Kwame Onwuachi

Kwame Onwuachi (/ˈkwɑːmi ənˈwɑːtʃi/)[1] is an American chef based in Washington, D.C. He was a contestant on Top Chef (season 13) in 2015. He has been recognized by Food & Wine magazine, Esquire magazine, and the James Beard Foundation as "Rising Star Chef of the year."

Kwame Onwuachi
BornNovember 11, 1989
Long Island, New York
EducationThe Culinary Institute of America
Culinary career

Early life

Onwuachi was born in Long Island, New York, and grew up in The Bronx. At the age of 10, he was sent to live with his grandfather in Nigeria for two years.[2]

Education and career

Onwuachi was expelled from several schools for behavioral issues and eventually graduated from a high school in the Bronx. He enrolled at the University of Bridgeport, from which he was expelled after several months for dealing and using illegal drugs. He then moved to live with his mother in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he was hired to cook on a boat serving crews cleaning up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. [2][3][4]

He returned to New York City in 2010, waiting tables at Tom Colicchio's Craft before opening his own catering business, Onwuachi’s Coterie Catering. In 2012, Onwuachi enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. During culinary school, Onwuachi worked an externship at Per Se, and after graduation he worked as a line cook at Eleven Madison Park. In 2015, he was a contestant on Top Chef (season 13).[3][2][5]

In November 2016, Onwuachi opened his own restaurant in a converted townhouse in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C., called the Shaw Bijou, serving a 13-course tasting menu. The reviews were mixed, and critics questioned whether it was worth the price. After two months, Onwuachi scaled back the menu and reduced prices, but the primary investor closed the restaurant in January 2017.[2][6]

In late 2017, Onwuachi was hired to open a restaurant in the new InterContinental Hotel on D.C.'s Southwest Waterfront. He named it "Kith and Kin", serving Afro-Caribbean cuisine influenced by his family ties to Louisiana, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Nigeria. The restaurant received positive reviews from the Washington Post and the Michelin Guide.[7][8]

In 2019, Onwuachi published a memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef, with Joshua David Stein.[9] The book tells the story of his childhood in New York and Nigeria, and the opening of the Shaw Bijou.[4]

Food & Wine magazine named Onwuachi one of its Best New Chefs in 2019.[10] At the 2019 James Beard Awards, Onwuachi was named Rising Star Chef of the Year.[11] Esquire named Onwuachi its Chef of the Year for 2019, identifying Kith/Kin as one of the Best New Restaurants in America.[12]

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References
  1. "Kwame Onwuachi". The Culinary Institute of America. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  2. Krishna, Priya (April 16, 2019). "A Young Chef, and a Stunning Comeback". The New York Times.
  3. Carman, Tim (March 1, 2016). "Chef Kwame's ready to show D.C. a fine-dining experience unlike any other". The Washington Post.
  4. Lulu Garcia-Navarro; Maria Godoy (April 7, 2019). "Chef's Memoir Tackles What It's Like To Be Young, Gifted And Black In Fine Dining". The Salt. NPR.
  5. "Meet Top Chef Season 13's Cheftestants: Part 3". Top Chef. Bravo TV. Birthday: November 11,1989
  6. Carman, Tim (January 15, 2017). "Shaw Bijou, one of D.C.'s most expensive restaurants, has closed after less than three months". The Washington Post.
  7. Sietsema, Tom (October 17, 2018). "At Kith and Kin, chef Kwame Onwuachi tells his story — and hits his stride". The Washington Post.
  8. "Kith/Kin". Michelin Guide. 2019. Set within the InterContinental at the Wharf, Kith/Kin boasts towering ceilings, floods of sunlight and fabulous water views. But it isn’t just about good looks here—the kitchen offers a bevy of surprises via West African, Caribbean and Creole influences. Of course, Chef Kwame Onwuachi has trained at some of the country’s top restaurants, so expect nothing but special flavors and precise techniques. Charcuterie turns tradition on its head with berbere chicharrónes and jerk duck prosciutto. Smoked redfish pâté and andouille sausage over toast is another highlight. For dessert, roasted, seedless (and heatless) habanada peppers are filled with its own mousse and served with elderflower granité, thereby proving that these unique dishes demand your attention.
  9. Onwuachi, Kwame; Stein, Joshua David (2019). Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN 9781524732639.
  10. Rothman, Jordana (April 9, 2019). "F&W Best New Chefs 2019: Kwame Onwuachi of Kith/Kin in Washington, D.C." Food & Wine.
  11. Hansen, Drew (May 6, 2019). "Kwame Onwuachi wins big at James Beard Awards". Washington Business Journal.
  12. Gordiner, Jeff (November 13, 2019). "Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America, 2019". Esquire.
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