Personal Chef

Ukrainian Finds Home is Sweet in Alabama

Story by Deborah Storey • Photos Courtesy of Yurii Kliemientiev

For your next birthday, eat like a celebrity.

Relax at your own dinner table and let a personal chef bring out pan-seared filet mignon with sweet potato puree and cherry-balsamic glaze or roasted lamb marinated in pomegranate and herbs.

What makes the gourmet meal even easier to digest is the fact that you’re helping refugees from war-torn Ukraine. Seriously.

Yurii Kliemientiev is a Huntsville-based personal chef who goes by the name “Chef Montana.” He and his wife, Karyna Andreieva, cater private dinner parties, small weddings, special birthday celebrations and family dinners. They can prepare a batch of meals for the week in your home, too.

Kliemientiev has been cooking for a decade, in five countries. He speaks some English, as well as Russian, Ukrainian and Polish. Through an interpreter and email, he explained how he ended up bringing his culinary specialties to the people of Alabama.

“My focus has always been European cuisine, especially Mediterranean,” he says. “I’ve worked every station in the kitchen, from line cook to head chef, and now as a private chef. The path wasn’t easy — long hours, low pay, lots of pressure — but every step taught me something. I’m grateful for that.”

The turning point in his career was war — not the current one in Ukraine, but the first conflict there in 2014. He was 17 when fighting began in his hometown of Donetsk. His parents sent him to Poland to study — alone. They chose the most affordable university, which just happened to offer hotel and restaurant management.

“My heart told me: this is it,” he says.

Kliemientiev has been living abroad since then and travels to Ukraine for brief visits with family. He hopes to bring his 9-year-old brother and mother here at
some point. 

The move to Alabama was the couple’s fourth. They left half of their belongings behind in Oslo and arrived in the U.S. with just $1,000.

“Difficulties are always part of the immigrant’s path — that’s a normal part of moving from place to place,” he says. “That way of life has already become normal for me, so this step was not a major change or
particular difficulty.”

Finding a passion

He started his career with student internships in European restaurants — washing dishes, peeling potatoes, 14-hour shifts for 300 euros a month. He learned from chefs in Poland, Majorca, Italy and Norway.

“I loved the rhythm, the stress, the creativity,” he recalls. “Somewhere in the middle of all the cuts, burns and exhaustion, I realized, I’m actually happy here.”

North Alabama friends involved in a program called United for Ukraine invited him to Huntsville about a
year ago.

“I love discovering American culture through food, and meeting people who are excited to try something new,”
he says.

His favorite moment is when guests take the first bite and say “wow.”

“When I leave and people are full, clapping, smiling, thanking me — I know it was worth it. It’s not just food, it’s trust. People open their homes and their celebrations to me, and I give them a piece of myself on every plate,” he says. “Creating a moment that becomes a memory — that’s the best part.”

Catering to different needs

His client base is diverse — young mothers, couples planning weddings, busy families. Some households want healthy meals ready for busy weeks. Others have special dietary needs.

Birthday dinners are especially popular.

“People want to enjoy the night with loved ones and leave the cooking to a professional,” he says. “My job is to handle everything so smoothly that if a guest comes into the kitchen, it’s only to take a photo.”

He loves Mediterranean cuisine and believes serious chefs should learn French fundamentals.  

“Once you master the base, you can experiment freely without ruining the dish.”

His signature dish is beef tartare with truffle mayo served on crackers or a toasted baguette. He calls it a perfect mix of classic technique and modern flavor, with traditional tartare cuts and French-style mayonnaise base but elevated with truffle and spices.

Each event gets a fully personalized menu. Clients fill out questionnaires on favorite cuisines, allergies, even table settings or color motifs for weddings.

“From there, I design the menu, and then we review and adjust it together until they’re happy,” he says. “This approach gives both me and my clients total freedom. We can bring almost any idea to life,” he says.

One request was dinner for 11 with a lobster theme. The musician Tipper’s “Covered in Lobsters” song was inspiration for a group of people headed to a concert. “That’s the kind of fun, unique challenge I enjoy,” he says.

Kliemientiev turns clients’ homes into small restaurants. “The magic happens in front of them.”

He and his wife bring their own tools, including pots and pans, prepare on site and clean up afterward. “We use only their plates,” he said, adding that he’s “kind of a fanatic about knives.”

The whole experience lasts three to four hours.

“When you come to a restaurant, all the prep work has already been done,” he says. “But here we’re having to do it from scratch. The actual eating the meal itself usually takes about an hour.”

Perfect pairing

People find him through Instagram — @chef.montana.al — and word of mouth. “Many of my clients reach out because they see the vibe and want to bring it into their own home,” he says. His wife runs the Instagram account, talks to clients, organizes projects and looks
for opportunities.

 “She handles communication and promotion; I handle the kitchen. We both put our energy and talent into the same project. Karyna is the bridge between us and the world, and I share emotions through food. We also cook together — the workload is too big for one person.”

Pricing is based on the format of the evening — buffet, cocktail or multi-course dinner. Cost per person starts
at $65.

“For many, hiring a private chef is actually more fun and affordable than going to a trendy restaurant. At home, you get intimacy, freedom, and comfort — no loud crowds, no waiting for a table, no one rushing you,” he says. 

The biggest event he’s worked is a party of about 30 at Christmas. They have prepared meals in Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

Some people want to try Ukrainian food, which is typically the flavorful soup called borscht, filled dumplings called vareniki or stuffed cabbage rolls.

“The whole menu that we do is personalized,” he says. “We make any changes specifically to cater it to their likes or dislikes.”

The young couple’s mission has been to challenge the stereotype of private chefs only for the ultra-rich.  

“Our goal is to make this experience accessible to people who simply love good food and a special atmosphere,”
he says.

“My personal feeling is that having a private chef is a lot more interesting than going to a restaurant. You’re at home with your friends and family,” he said, “and having a great time.”

The “Chef Montana” name was inspired by the self-motivated Tony Montana character in the movie “Scarface,” Kliemientiev says.

“He was able to lift himself up,” he says. “I’ve used his nickname for years.”