeles. The first year here was really tough, but things are finally taking off. You never know what’s around the corner but you need to keep pushing to find out.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a French private chef in Los Angeles, specializing in Mediterranean cuisine with global influences. That means French and Italian for sure but also Californian and Asian cuisine. What makes my work unique is that it’s entirely personalized — unlike a restaurant, I rarely cook the same dish twice. I’m most proud of the trust my hosts place in me; being welcomed into their homes and seeing their appreciation is the best reward. I also get to do what I like every day, which is fantastic. Every menu is crafted to the season, often with a touch of food-pairing science — like salmon with walnut, dark chocolate and yuzu. I’m known for creating refined experiences where every meal feels one-of-a-kind, but without the fuss. I really enjoy being an entertaining chef in people’s homes and simply vanish at the end of the show. It’s a kind of magic.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I can recommend 2 apps that I’ve used for kitchen inspiration and convenience: Anova and Gronda.
Blogs I follow are mostly in French, no podcasts, and I’ve always been a fan of Jacques Pepin’s videos.
Other than that I have too many resources and links to list here so you’ll have to get in touch. I’m easy to find.
Pricing:
- In-Home Meals – from $500 per week
- Romantic Chef’s Table – $350 per person (2 guests)
- Private Classes – $350 for 1 or 2 guests
- 3 Course Fine Dining – $165 per person (min 4 guests)
- Gift Cards
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.frenchprivatechef.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frenchprivatechef
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchprivatechef
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frenchprivatechef/
Image Credits
Copyright Arno Jullien 2025
