Kwame Onwuachi facts for kids
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| Born | November 11, 1989 Long Island, New York |
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| Education | The Culinary Institute of America |
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Previous restaurant(s)
Shaw Bijou, Philly Wing Fry, Kith and Kin, Tatiana
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Television show(s)
Top Chef: California
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Award(s) won
2019 James Beard Award, Rising Star Chef
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Kwame Onwuachi (born November 11, 1989) is a talented Nigerian-American chef. He lives and works in New York City. Kwame is also a published author and owns several restaurants. You might know him from the TV show Top Chef. In 2019, he was named "Rising Star Chef of the Year" by important food groups like Food & Wine magazine and the James Beard Foundation.
Contents
Kwame's Early Life and Learning
Kwame Onwuachi was born on Long Island, New York. He spent most of his childhood growing up in The Bronx. When he was 10, his mother sent him to live with his grandfather in Nigeria for two years. This trip helped him discover his early love for African food.
Kwame faced some challenges in school. He eventually graduated from Bronx Leadership Academy high school.
Kwame's Culinary Journey
Starting His Cooking Career
In 2010, Kwame moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He got a job cooking on a boat helping with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup. This job reminded him how much he loved cooking.
Later that year, he moved back to New York City. He worked at a restaurant called Craft. Then, he started his own catering business, Onwuachi's Coterie Catering. In 2012, Kwame decided to go to The Culinary Institute of America. This is a famous cooking school in Hyde Park, New York.
While in culinary school, Kwame worked at a very fancy restaurant called Per Se. After graduating, he got a job at another well-known New York City restaurant, Eleven Madison Park.
Competing on Top Chef
In 2015, Kwame joined the TV show Top Chef: California. He placed sixth overall. People really liked him on the show. He became well-known for his unique story and cooking skills. In 2021, Kwame returned to Top Chef as a guest judge.
Opening His Own Restaurants
In November 2016, Kwame opened his first restaurant, Shaw Bijou, in Washington, D.C. It offered a special 13-course meal. The restaurant closed after a couple of months.
In 2017, Kwame opened a new restaurant called "Kith and Kin". It was located in the InterContinental Hotel in Washington, D.C. This restaurant served Afro-Caribbean food. It was inspired by his family's roots in Louisiana, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Nigeria. Kith and Kin received great reviews from places like The Washington Post. In 2020, Kwame left Kith and Kin to start his own new place.
In November 2022, Kwame opened his newest restaurant, Tatiana, in Lincoln Center in New York City. Tatiana mixes flavors from the Caribbean, Africa, and the American South. It serves dishes like short rib pastrami suya. Tatiana quickly earned praise from The New York Times and Food & Wine magazine.
Writing Cookbooks and More
In 2019, Kwame wrote his first book, Notes from a Young Black Chef. It tells the story of his journey in the cooking world. Famous people like musician Questlove praised the book.
In May 2022, Kwame published another book called My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef. This book is a cookbook. It shares recipes that show Kwame's diverse cooking background. You can find recipes like Nigerian jollof and Louisiana jambalaya.
In February 2021, Kwame also became an Executive Producer for Food & Wine magazine.
Awards and Recognition
Kwame Onwuachi has won many awards for his cooking.
- In 2019, Food & Wine magazine named him one of its Best New Chefs.
- The James Beard Foundation named him "Rising Star Chef of the Year" in 2019. This award has been given to other famous chefs like Christina Tosi and David Chang.
- Esquire magazine named Kwame its Chef of the Year for 2019. They also called Kith and Kin one of the Best New Restaurants in America.
- Kwame has also been recognized by Forbes and Zagat on their "30 under 30" lists. These lists celebrate young leaders in different fields.
Images for kids
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Kwame Onwuachi, a talented chef and author.
