Kwame Onwuachi

Kwame Onwuachi (; born November 11, 1989) is an American chef. He was a contestant on Top Chef (season 13) in 2015.

He has opened several restaurants including Shaw Bijou, Kith and Kin, Tatiana and Dōgon. In 2019, the James Beard Foundation named him "Rising Star Chef of the Year."

Early life and education Born on Long Island in New York, Onwuachi spent most of his childhood growing up in The Bronx. At the age of 10, his mother sent him to live with his grandfather in Nigeria for two years so that he could "learn respect."

Onwuachi was expelled from several schools for behavioral issues and eventually graduated from Bronx Leadership Academy, a public charter high school in the city. Reintroduced to cooking, he returned to New York City that November, waiting tables at Tom Colicchio's Craft before opening a catering service.

In November 2016, he opened a restaurant in a converted townhouse in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C., called Shaw Bijou.

In late 2017, he opened "Kith and Kin", serving Afro-Caribbean cuisine influenced by his family ties to Louisiana, Jamaica, Trinidad, and Nigeria. The restaurant was reviewed by The Washington Post and the Michelin Guide. In July 2020, Onwuachi resigned his position at Kith and Kin to pursue opening his own restaurant.

In November 2022, Onwuachi opened Tatiana in NYC's Lincoln Center. The restaurant offers a fusion between flavors of the Caribbean, Africa, and the American South.

In September 2024, Onwauchi opened up Dōgon in Washington, D.C., a restaurant serving food which is a fusion of cuisines from Africa and the African diaspora, as well as some dishes that are local to the D.C. area. In September 2025, The New York Times named it as one of the 50 best restaurants in the United States.

In April 2026, Onwuachi opened Maroon at the Sahara Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.

Publication career In 2019, Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein co-published Onwuachi's first book, Notes from a Young Black Chef.

Recognition In 2019, the James Beard Foundation named Onwuachi their "Rising Star Chef of the Year" and Esquire named him its Chef of the Year for 2019, identifying Kith and Kin as one of the Best New Restaurants in America.

In 2021, Onwuachi returned to the Top Chef Kitchen as a guest judge for Season 18.