Chef Eve
Chef Eve began her culinary career after leaving the technology industry in 2008. After attaining her diploma from the French Culinary Institute in New York City, she got a job as a pastry cook at Missy Robbins’ A Voce. She then spent time in the kitchens of Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis, and then worked at Tom Colicchio’s Craft for two years, where she became Pastry Sous Chef.
She then helmed the bread, pasta, and pastry programs of three restaurants in Queens, where she lived, and made the transition to the savory kitchen. She worked her way up to Chef of Vesta, a trattoria which was listed by Zagat as one of NYC’s top 50 restaurants during her tenure as Chef.
Eve then left the New York area and landed a job in remote Alaska as Pastry Chef of a high-end adventure lodge, a NatGeo Unique Lodge. She also took on the role of Culinary Instructor and taught cooking classes to lodge guests and half-day cooking schools to visitors from Homer and beyond. Eve is now in the Los Angeles area sharing her ingredient-focused style of cuisine with both clients and students.
Chef Luke
Chef Luke is a Los Angeles native and has been professionally cooking for the last 7 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 back in Los Angeles.
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.
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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 Christian
Chef Christian was born and raised in Baltimore Maryland, home of the Best Blue Crab. There he started his culinary adventure working at both his local church and “The Maryland Club” where he really learned the basics of cooking under his mentors, Chef Jamel and Chef Eargle.
After graduating high school he decided to further his education at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Upstate, New York. He learned everything from proper cooking techniques, to seafood butchery, baking and pastry, to learning regional grape varieties for wine making. Half way through the curriculum, he had to do an internship so he packed his bags and said bye CIA and hello to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There he worked in a James Beard Awarded Restaurant called Moxy. His time at Moxy taught him the “Hand to Table” concept because all of the produce and proteins were directly from the farm that was maintained by the cooks and wait staff.
After completing his internship, he returned to CIA and graduated with his culinary degree. He then moved to New York City where he got the amazing opportunity to work in the Michelin Restaurant Meadowsweet. He worked alongside a lot of great chefs and it taught him a great deal about the Mediterranean style of cooking.
After a few years of being in New York he was ready for a change of scenery so when a private client requested him to cook for their family he jumped at the opportunity. What better place to move to than sunny California! After cooking privately in-home he discovered the world of personal cheffing. He now cooks for Mint clients cooking up healthy meal prep for them and their families. When Chef Bailey isn’t cooking amazing food for clients, he’s out eating!
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 Paolo
Chef Paolo was “raised in the kitchen”. He’s been cooking and helping his family create meals since he was six years old. His grandpa operated a restaurant in the Philippines that was a true farm to table concept. During his childhood, he was fortunate to travel and open his palate to further his culinary adventures.
In 2001, he graduated culinary school from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and started working in the food industry. His experience ranges from fine dining to upscale casual. He has worked with alumni from El Bulli, one of the world’s top restaurants, and was a part of the opening team of The Bazaar by celebrity chef Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills. Prior to that, he was the Chef de Cuisine at JW’s Steakhouse in Anaheim Marriott where he earned an article from Westways Magazine (AAA magazine) which featured the revamp of their fine dining steakhouse restaurant.
After extensively working in restaurants he made the shift to private cheffing and currently cooks for Mint Personal Chef clientele. Chef Paolo believes that food is a never-ending journey and continues to hone his craft. When he’s not in the kitchen, he can be found mountain biking or distilling his own homemade spirits.
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 Ty
Chef Tyler was born and raised in West Hills, California. Ever since she was a little girl a wooden spoon and bowl was her favorite thing to play with. Tyler has always loved the culinary arts, a talent she inherited from her family who has been successful in the event planning business. While Chef Tyler initially went to college for business, she quickly decided that she had to pursue what she was naturally gifted at, culinary arts.
With great determination and passion, she went on and enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California where she studied both savory cooking and baking and pastry. After Chef Tyler graduated she worked at fine dining restaurants such as Barton G, Luke’s, and Great Maple.
Partnering with talented upcoming chefs around Los Angeles County, Chef Tyler came across working as a private chef for dinner parties and transitioned out of working for restaurants. She has also had the opportunity to cook for many celebrities like Kym Whitley, Stevie Wonder, Emma Kenney, Joyce Hawkins, Mo McRae, Lexi Scott and many more.
Chef Ty is passionate about cooking which translates through her work at Mint Personal Chef where she gets to create nutritious but tasty meals for clients. She enjoys bringing flavor, presentation, and smiles to every client's home.
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 Emmalee
Chef Emmalee began cooking as soon as she could reach the stove. The Los Angeles native spent her childhood learning the basics of cooking from her father (a seasoned hotel restaurant chef), obsessively watching cooking shows, and even hosting cooking competitions in her home kitchen with elementary school friends.
At twelve years old, she was cast on Lifetime’s Man Vs. Child: Chef Showdown, a cut-throat cooking competition series that pitted child prodigy cooks against executive chefs. Emmalee starred on the show for both seasons, and at fourteen embarked on a string of culinary stages and internships, working with formidable chefs such as Ludo Lefebvre, Mike Isabella, Jamie Lauren, and Joel Miller.
Chef Emmalee specializes in Californian cuisine, plant-based/vegan cooking, and pastry. She takes pride in her passion for utilizing high-quality ingredients and practicing sustainability. Emmalee enjoys cooking for clients on a more personal level as a personal chef for Mint and lets her skills and talent speak for themself through her cooking. When she’s not cooking up a storm in the kitchen, Emmalee is a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist.
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 Phuong
Chef Phuong was born and raised in Viêtnam where she grew up in her parent’s restaurant. It was there that she developed her love for cooking by watching and learning from her dedicated parents as they prepared and cooked different types and styles of Asian cuisine.
Upon arriving in the United States, she broadened her skill set by working in different restaurants in the Los Angeles area. She held various different titles within the kitchen hierarchy and worked her way up. Chef Phuong has enjoyed working in several classic French restaurants such as Mes Amis which contributes to her diversity of cooking.
After feeling confident in her skills and capabilities, Phuong attended the prestigious Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena, California. It was there that she refined her skills further and stirred her deep-rooted and unwavering respect for preparing and cooking authentic Asian cuisine.
Chef Phuong eventually transitioned from restaurants when she had an opportunity to cook for a family in their home. She now enjoys cooking on a more personal level doing weekly meal prep for Mint clients.