Private Chef • Catering • Pop-Ups
ChefRey Ban
25 years behind the flame. Latin roots. Smoke, soul, and fire on every plate. Angola, New York.
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Private Chef • Catering • Pop-Ups
25 years behind the flame. Latin roots. Smoke, soul, and fire on every plate. Angola, New York.
The Story
I started cooking because I had to. I kept cooking because I was built for it. No culinary school, no shortcuts. I learned from the line, the fire, and the clock. Ruth's Chris taught me precision. East Eden Tavern sharpened my creativity. Buffalo's Best Catering showed me how to scale flavor without losing the soul. 25 years of kitchens, and every single one left something in my hands.
Now I cook for myself, and that changes everything. My food is built on Latin roots. Ground coffee darkening the bark. Chimichurri made from memory, not a recipe card. Smoke that doesn't apologize. I'm a father of six, a trauma survivor, and a builder. What I'm constructing through food is generational. Every plate that leaves my hands carries that weight, and you'll taste it before anyone has to explain it.
What I Do
High-energy, chef-driven food experiences for dispensaries, venues, and private events. Signature menus, full execution, built to draw a crowd and keep them talking.
Multi-day events, corporate retreats, weddings, and large-format gatherings. Fully customized menus, from open-fire service to elevated plated courses. Scaled to your guest count, tailored to your vision.
An intimate, full-service dining experience in your home. Multi-course menus designed around your preferences, prepared and plated in your kitchen. You sit down. I handle everything else.
Chef-prepared meals built to your dietary goals and delivered ready to eat. Clean ingredients, bold flavor, zero compromise. The convenience of meal prep with the quality of a private chef.
The Philosophy
Technique Over Recipes
Recipes are instructions. Technique is instinct. I don't measure by the book. I measure by the pan, the heat, and 25 years of knowing what the food needs before it tells me. That's the difference between a cook and a chef.
Heritage is the Secret Ingredient
My Latin roots aren't a menu category. They're in everything. The way I build flavor in layers. The spices I reach for without thinking. Cumin, allspice, thyme, and fire. You taste where I come from before I ever have to say it.
Every Detail is a Decision
The bun gets toasted. The dog gets butterflied. The sauce gets built a day ahead so the flavor has time to settle. Nothing goes out by accident. If it's on the plate, I chose it. That discipline is what people taste even when they can't explain it.
Feed People Like It Matters
Because it does. A pop-up burger and a five-course private dinner get the same level of attention from me. I don't have a B-game. Whether it's 10 guests or 200, every plate carries the same standard: make them remember it.
Let's Work
Pop-ups, private dinners, catering, meal prep. DM me on Instagram or reach out on Facebook. Let's talk about what you need and I'll make it happen.