Chef
Kaleo Adams
- Discipline
- Chef
Portrait of Kaleo Adams
i. Biography
Kaleo Adams is chef of The Hero in London, the current title at the front of a career that has moved from Maui into Beverly Hills kitchens. His name is also tied to The Polo Lounge in Beverly Hills, where a Traditional American menu, the McCarthy Salad and the newer West Hollywood Salad define a sharply recognizable part of his work.
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Coming Up
Kaleo Adams trained at H. P. Baldwin High School.
Where They Are Now
In London, Adams is chef of The Hero. The role follows executive-chef posts in Beverly Hills and a body of menu work centered on Traditional American cooking, including a dish specifically named as his signature. That current title is best read through the concrete details of the path before it: Waiehu, Maui, The Beverly Hills Hotel, and the work at The Polo Lounge. The through-line is not a slogan but a set of named kitchens and dishes, ending for now with The Hero in London.
Signature
Kaleo's signature dishes include McCarthy Salad and West Hollywood Salad.
In Their Words “The finished product isn't as pretty as it all set up but the flavors I think are great and it's really unchanged since the '40s.”
Honors
The clearest accolade carried by the work is dish-level: at The Polo Lounge, the McCarthy Salad was called his signature dish, while the West Hollywood Salad quickly established itself as competition for it.
FAQ
Asked of Kaleo
Where did Kaleo Adams train or study?
Kaleo Adams trained at H. P. Baldwin High School.
What is Kaleo Adams known for?
Traditional American menu.
Explore
The Sunday email
Read about chefs like Kaleo Adams in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
Free. One email a week, and you can unsubscribe from any issue.