For many people, the thought of a professional kitchen brings to mind shouting chefs, nonstop pressure, and chaotic dinner rushes—the kind immortalized by The Bear or Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen. But in 2026, private chef Geron Altamirano’s experience is a little different.
While his days are relatively different compared to others, they tend to be less frenetic and more mindful. What he is able to experience instead are quieter mornings, market runs, collaborative menu planning, and meals built around one client’s day-to-day routine.
How Geron Altamirano Became a Private Chef
Chef Geron (@geron.leron.sinta) has been in the culinary industry for more than a decade now. After graduating from culinary school, he went overseas and worked his way up from line cook to eventually becoming a demi chef at a country club in Florida. And yes, according to him, restaurant kitchens can really be as intense as the pop culture portrayals that many of us know.
“When people ask if kitchens are really like ‘The Bear,’ I always say yes,” he joked. “Honestly, I can’t even watch the show because it stresses me out.”
After returning to the Philippines, he tried his hand at running a business by opening a few small establishments of his own. While he loved the creative side of food, running his own restaurant came with a different set of challenges. “As a chef, you just focus on creating dishes,” he explained. “But when you own the business, suddenly you’re also dealing with staffing, suppliers, finances, complaints—everything.”
It’s these added responsibilities that sparked feelings of burn out within him. Fortunately, in late 2025, he came across a Facebook post looking for a private chef. He sent his resume, heard nothing but crickets for months, then unexpectedly received a callback. After an impressive food tasting, he got the gig.
To his surprise, unlike restaurant kitchens, where chefs cook for hundreds of diners, private chefing is far more personal, and much more flexible.
What a Private Chef’s Daily Routine Looks Like
Every Sunday, he prepares a menu proposal built around his client’s preferences, schedule, and health goals—though he admits plans can change quickly depending on sudden cravings or unexpected guests. “You can prepare a full menu, then suddenly the client says they’re having friends over so you adjust,” he said.
That flexibility extends to sourcing ingredients himself. Rather than simply sending a grocery list, he prefers visiting local markets personally to pick out fresh ingredients like meat, seafood, and produce. “As a chef, I want to see the ingredients,” he explained. “Freshness and quality affect the final dish.” His market runs and meal prep routines have since become a familiar part of his growing TikTok content.
And it’s through these very same videos where he discovered that many people assume that private chefs spend all day plating extravagant meals for wealthy clients. In reality, the job is often much more practical.
One viral meal-prep video of his even sparked comments about why the food was stored in microwaveable containers instead of elegant serving ware. “People think private chefs are always serving luxury meals,” he said. “But sometimes the client just wants something practical that they can reheat during a busy day.”
For him, private chefing is less about putting on a show and more about fitting seamlessly into a client’s lifestyle.
Why Private Chefing Offers Better Work-Life Balance
But what Chef Geron enjoys most about private chefing is the balance it gives him. Compared to restaurant kitchens, where long shifts and stress are a staple, private chef work allows him to stay creative while still having a healthier pace of life.
“I want people to see there’s another side to the kitchen industry,” he said. “You can still be creative and passionate about food without constantly living in stress.”
For him, this quieter, more relaxed approach to cooking hasn’t changed what drew him to the kitchen in the first place: food. And food is still about bringing people together and creating moments of comfort and joy—it’s just that it’s coming from a much calmer kitchen now.
Frequently Asked Questions
A private chef creates personalized meals for clients based on their preferences, schedules, and dietary needs.
Private chefing is generally more personalized and flexible compared to the fast-paced environment of restaurant kitchens.
Chef Geron Altamirano is a Filipino chef and content creator known for sharing his experience as a private chef online.
No. Many private chefs prepare practical everyday meals, meal prep containers, and personalized home cooking.
