Exciting New Announcement for 2025 - Uni Personal Chef!

The light show at Denver Botanic Garden

Our journey as personal chefs has been winding roads filled with challenges, growth, and unforgettable moments. 

Today, Chef Aric and I are grateful as we reflect on our unique adventure over the past several years. It's been an incredible experience, and we understand how important it is to cherish where we started. Let's take a moment to revisit those beginnings together.

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[The Puerto Vallarta Beginning] In 2018, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Chef Aric spotted a Facebook post from someone searching for a chef for their New Year's Eve celebration. When we contacted her, she was thrilled, and we quickly put together a seven-course tasting menu for 20 guests.

Little did we know what challenges awaited us—food shortages and gas shortages that were unthinkable when we lived in the States, and our tiny kitchen, which did not have a dishwasher, making it almost impossible to prepare food for 20 guests! I ran to seven different grocery stores searching for heavy cream while Chef Aric made the time-consuming stove-top crème brûlée and conserved gas to keep the food warm. Despite the chaos, our first private dinner party at our client's house was tremendously successful. We loved every moment and knew this was what we wanted to do.

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  7-course tasting dinner menu, 2018

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  New Year in Mexico 2018

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  Salt & Pepper color, Yin Yang plate represents balance

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  First headshot e.v.e.r 2018, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

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  Our First Business Card with Aric's logo on

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  Back of the business card, 2018, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

After that event, we made it official: we registered our business officially and asked a friend to take our headshots. We came up with ideas for the logo using "the color of Salt & Pepper," "Yin & Yang," "Plate," and "Silverware." Simple minds think alike, right? Then, we had to put it together to make a logo. Chef Aric had the unique idea of creating a yin & yang plate using spray paint. I took a photo of the half-black and half-white plate with my iPhone. I made a Facebook fan page and started to advertise our business organically. We celebrated fun parties, from birthday parties to bachelorette parties. We had many unforgettable memories and great times while we lived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with some funny stories behind them. I'll share it with you some other time. (Stay tuned for more of these stories in my future emails!”

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[The Pandemic Shift] In 2020, everything changed. The Pandemic brought us back to Colorado, closer to friends and family, and facing new challenges. With no local reputation and income, we leaned on our community for support. Their encouragement helped us build our business from scratch in Colorado this time. We collaborated on a new logo design with a designer, Kym, keeping the original half-painted plate and adding a heart-shaped radish. We also included Chinese characters for "Friends" and "Love" to reflect what we want to create through our food.   We were full of dreams, hopes, and excitement when we created the new logo. It was also the symbol of our new start back in Colorado.

Upgraded Logo from the Yin Yang Plate 2019-2024 by designer Kym Ganeles

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Over the next few years, we faced some setbacks that dashed our dreams. However, better ones always opened as one door closed, leading to a lasting friendship. We learned an important lesson and chose to trust ourselves again. We've grown stronger thanks to our amazing clients, friends, and community. Your support has carried us through moments of doubt and kept our dreams alive. 

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  Chef Aric plating dessert

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  Retreat, 08-2022

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  Strawberry Shortcake

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  Virtual Cooking from Canada to Colorado

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  My core family from Muay Thai of Colorado

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  Pork Two Ways with Broccolini

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  From mom's cheesecake to yours

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  Sea Urchin Pasta

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  Virtual Cooking from all over the states!

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  No matter how old you get, birthday is fun!

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  Salmon Ochazuke (Green Tea over cooked rice and salmon)

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  Romantic Birthday 7-Course

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  Appetizer, Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart

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  5 days birthday celebration!

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  Elopement 9-27-23

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  First wedding anniversary cooking class

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[Looking Toward 2025] As we look toward 2025, our "Why" is getting more precise. We also realized what we wanted to accomplish in 2025, and moving on to the next chapter of our business, we decided to change our logo and slightly change our business name to "U & I" instead of "UnI" To clarify our brand.

Thanks to our dear friend Jessica Martinez, who patiently listened to our thoughts, understood our future goals, and kept the design simple, elegant, and bold—exactly what we wanted in the logo. 

The line art connects food, YOU and I (us), and the logo perfectly represents our belief: "Food brings long-lasting friendship and love to the table, with U & I."

U & I Personal Chef New Logo 2025-

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Our ingredients for making plates for you, whether for private dinner parties, weekly meal prep, in-home cooking classes, or virtual cooking classes, are always the same.

Salt, Pepper, and a Little Bit of Love. We craft your plates with a piece of our hearts every time.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. As we move into 2025, we can't wait to share more exciting moments with you. Let's continue to create lasting memories together—with U & I at the table. Want to join our journey? Sign up for our Email Newsletter!