John Taube IV has been named as Culinary Director of Private Label Collection, a full-service hospitality company that develops and manages hotels and restaurants in Hawaii and California, and Executive Chef of Kaimana Beach Hotel, the vibrant and trendy boutique hotel situated on Waikīkī’s Gold Coast. An award-winning chef who has cemented Kaimana’s signature restaurant, Hau Tree, as an island favorite with locals and travelers alike while continuing to elevate the cuisine, Taube offers a collaborative approach to fine dining and has been instrumental in leading Private Label Collection in menu creation, kitchen management, special events and more to capture and deliver the best flavors of Hawaii.
Born and raised outside of Chicago, Taube’s passion for cooking began as a child after competing and winning numerous junior chef competitions. After graduating from Elgin Community College with an associate degree in culinary arts, his love for fine dining blossomed in the Chicago kitchens of Hotel Baker, Moto Restaurant and as the pastry chef working under MICHELIN® Star chef Charlie Trotter. Over the next six years, Taube honed his fine dining skills at NoMad New York working under Chef Daniel Humm, during which time the restaurant was awarded a MICHELIN Star, three New York Times stars, San Pellegrino’s 64th best restaurant in the world and numerous James Beard nominations. During his time at NoMad New York, Taube worked every station as sous chef and proudly elevated the private events team to new heights, undertaking events for A-list celebrities, including the Academy Awards. Since partnering with Private Label Collection, Taube is now living out his dream as a full-time resident of O’ahu, where he enjoys utilizing the island’s unique bounty in his culinary creations, while building strong relationships with local farmers and fishers. Outside of Hawaii, Taube’s work extends to the California Bay Area where his role with Private Label Collection includes overseeing the famed Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, and the Napa Valley Burger Company in Sausalito.
Taube was awarded Glenfiddich’s Most Experimental Bartender Chef Collaborator in 2016, and in the 2017 he won the coveted award of San Pellegrino Best Young Chef in America. Taube also competed and won the Vita Mix challenge presented by Star Chefs in 2018.
