Kwame Onwuachi, the 2019 Rising Star for the James Beard Foundation, started several businesses before turning thirty. Still very young, he has already won some awards, including the title of America's most important chef from the San Francisco Chronicle and Chef of the Year 2019 by Esquire Magazine. His restaurant "Tatiana" earned him the "One to watch" award from the 50 Best Restaurant 2023.
Born in 1989, Nigerian-American Kwame Onwuachi grew up in the bustling city of New York. The young chef developed a passion for cooking from a young age: first thanks to his mother in their modest apartment in the Bronx, and later with his grandfather, when Kwame moved to Nigeria to live with him at the age of 10.
Despite initial resistance, during his two-year stay, Kwame fell in love with African cuisine, which later became a major source of inspiration.
Returning to New York, despite being a still unruly youngster, he managed to graduate from the Bronx Leadership Academy, and then enrolled at the University of Bridgeport, from which he was expelled due to some legal issues.
In 2010, Kwame's life took a different turn: he moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his mother where he started working as a cook on a boat serving crews engaged in cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This experience rekindled his passion for cooking to the point of leading him back to New York, where he worked as a waiter at "Tom Colicchio's Craft," before launching his first venture, a catering service called "Onwuachi's Coterie Catering."
In 2012, Kwame enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and during his training years, he interned at the Three MICHELIN Star restaurant "Per Se" by Thomas Keller. After earning a degree in culinary arts, he was hired as a line cook at the renowned New York restaurant of David Humm, the "Eleven Madison Park."
In 2015, Kwame participated in Top Chef: California, ranking sixth, gaining popularity among fans and earning media recognition for his unique life story and culinary talent. In 2021, he returned to the kitchen of Top Chef, but this time as a guest judge for the show's eighteenth season.
In November 2016, Onwuachi opened his first restaurant in a restored building in Washington's Shaw neighborhood, the "Shaw Bijou", where he offered a sophisticated 13-course tasting menu. The reviews were mixed, with some critics doubting the value for money. After two months, Onwuachi was forced to revise the menu, but even by reducing prices to better satisfy customers' desires, the main investor decided to close the restaurant in January 2017.
Towards the end of the same year, Onwuachi opened a restaurant in the "InterContinental Hotel" on the Southwest Waterfront of Washington. He named it "Kith and Kin", and it features Afro-Caribbean cuisine. The restaurant received positive reviews from reputable organizations like the Washington Post and the MICHELIN Guide. In July 2020, Onwuachi left "Kith and Kin" to pursue his goal of owning his own restaurant.
In November 2022, Onwuachi fulfilled his dream, opening the "Tatiana" restaurant in New York's Lincoln Center. The restaurant reflects his personal journey, offering a fusion of flavors from the Caribbean, Africa, and South America, with dishes such as pastrami suya made from ribs and a cheese chopped with black truffle.
In 2019, Onwuachi, together with Joshua David Stein, published his first book "Notes from a Young Black Chef". The memoir details his tumultuous journey from participating in a local gang as a teenager, to rising to the top of the fine dining world. The book received a positive reception from the public and was praised by various prominent figures.
Kwame's first cookbook, "My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef", was published in 2022, followed by a promotional tour in the US.
Kwame's journey has been studded with successes: he was named one of the best new chefs by Food & Wine, Chef of the Year 2019 by Esquire Magazine, appeared in the TIME 100 Next 2019 list, and is one of the Under 30 awarded by both Zagat and Forbes. He won the James Beard Award "Rising Star Chef 2019" and was named America's most important chef by the San Francisco Chronicle the same year.
In 2023, the 50 Best Restaurant jury awarded him the "One to watch" prize for his famous "Tatiana."
Since February 2021, Kwame has taken on the role of executive producer of Food & Wine. In this role, he collaborates on major events such as the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO, and "The Family Reunion: Presented by Kwame Onwuachi" in Middleburg, Virginia.
In a surprising collaboration with Chef Kwame, Orly Beauty has recently launched a new collection of long-lasting scented nail polishes.
Kwame Onwuachi continues to defy expectations, surprise and make the world of catering reflect, with his unique vision of a culinary art that embraces diversity and respects traditions.
Cover Photo: @NYTimes
