Mayet Cristobal
Executive Chef
Mayet’s passion for cooking started at an early age, when growing up in the Philippines. Her first cooking mentor was her grandmother, who taught her about seasonality and fresh ingredients by taking her along to the local market. After emigrating to the United States, Mayet left her secure banking job — and entire family — and moved to Los Angeles to attend cooking school. The very first place she visited as a cash-strapped student was the Getty Museum (because it was free), and she was mesmerized by its beauty.
When the opportunity for an externship arose, her motto was “The Getty or Bust”: she refused to name any other choices, even at the risk of failing the class, and after calling the executive chef every day for three weeks, she landed an interview — and the job. Over 12 years she held every job in the kitchen, and she was promoted to executive chef in 2008. She is proud that under her culinary direction, the Restaurant at the Getty has climbed to be ranked #9 on TripAdvisor out of more than 8,000 restaurants in Los Angeles. A few years ago, Mayet moved on to head up the corporate food program for Bon Appétit at a well-known Los Angeles studio, where her creativity and passion are celebrated as well.