Just because restaurants shut down during Covid-19 doesn’t mean chef Kwame Onwuachi hasn’t been plenty busy this year. The James Beard Award-winning chef has been a key member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, which has been lobbying for the $120 billion relief bill that recently passed the House. He’s shuttling between New York and Los Angeles as he works on the film adaptation of his memoir, Notes from a Young Black Chef, and another project for TV. He left his award-winning restaurant Kith/Kin after leading it through the early part of the pandemic. And right now he’s in Portland, quarantined inside the the Top Chef production bubble where he’s one of the judges for this year’s competition.
In this episode of Robb Report Culinary School, Onwuachi took time out from his jam-packed schedule to show food and drinks editor Jeremy Repanich how to make one of the dishes from the opening menu of Kith/Kin, Mom Dukes Shrimp. It’s a variation on a Louisiana creole dish he loved to eat growing up. Onwuachi also mixes a cocktail to pair with his feast and chats about life in the Top Chef bubble and what it’s like to make a movie of his life.
Odds and Ends and Additional Links
- Lakeith Stanfield will play Onwuachi in the feature film adaptation of his memoir that A24 is currently developing.
- His memoir, released last year, is currently available in hardcover, paperback and audiobook.
- In 2019, Onwuachi won the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef.
- You can follow Kwame on Instagram @chefkwameonwuachi.
- Head to Robb Report’s Instagram page to check out more episodes of Culinary School, including Top Chef winner Mei Lin’s congee and James Beard Award-winner Chris Shepherd’s recipe for bacon chile jam.
Culinary Masters
Don’t miss the food event of the year. Register for Robb Report’s Culinary Masters now. Or, for more information, visit RR1.
