chef's kiss

American  

[shefs kis] / ˈʃɛfs ˈkɪs /

noun

plural

chef's kisses

1. a gesture used to suggest that something is perfect or exceptionally good, consisting of pinching the fingers and thumb of one hand together, kissing the tips of the pinched fingers, and then moving the hand outward while splaying the fingers.

2. something that is perfect, exceptional, or exquisite.

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adjective

1. excellent, perfect, or exquisite.

interjection

1. (used to suggest that something is perfect or exquisite.)

Example Sentences

The nearly 70-year-old Aroon Rai restaurant, since blessed with a chef’s kiss from the late Anthony Bourdain, occupies the same open-air patio.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

While the new additions range from "cromulent" and "UAP" — here's a helpful guide for the latter — to "beast mode" and "generative AI," the food-adjacent terms include "cheffy" and "chef's kiss."

From Salon • Oct. 4, 2023

But I suppose none of this should surprise us, as the chef’s kiss of this entire charade is the reality that parents, too, are desensitized.

From Washington Times • Feb. 15, 2023

I’m a sucker for a good Troy-Gabriella duet, and every harmony to this melody is truly *chef’s kiss*.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 17, 2022

Franken’s finest Cruz bit, his chef’s kiss, involves fellow Minnesota Democrat Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a luxury ocean liner and an unprintable bodily function.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 21, 2021