The most recognizable chefs are creating experiences in restaurants open to the public, but culinary schools report increasing numbers of their graduates choosing a different career track. Some are placed at cultural institutions, Fortune 500 corporations, or private homes to cook for celebrities from the worlds of entertainment, business or sports. Success as a private chef requires different skill sets than working in a restaurant kitchen, and many find the specialty emotionally and financially rewarding.
Chef Kai Chase combines the influences of her California upbringing with her Creole, Cuban and African-American roots to create healthy but intriguing dishes that keep her A-list celebrity clientele engaged. Chase’s father was a Latin jazz musician and her mother worked for comedian Redd Foxx, who was her godfather. “It was normal being around celebrities as a kid, which was great experience for my career as a private chef,” reports Chase, who worked as a journalist in the music industry before she embraced her passion for cooking and enrolled
in culinary school. Returning to Los Angeles after refining her technique at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Chase worked for celebrity-owned restaurants and Wolfgang Puck Catering before finding her calling as a private chef. She is known for an innovative New American cuisine infused with diverse, bold flavors. Chase was working in the residence of wealthy bankers when the financial crisis hit in 2008 and her clients were forced to divest themselves of luxury amenities, including her culinary services. While between jobs, an agency recruited her to work for a family as their private chef and, to her astonishment, that family turned out to be Michael Jackson and his children.
“Michael was an entertainer, and his body was his tool, so his diet consisted of small portions of lean proteins like fish or chicken, as well as organic juicing,” reports Chase, who reveals his occasional guilty pleasure was KFC.
“I always get into the rhythm of my clients, so I can experience how they feel and how they need to eat,” says Chase, who is now the private chef for famed actor and comedian Kevin Hart. “If my client is vegan, I go vegan,” she explains. The chef, who always makes a connection to families, has worked with the Hart family for close to 10 years now, traveling with them and keeping them nutritionally healthy. “Cooking for a world-famous comedian can be a lot of fun. Much of my inspiration comes from laughing,” reports Chase. “If you cook for a family, you’re privy to a lot of personal information, so trust and loyalty are mandatory,” explains the chef, who adds, “Clients can be food-challenging, but you have to remember you’re there to feed them and keep them on track to good nutrition.”
Chase’s star-studded client list has included a wide range of celebrities such as Grammy winning songstresses Mary J. Blige and Macy Gray, Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, television personality Steve Harvey, and NBA star Jalen Rose. When Chase cooked for Barack Obama, she created a menu infused with the flavors of Hawaii, Indonesia and Africa to reflect his own diverse heritage.
Kate McAloon, author of The Flavor of Joy — a memoir and cookbook from her days as a private chef — is adept at turning out healthful cuisine that does not lack flavor or imagination. Her clientele has included Gwyneth Paltrow, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom, Sheryl Crow, Courteney Cox and David Arquette, and Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw. McAloon reports generally warm relationships with her clients, but cautions, “You always have to remember that you’re there as a professional to do a job,” and notes she is not even authorized to disclose the names of her most privacy-conscious clients.
“It was a joy to cook for them,” says the affable McAloon of Spielberg and his wife, and reports that Capshaw is an excellent cook herself who would leave suggestions on Post-it-Notes with the instruction, “Please add your own special twist.” The renowned director favored McAloon’s chicken pot pie — his affinity for comfort food is not surprising, as his mom operated a Jewish deli in L.A. for decades — and Capshaw was a fan of McAloon’s jalapeño relish.
The American-born McAloon, who now enjoys permanent residency in Australia, cooked for Aussie model Miranda Kerr and former husband Orlando Bloom. The chef’s healthy chocolate-coconut-walnut torte was a favorite of Kerr’s while Bloom was partial to her chicken curry. While retained by “Friends” star Courteney Cox and then-husband David Arquette, McAloon prepared big spreads for Sunday parties where healthy food was a priority, but sweets and agave margaritas were also appreciated.
The notoriously health-conscious Gwyneth Paltrow was enthusiastic about McAloon’s blondies, a guilt-free treat Spielberg also adopted, reports the chef. While cooking for “The Rock” during the shooting of San Andreas in Australia, enormous quantities of proteins were essential, but so were McAloon’s chocolate-peanut brownies that became part of the action star’s legendary “cheat meals.”
“I call it a passion, not a career,” says McAloon, who never formally attended culinary school, but took cooking classes in the South of France and owned a nightclub on Spain’s Costa del Sol. “I love to put smiles on people’s faces, and I’ve found the best way to bring joy to people is through food,” she explains.
Specializing in cooking for athletes is Las Vegas-based Adam Kaswiner, better known as Chef Kas, and his passion for weight training and martial arts allows him to relate effectively to world-class competitors. His clients have included NBA stars Arron Affalo and Zach Collins, mixed martial arts fighters Rory MacDonald and reigning UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, Brandon Marshall of the NFL, and Chicago Cubs star Kris Bryant. “Of course, everything has to be properly prepared and if it doesn’t taste great, nobody will stick with the program, but I view nutrition in terms of lifestyle development,” explains Kaswiner. Recognizing food is only part of a rigorous program for his clients — whether they are all-star athletes or casino executives — he views his menus as part of a holistic approach to health and fitness.
Enjoying the adrenaline rush of working on the line in a busy kitchen early in his career, Kaswiner enrolled at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, but ultimately found the role of private chef more rewarding. “You have to be both the back of the house and front of the house,” he reports, adding, “It’s not just about cooking, but planning, shopping and having a sense of how to take care of people.” While most diets for athletes remain heavily weighted in animal protein, Chef Kas is personally and professionally an advocate of a predominantly plant-based diet. “Among other things, a plant based diet results in less inflammation, which allows athletes to recover faster from training,” explains the chef.
Nate Romo has spent most of his career as a private chef to billionaires and celebrities, occasionally taking time to learn new techniques at Michelin three-star restaurants like Le Bernardin and Daniel in New York. Romo’s specialty has required the classically trained chef to cook on yachts in the Mediterranean, in Las Vegas hotels, and on world tours with rock stars. “I was working two to three jobs and just not making enough money to afford the lifestyle I wanted in L.A,” explains the Detroit native, who initially arrived in Southern California to cook at a Ritz-Carlton hotel. “Driving through Beverly Hills, I thought to myself, ‘All these people must have private chefs,’ so I began building up enough experience to be represented by an agency,” recounts Romo.
His big break occurred when Cher needed a new private chef at her Malibu estate and during her residency at Caesar’s Palace. “I realized the food people eat at home is very different from what they expect at a restaurant,” says Romo, who adds, “I learned to edit and simplify, using the best quality ingredients and treating them with respect.” He recounts, “I already knew how to cook, but I had to learn how to plan meals and manage my time,” noting that he suddenly became a regular at Whole Foods, a place he previously could not afford to shop as a struggling young chef. Fortunately, Romo discovered that working as a private chef is considerably more lucrative than most culinary positions at restaurants or hotels. Observing that L.A. is a transactional city and earning the trust of colleagues is critical, Romo founded the Private Chefs Guild to assist his peers in networking. “Caring about what you do and looking out for people around you are essential to success in this town,” says the chef, whose next mega-celebrity gig was an assignment cooking for Lady Gaga on a world tour in 2012 following the release of her album “Born This Way.”
Cooking in strange venues, many with inadequate equipment or infrastructure, was challenging and taught Romo the value of mise en place (a culinary term for preparation). Cooking soup ahead of time and packing it in a Cryovac bag was important when the next destination might have little more than a toaster-oven for cooking. “She genuinely loves food and cooks herself,” reports Romo of Lady Gaga, who was partial to the chef ’s Bolognese, a dish he perfected while training in Italy. Romo remembers the artist as generous and approachable, often taking the crew out to restaurants even in the face of aggressive paparazzi, and was willing to try local specialties.
Adding to the chef’s A-List clientele was an assignment with Sir Elton John, but Romo now prefers individual events rather than long-term celebrity bookings. “I’ve been fortunate to travel the world through food, but I like not having to be reliant on other people’s schedules,” says Romo after almost 20 years on the showiest stage of the culinary industry.
More inspiring luxury content is just a click away. Click here to dive into every issue of KW Luxury Magazine.