Naman Shrestha
Following the pattern of previous seasons, the seventh volume of Netflix’s ‘Chef’s Table’ also features different culinary masters who take us through their respective journeys that led them to become well-established chefs. In one of the episodes, the focus is on the rags-to-riches story of the New York-based chef — Kwame Onwuachi. Making an appearance in the cooking show was a dream come true as he got the golden opportunity to not only share his story but also showcase Afro-Caribbean cuisine to the world.
Kwame Onwuachi’s Family Played a Major Role to Ignite His Passion For Cooking
Kwame Onwuachi takes great pride in hailing from a heritage that’s steeped in rich political and culinary history. “My family has a direct lineage of the Afro-Caribbean and transatlantic slave trade where it started in West Africa, went down to the Caribbean, and all the way to the American South,” he told Washington Citypaper. Although the Long Island-born Nigerian-American chef didn’t really lead an easygoing life growing up in South Bronx, New York, he had two things in abundance — the love and support of his family. His mother, Jewel Robinson, and elder sister, Tatiana, doted upon him, but he was devoid of any emotional connection with his father, Patrick Onwuachi. Their parents split when Kwame was quite young.
He also revealed that his father exerted his “wild mood and emotional earthquakes” on him during the former’s weekly visits, scarring him with physical and verbal abuse. Kwame confessed that it traumatized him and he took out all that repressed resentment on his fellow classmates at school. It was due to his behavior that Jewel took a huge step and sent him to his paternal grandfather in Nigeria when he was 10. While there, Kwame’s life took a turn as he learned a lot about respect and creativity and developed an in-depth understanding of Nigerian culture.
Kwame Onwuachi is the Chef/Owner of an Award-Winning Restaurant
Growing up in a poor household in the Bronx with his mother, who operated a catering company from home after losing her job as an accountant, Kwame Onwuachi was able to inculcate knowledge about food and culinary skills from an early age. At the age of three or five, he, too, helped her with the preparations as it was the sole source of their income. This experience also turned out to be the source of Kwame’s inspiration to become a chef and run his own restaurant to honor his Nigerian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Creole background. As mentioned above, he also lived with his grandparents in a small village in Nigeria where resources were in shortage, allowing him to develop an appreciation for ingredients while cooking.
Before he opened his own restaurant and found success, Kwame hustled and struggled for several years. For instance, in order to pay for his culinary school, he used to sell candy bars on the subway. He also dealt drugs for a short while before realizing that he wanted to do something impactful with his life and career. After completing his culinary training at the Culinary Institute of America, he appeared on ‘Top Chef’ in 2015 and finished in sixth place. Kwame has also made several appearances as a judge in the cooking show, something which he enjoyed more than being a participant competing for the prize. He has received many accolades and awards in his career as a chef, including the James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year award in 2019, Food & Wine’s Best New Chef award in 2019, and listed in Forbes 30 Under 30.
Not just that, Kwame was also touted as “the most important Chef in America” by San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. The year 2022 was a turning point in his culinary career as he not only served as the host of the James Beard Awards but also opened Tatiana, an Afro-Caribbean restaurant named after his beloved sister. Since the restaurant’s opening at the Lincoln Center in New York, it has been named Resy One To Watch at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 and “The #1 Restaurant in New York City” by The New York Times for two straight years. In September 2024, he opened a restaurant called Dōgon in Washington, DC. Apart from being an award-winning chef, he has also authored a cookbook titled ‘My America’ and the memoir ‘Notes from a Young Black Chef.’ According to reports, the latter is slated to be adapted into a feature film by A24.
Kwame Onwuachi Remains Grounded to His Roots and Close to His Loved Ones
The guidance provided by his family proved implemented to Kwame in his climb to the top. Therefore, he never skips a chance to express his gratitude towards his mother, Jewel Robinson, sister, Tatiana, and grandparents, Cassie and Winston Phillips. Apart from them, he regularly showers his love upon his darling nieces, who are the apples of his eye. The chef honors his loved ones by taking time out of his busy schedule to create lasting memories with them. Despite being vocal about his love for his family, as of today, he has chosen to stay rather tight-lipped about matters of his heart. In 2016, Kwame began dating the ‘Summer House’ entrepreneur, Mya Allen, and after six months, the two got engaged. However, in late 2020, they reportedly parted ways. Since then, Kwame has preferred to keep the details of his personal life private.
In April 2024, Kwame traveled to Italy, where he explored world-famous landmarks, hunted for truffles, and indulged in some delicious pasta. June was a devastating month for him as he tragically lost James, someone he considered his father figure, mentor, and friend. He expressed his grief, saying, “You gave me one of my first jobs and taught me how to lead not through fear but through empathy and guidance. You touched a lot of people while you were here and changed a lot of lives. I for one would not be where I’m at without your guidance. My sincerest condolences to your family. Thank you for everything chef, I’ll forever miss you.”
Every year in August, Kwame hosts an annual celebration of culinary diversity, mainly focusing on Black and Afro-Caribbean food culture, called The Family Reunion. In September 2024, he had the “incredible pleasure and honor of cooking for the first ever Black Excellence White House brunch.” When he is not busy creating innovative dishes, the multitalented personality likes to indulge in his other passion — golfing. From what we can tell, Kwame is currently single and thoroughly focused on furthering his career and achieving all his personal as well as professional goals.
Read More: Ángel León: Where is the Chef Now?
