Chef Luke
Chef Luke is a Los Angeles native and has been professionally cooking for the last 10 years. He started his culinary career in north county San Diego working at the Four Seasons Market Restaurant & Bar under 2 time James Beard nominated Carl Schroeder and Dija Mara under Ryan Costanza (from Coi and Atelier Cren). They were awarded best restaurant in San Diego for 2018.
Chef Luke then came back to Los Angeles to work for Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel Air as well as Spago. He had the privilege to work at restaurants like Rustic Canyon, Angler, and Providence during his time in Los Angeles.
Eventually he started to venture into the world of private cheffing and started working with Mint Personal Chef doing weekly meal prep and dinner parties for families. He enjoys being able to take all the influence of flavors and techniques that he’s learned over the years and bring that same fine dining quality into the private setting of people’s homes.
When he’s not cooking you can find him at the beach surfing, painting or reading. He also tends to his garden where he grows his own seasonal herbs and produce.
Chef Gabriel
Chef Gabriel discovered his love for cooking when he was still a young boy living in Brazil with his Italian family. Because of his strong Italian roots, he had many recipes to learn from and perfect his cooking skills growing up. He eventually attended university at Anhembi Morumbi in Brazil for Culinary Arts.
He has more than 10 years of experience as a professional chef. He has cooked for a wide range of private events, owned and operated a cafe in Brazil and he even has experience as a baker in a Brazilian bakery. Chef Gabriel built his style into a fusion of tastes from the tropical region of the southeast of Brazil combined with the Italian cuisine he grew up with.
His recipes have gained great notoriety in the Brazilian media, being published by several magazines and newspapers. He also had his own television cooking show for six years, which was broadcast live by TV Gazeta, a very popular food network in Brazil. The TV show was based on teaching his audience how to cook the recipes he developed.
Now living in Los Angeles, Chef Gabriel is working as a personal chef and enjoys cooking on a more personal level in client’s homes doing weekly meal prep and small events. In his free time when he’s not cooking, he enjoys spending time at the park with his dog, going to the movies and going out dancing with friends.
![bio_photo[69196]](https://i0.wp.com/mintpersonalchef.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/bio_photo69196-1-1024x683.jpeg "bio_photo[69196]")
Chef Elyse
A Southern California native, Chef Elyse has been cooking professionally for 18 years and has been in the kitchen since childhood. She has helped open many popular restaurants across Los Angeles and loves to put her own signature spin on each menu she creates. A student at heart, she enjoys studying culinary history and trends to sharpen her ability to make delicious meals.
Chef Elyse has had the opportunity to work with a variety of celebrity chefs and learn from their many years of expertise as well. She has spent the last few years as a production caterer on blockbuster movies and television shows and learned a great deal along the way including a large range of dietary restrictions and health-conscious cooking. Before that she had worked as a private chef for a private client and always dreamt of moving back into private cheffing. She now works for Mint Personal Chef cooking for private clients and their families doing weekly meal prep.
Outside of the kitchen, Chef Elyse served in the military and deployed to Afghanistan in which she received multiple medals for distinguished service.
Chef Kota
Born in New York to a father who is also a chef, Kota trained in fine dining restaurants in New York, Connecticut, and Japan. He relocated to Los Angeles with a desire to expand his knowledge in the food industry. Kota began working at restaurants such as Redbird, The Springs, Love Catering, and Haute Chefs.
Kota ventured into plant-based cooking as the Executive chef at Jewel in Silverlake. He also works as a restaurant consultant and private chef throughout Los Angeles. Kota enjoys experimenting with various cuisines to create unique dishes, taking the lid off traditional categorized cuisine. When not in the kitchen, Kota likes traveling, trying different foods, and wine tasting with his fiancée.
Chef Maia
Chef Maia was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. As the niece of a restaurateur and Chef, Maia grew up learning about the family business. After serving in the “front of the house” for several years, Maia embarked on her culinary journey and discovered her passion for bringing joy to others through a shared experience through the palette.
After graduating from the Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena, CA, Maia developed the art of cultivating creative dishes as the Junior Sous Chef at Jewel, a vegan restaurant in Silverlake. Creating a plethora of dishes from meat alternatives, inspired Chef Maia to grow her own produce with the belief in the importance of fresh food sources and farm-to-table sustainability. In addition to blending different cuisines, Chef Maia enjoys creating unique combinations through her own experimentation resulting in the satisfaction of a unique, one-of-a-kind experience!
When Maia’s not in the kitchen, you can find her working in her garden, strolling through a farmer’s market, or playing with her dog Zeus.
Chef Jaclyn
After working 10 years Front of House in restaurants from Midtown, Manhattan up to Portland, Maine Chef Gallo was ready to learn more about the industry and begin her culinary education. She graduated from the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont and began her journey as a chef. At Vermont Farms Catering, she trained closely under the owner and Executive Chef Kevin Lasko of Park Avenue, NYC; learning skills and techniques of catering intimate dinner parties and corporate events, to grand weddings of over 200. She also has extensive restaurant experience. As head chef of Down Home Kitchen in Montpelier, Vermont; the restaurant was featured in Yankee Magazine's Travel Guide as one of the top 5 brunches to visit in New England.
In 2018 Chef Gallo traveled to Costa Rica to volunteer on grounds that grew over 300 medicinal plants and herbs to learn about in depth and cook with. Her career took her to the West Coast and while working under multiple Michelin starred chef Tony Esnault, at Knifepleat, the restaurant was featured in Orange Coast Magazine as a best new restaurant in California. She also worked as a Sous Chef for renowned Executive Chef Ross Pangilinan after he won Rising Chef of the year award, as well as Best Chef in Orange County, in 2019. She is currently a Sous Chef at the Four Star Forbes rated preferred luxury resort Balboa Bay in Newport Beach as well as a personal chef for Mint doing meal prep and dinner parties for private clients.
Culminating from her vast professional experience, Chef Gallo combines her skills to provide delicious and healthy food crafted with expertise. During her free time, you can find Chef Gallo traveling to explore new places and enjoying the love of her golden retriever, Buddy.
Chef Christina
Christina grew up in a small suburb of Cleveland, Ohio where any occasion revolved around the question “What are we going to eat?” In the town where she was raised there was a huge population of diverse backgrounds from Italian to Polish and Jewish and many more. It was a huge melting pot of cuisines and every community took pride in their traditional cuisine being the best in Cleveland. At that time Clevland was in the shadow of all other culinary popularity and unknown to most outside of the city. However, now in 2022 it is running with the best of them and Chef Christina takes pride in being from Cleveland.
At a young age of 15 she moved to California with her family and a few years later she followed her love of food and attended culinary arts school at the Los Angeles Trade Tech College. A few years later after that she began her culinary career and has now been in the food industry for over 25 years.
Chef Christina has cooked on a large scale from being an Executive Chef at Sodexo at Disney to cooking for local Universities. As she started to enter the personal chef sector she had the opportunity to cook for a wide range of clientele including musicians, artists, collegians, professionals, and everything in between. As a Mint Personal Chef she enjoys cooking on a smaller scale for clients doing meal prep and private events. She takes great pride in her work and her passion and love for food is apparent in her cuisine.
Chef Rebecca
Born and raised in the Hollywood Hills, Rebecca began her culinary journey at a very young age. Enthralled with PBS cooking shows she would awake early in order to watch Julia Child and the Culinary French Institute cooking shows. This initial exposure to the culinary world was the catalyst for her love of culinary arts which was cultivated by her parents who were gourmands themselves. At age 24, she began working with acclaimed chef Wolfgang Puck for 12 years. After learning a host of important jobs including leasing, licensing, operations, costing, management, menu tasting and recipe development she transitioned out as a Private Chef providing family meals, elegant dinner parties, catered affairs and fridge stocking for the discerning clients.
Chef Rebecca’s food philosophy combines a love of comfort food she learned from her parents and grandparents and is elevated by her years of working in fine dining. This combination makes her uniquely qualified to create elevated comfort cuisine.
She enjoys cooking with fresh quality ingredients that shine in her farm to table recipes. Chef Rebecca is experienced in healthy and organic cuisine including vegetarian, comfort food, decadent desserts and multi-course dinners. She loves evoking memories of childhood favorites through her cooking.
She is a mother of two wonderful adult children and doggie mom to two feisty bulldogs. When Rebecca isn’t cooking she spends her leisure time doing yoga, hiking, watching movies and reading.
Chef Rebecca
Chef Rebecca was born and raised on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawai'i. The culinary roots of Hawai'i are influenced by the ancient recipes of Japan, China, Philippines, Korea, Portugal and of course the Pacific Islands which you can see reflected in her style of cooking. Also coming from a Hispanic home she was immersed in an eclectic foodie experience from the beginning.
As a young professional, Rebecca worked in international development and urban community development. She traveled the world working in communities that have been ravaged by poverty and war. Some of her most cherished memories of these years are the many meals she helped prepare with women in kitchens in India, Malawi, Thailand, South Africa and many other countries with rich, delicious cuisines. She's cooked in Paris and in the Greek Isles but she firmly believes that whether cooking over an open fire or in the kitchen of a five star restaurant, the most delicious food usually comes from someone cooking for people they love.
Rebecca now uses her vast travel experience and the skills she's learned from Mamas, Aunties and Grandmas around the globe to cook delicious and nutritious meals for families here in Los Angeles as a Mint Chef. She infuses aloha (love) into every aspect of her menu so client’s enjoy a meal that turns into a meaningful experience.
Chef Karla
Chef Karla is originally from New York where she started her culinary career working in restaurants. When she first landed in Los Angeles she worked at Cassia restaurant in Santa Monica but then eventually started to transition to personal cheffing. She teamed up with a local private chef who mentored her and that’s when Karla began to really discover her passion for in-home cooking. She enjoys helping clients and their family’s with healthy, nutritious meals on a more customized and personal level.
She’s experienced with many types of cuisine styles such as farm-to-table, South East Asian and plant based to name a few. She is now a personal chef working for Mint doing weekly in-home meal prep and dinner parties. When Karla isn’t in the kitchen cooking you can find her doing yoga and studying nutrition.
Chef Ashleigh
Ashleigh is a highly skilled chef with 15 years of culinary experience. She has a diverse background in the industry, having worked as a private chef for nearly 10 years, as well as a cooking instructor, recipe developer, and food photographer.
One of her career highlights was as the chef at Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen & Chaak Kitchen in Orange County. These two renowned establishments were honored with the prestigious Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand, highlighting their exceptional quality and value.
Most recently Ashleigh was a Senior R&D Chef for COSORI, where she created over 1500 innovative and health-conscious recipes for their popular air fryers and other kitchen products, and styled food for national and international campaigns. She is now leading the kitchen and creating new menu items at Tabula Rasa Bar, a popular neighborhood wine bar in East Hollywood/Thai Town, and working with Mint as a Personal Chef.
From selecting the freshest ingredients to crafting mouthwatering flavor combinations, she takes pride in delivering a dining experience that is both delicious and memorable. While she cooks a little bit of everything, some of her go-to cuisines would be Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian and Middle Eastern to name a few. No matter the occasion, Ashleigh embraces the opportunity to showcase her skills and create a culinary masterpiece that will leave a lasting impression by consistently delivering exceptional culinary experiences.
Chef Jess
Chef Jess was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and she is a first generation Vietnamese-American. Her love resides in the logistics of feeding people so she decided to pursue a career in culinary and attended the Culinary Institute of Education in Pasadena where she earned her culinary degree.
She worked at the restaurant North Italia but then quickly started getting into meal prep and the world of personal cheffing. She started with large scale commercial meal prep before eventually moving to more in-home meal prep and intimate events for clients. Jess has cooked for a wide range of special dietary needs such as gluten-free, dairy-free and plant-based to name a few.
Chef Jess is consistently inspired by the people who cook every day, and is deeply passionate about embracing connection through eating. Her culinary philosophy mentions minimizing food waste, prioritizing seasonal produce, and putting a spin on the traditional. Outside of the kitchen, Jess is a motorcycle rider and especially adores the female community.
Chef Jessica
Chef Jessica’s culinary roots extend back to her childhood, where the enticing aroma of her family's cooking wafted through the air. From an early age, she found herself drawn to the kitchen, mesmerized by the alchemy that turned simple ingredients into culinary delights. Those early moments became the foundation of her culinary journey, shaping her identity as a chef. She takes immense pride in her Mexican and Salvadoran heritage, as it serves as a wellspring of inspiration for her culinary creations. The vibrant and bold flavors of these cultures infuse her dishes with a unique and authentic character that sets them apart.
Chef Jessica is a passionate and seasoned personal chef with an unwavering love for culinary arts that has fueled her journey in the industry for the past 11 years. Her culinary adventure began in the heart of the restaurant industry, where she honed her skills and creativity to craft memorable dining experiences. She attended the Art Institute of Los Angeles for culinary where she received a Bachelor’s degree.
For five years, she dedicated herself to the art of sushi as a sushi chef, mastering the delicate balance and precision required to create intricate Japanese delicacies. She eventually moved from restaurants into personal chef work cooking for clients on a more personal level.
The rich tapestry of world cuisine has been a significant source of inspiration for her. She thrives on exploring and integrating diverse flavors, techniques, and cultural influences into her creations. Whether it's through the precision of sushi, the warmth of a stew, or the fusion of global influences, each dish she creates is a reflection of her passion, skill, and the diverse tapestry of her culinary experience. When she’s not in the kitchen she can be found playing with her toddler or watching a Dodger’s game.
Chef Charlie
Chef Charlie is originally from Florida and began his culinary career while he was studying at the University of Florida under a bright young Michelin trained chef Valero Alisses, an inspiring fiery chef from Madrid, Spain. He honed his skills and creativity there for several years, working his way up to sous chef.
After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles with his now fiancé and immediately fell in love with the food scene. He worked under two-starred Michelin chef Josiah Citrin, again working his way to sous chef at Charcoal Venice. He has spent his professional career in fine dining restaurants learning and refining his skills with chefs from many different backgrounds. Chef Charlie’s primary inspiration comes from a love of food. He loves to cook because he loves to eat. He loves sharing his art with everyone he is fortunate enough to prepare for.
Each new restaurant provided a fresh landscape of experiences and expectations, flavors and techniques. When the pandemic struck, he began picking up some catering and meal prepping gigs to navigate the changing economy of the culinary scene. He collaborated in opening a small start-up, which focused on creating prepackaged, health-conscious veggie bowls.
When the restrictions of the pandemic began to lift, he returned as sous chef in the opening of a restaurant at a new hotel, The West Hollywood Edition. As the years have gone on, he has found more fulfillment in working more closely with his personal chef clients and translating the special experiences he has learned along the way to the home kitchen.
When Chef Charlie isn’t working in the kitchen, he loves to record music in his home studio and hike with his fiancé and husky, Zeus.
Chef Callista
Chef Callista’s food experience has always been unique. Inspired by the plethora of incredible cultures in her hometown of Los Angeles and the duality of her Chinese and Italian upbringing. She quickly understood that food is an unspoken universal language; a genuine way to immerse oneself and connect with others.
Callista changed careers shortly after college to pursue her passion of cooking. Completely self taught, her natural talent proved worthy when she landed her first culinary industry job next to Nancy Silverton and Dahlia Navarez of Osteria Mozza.
In a relatively short amount of time, she has worn many hats; ranging from pastry chef, food stylist, culinary producer, media host, private chef and content creator. Her adaptable skills and experience in both the culinary and production worlds has given her a unique advantage to take on any project confidently.
Callista has been featured in publications such as Voyage LA, Shoutout LA, Buzzfeed and Thrillist. Has worked for national brands like Top Chef, Target, Honest Co. and Coffee Bean. She also placed runner up on Food Network's Chopped Sweets and runs an ecommerce bakery.
Chef Callista is deeply passionate about all things cooking which translates into her work cooking as a Mint Personal Chef. She loves working in new environments and creating fresh menus for meal prep clients. When she’s not in the kitchen you can find her working on her first cookbook!
Chef Josh
Chef Josh is originally from Ventura, California and started learning to cook while in highschool. His original plan was to study sports medicine but once he fell in love with the kitchen he switched gears and went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Napa Valley, one of the top culinary schools in the United States.
Chef Josh worked for several fine dining restaurants in Northern California before he decided to move back to Ventura to work for Season’s catering company. This was a segue into the world of private events for him. He eventually transitioned into more of a personal chef role cooking for private clients in-home.
He’s passionate about sports as well and loves combining his cooking experience with his knowledge of sports nutrition. His style of cooking ranges from Mexican and Italian to classic French and even sushi. When he’s not cooking up a storm in the kitchen you can find him playing competitive Spike ball, surfing or camping.
Chef Dean
Dean’s path to becoming a chef began in Lancaster, California, where reruns of Iron Chef Japan and early experiments with vegetarian cooking sparked his curiosity. Growing up surrounded by processed food, Dean took it upon himself to learn to cook, which eventually led him in 2007 to the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York. There, he trained in healthy, whole-foods cooking, learning the foundations that would shape his career and his passion for seasonal, ingredient-driven cuisine.
Over the years, Dean has built a rich and varied culinary background, working as a sous chef at the Inn of the Seventh Ray and spending more than a decade at The Tasting Kitchen in Venice. At The Tasting Kitchen, he developed expertise in whole animal butchery, pasta-making, and charcuterie, including launching a full charcuterie program from scratch. His craft was further honed through a program at Fresno University focused on traditional salumi. Dean has also staged at renowned New York establishments, including the James Beard House and Devi, a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant.
Most recently, Dean served as Chef de Cuisine at Milo + Olive, where he led the kitchen team, curated seasonal menus, and maintained strong ties with local farmers to highlight the best of Los Angeles’ produce. His love for the farmer’s market and commitment to high-quality ingredients have been constants throughout his career, as he strives to create dishes that celebrate simplicity and flavor.
Now working as a personal chef, Dean brings these influences together to offer unique in-home dining experiences, from weekly meal prep to private events. When he’s not at work, he enjoys making miso, tempeh, and tofu from scratch, exploring Japanese language and culture, and continuing to find inspiration in the vibrant local food community. Dean’s cooking philosophy is about warmth, connection, and letting great ingredients shine, offering clients a culinary experience that is both grounded and memorable.