Seasonality
Ingredients at their peak, sourced with care.
The Chef Behind the Cuisine
A story told one plate at a time.
Background
Two decades of craft, from commercial kitchens to the intimacy of home.
Chef Tay brings over 20 years of Food Service & Culinary experience, spanning both commercial and private/home kitchens. While her foundation was built in the fast-paced, high-standard world of professional food service, her heart has always leaned toward the personal: the private dinner, the gathered table, the shared moment that only food can create.
Raised by older Southern parents, she grew up learning that the kitchen is more than a workspace — it is the soul of the home. Standing beside her father and mother, she absorbed the patience, instinct, and generosity that Southern cooking demands. Their influence taught her that every meal is an act of care, and every guest is family.
Philosophy
Food is fuel. Knowledge is seasoning.
Chef Tay believes food is fuel, and what we eat over time shapes how we show up in life. That is why she is committed to continuously learning about what we consume — and the origin story behind every ingredient. The more we understand what is on our plate, the better we can nourish the vessel that carries our spirit.
“How Do You Know If You’ve Never Tried It?” That same spirit of openness lives in every dish she creates. Live well — and eat as well as you can. With so much happening in our food system today, always do your own due diligence so you can make the best choices for yourself and the people you love.
Why Chef Tay Privée De Cuisine
Born from love, nourished by purpose.
In April of 2022, my then twelve-year-old son was diagnosed with Stage 4 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. It shattered our world. Through chemotherapy, radiation, holistic care, and countless hours at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, I made a decision: I would not let hospital cafeteria options, takeout, or convenience food undo the balanced, health-centered life we had worked so hard to build.
I began ordering groceries directly to CHOP — from Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, and local markets — and keeping provisions in the Ronald McDonald House Family Room on the oncology floor. What started as simple meal preparation for my son and me gradually became something a little jazzy. Other parents noticed. They asked about a service that did not yet exist. In that moment, I realized how many families were hungry for something better — and that I had the chance to serve them too.
By November 2022, we hosted a Friendsgiving & Platter Giveback that brought nearly eighty people into our home. That night, Fooding With Octavia was born — adventures in and outside of the kitchen, rooted in community, care, and flavor.
A couple of years later, eager to deepen my craft, I enrolled in Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Online for Food Entrepreneurship. The experience opened new doors to experimentation and refined technique, and it sparked a shift toward something more intimate and elevated. Out of that growth, Chef Tay Privée De Cuisine was created — a private culinary experience built on everything I learned at my parents’ side, at my son’s bedside, and around the tables of the people we love.
What Guides Every Menu
Personalization
Menus shaped around your palate, your occasion, your story.
Hospitality
The warmth of a Southern kitchen, brought to your table.
Craft
Twenty years of technique, applied with heart.