Kwame Onwuachi

Kwame Onwuachi is a James Beard Award-winning chef and author of the critically acclaimed cookbook "My America" and the memoir "Notes from a Young Black Chef," which is being turned into a feature film by A24. Kwame has been named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine’s Chef of the Year, and is a 30 Under 30 honoree by both Zagat and Forbes. He has also been featured on Time’s 100 Next List and has been named the most important Chef in America by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Born on Long Island and raised in New York City, Nigeria, and Louisiana, Onwuachi was first exposed to cooking by his mother in the family’s modest Bronx apartment, transforming that initial spark of passion into a thriving career. From working in the bowels of oil cleanup ships to honing his skills at some of the best restaurants in the world, he has experienced considerable diversity. Onwuachi trained at the Culinary Institute of America and had opened five restaurants before turning thirty. His restaurant concept Tatiana, which opened at Lincoln Center in November 2022, has since received numerous accolades, including “The #1 Restaurant in New York City” by the New York Times for the last two years in a row, “The One to Watch” by World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and inclusion on La Liste’s “World's Best Restaurants List.” In the fall of 2024, he partnered with the Salamander DC hotel to open his newest restaurant concept, Dōgon.

As a competitor on "Top Chef" season 13, he showcased his culinary skills nationally. Currently serving as an Executive Producer at Food & Wine Magazine, he continues to push the boundaries of innovation while advocating for inclusion in the workplace and inspiring others on issues like food insecurity and food waste reduction. Chef Kwame Onwuachi is a renowned chef whose impressive career and accolades highlight his influence in the culinary world.