What happens when two corporate businessmen and passionate food enthusiasts decide to strike out on their own and start their own food service business? They cooked up the Enigma Chef concept. Enigma Chef is the dream of Teilmann Hansen, the man behind the exceptional home dining vision and and every plate of food delivered or picked up on Fridays and Saturdays.
Part private chef, part takeout, Enigma Chef is defining the intersection between culinary artistry and convenience. You’re provided with restaurant-quality meals designed to heat, plate and serve at dinner parties, dates and special events.
Unlike fast food, Enigma Chef has designed their menu around high-end dishes and allows hosts and entertainers to delight guests in their homes without the stress, mess or smell of a fully prepared gourmet dinner.
Dinner is Served
The concept is extraordinarily simple. First, pick your protein. Tender, medium-rare tri-tip steak ($13), herbed chicken breast ($7)or skin-on salmon fillet ($10)are the orders of choice. Pair those with your desired sides and vegetables (creamy parmesan mashed potatoes ($6), cheesy Italian polenta ($6) or Parm asparagus ($5)) as well as a housemade sauce ($1) for your entrée.
The chimichurri is a zesty blend of herbs and garlic that added a bit of heat to the salmon and some freshness to the tri-tip steak. Smoky roasted red pepper sauce brings a savory mix of garlic and spices to the steak and chicken. And garlic pesto gives everything extra zing with a delicious blend of basil, garlic and Parmesan.
You’ll even find wine pairing suggestions for each entree on the website to bring a complete dinner party together effortlessly.
If you’re looking for a really great tailgating or skiing lunch, try the Tri-tip ($16) or chicken ciabatta ($11) sandwich filled with a generous portion of sliced meat supported by provolone, cream cheese and arugula. Both sandwiches come with chips and a better-than-you-can-imagine pickle spear that I even asked Hansen if he makes in house (he doesn’t). And don’t forget to add a sauce for your ciabatta.
Sous-Vide Cooking
The secret to success with these partially prepared meals is sous vide says Hansen, a self-trained chef who continues to educate his palate and develop his skills every chance he gets. Sous vide is a French cooking method that involves sealing the proteins in an airtight pouch and then cooking them slow and low in a water bath. The precisely controlled temperature of the water delicately cooks the proteins in their own juices (think of it as hands-free self-braising), so dry proteins are a thing of the past.
Infused with so much flavor, I was particularly impressed with the texture and juiciness of the skin-on salmon fillet. What’s more, the skin really helped lock in the moisture as the fish reheated, ultimately delivering one of the best salmon dishes I’ve eaten from a restaurant.
Try Enigma Chef this Weekend
Along with co-founder Tyler Medin, Hansen is delivering a truly restaurant-quality product in each meal for far less than you could prepare at home and without any effort beyond your creativity in plating the final dish.
Orders can be placed at enigmachef.com and through DoorDash for delivery or pick up after 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
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