Executive Chef

Christine Banta

EXECUTIVE CHEF

After leaving a corporate job in human resources, Christine followed her heart as well as her mother and aunt's footsteps (both restaurateurs in Japan) to enter a continuing and rewarding 15 year culinary career. As a food lover, her choice was obvious says Chef Banta, "I have always had a passion for food and love being able to entertain guests at my restaurant". While finishing her studies at UCLA's professional cooking program, Christine worked her way through Wolfgang Puck's apprenticeship programs, first at the West Hollywood branch of Wolfgang Puck's Cafe; working her way from prep cook to pastry chef. She then moved to Granita in Malibu, California, serving as Saucier/Poissonier. In 1999, Christine was Chef at the landmark Michael's Restaurant in Santa Monica, California. As the first female executive chef ever employed by Global Dining Inc in 2003, she describes her cuisine at Cafe La Boheme as emanating from her training in the traditions of classic French technique, with subtle influences evident from her travels through the Southern United States and Japan as a military dependent, and from both her Japanese and Irish American heritage. Chef Banta has continued to maintain the following philosophy in cooking... "find the best product you can, cook it simply, and let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves".