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(GH Mumm)Īn early career marked by ambitious disappointments (his first restaurant, Shaw Bijou, closed after only three months) was counterpointed with a litany of successes-beginning in 2015 when Onwuachi was selected as a contestant on season 13 of Top Chef. After studying at the Culinary Institute of America, Onwuachi cut his teeth at esteemed NYC foodie Meccas like Per Se and Eleven Madison Park, once the World’s Best Restaurant. Conscripted to early duty in mom’s kitchen, his parent’s rich cultural traditions (Nigerian and Jamaican father, Trinidadian and Creole mother) infused the prodigy with a robust gastronomic palate. Chef Kwame Onwuachi draws on nostalgic childhood memories and life experiences to inspire the cuisine. For more information about the restaurant visit or call (202) just 33 years old, chef Kwame Onwuachi’s dizzying life has already overflowed with explosive successes and chaotic nadirs. The Shaw Bijou is a modern American restaurant in the heart of the historical Shaw neighborhood in Washington, D.C. But, you are welcome to come into the restaurant to find out how we plan to incorporate that into the final dish of your meal.♦ Norweigian King Crab with Roasted Garlic, Beurre Monte and Uni Bottarga I have a big sweet tooth now, but didn’t when I was a kid. If that is the case what might we find on the Shaw’s dessert menu? It’s been noted you do not have a big sweet tooth. I did a pop up in Mumbai last year with a good friend who I worked with at Eleven Madison Park. It’s this huge bustling city with so much energy in every single dish, whether you are at a hole in the wall or fine dining, there is so much depth of flavor that I really love. Mumbai, India, because of the excitement of the city. What are your favorite destinations to travel for food inspiration? Cooking is the easy part at this point in leading a team. How have you evolved as a Chef throughout your career?Īs a chef you start off kind of never knowing where you’ll end up, so I think I’ve evolved as a leader more than anything. You’re popping up in a venue, cooking, figuring out things as you go and I love that aspect of a pop-up.

I started my career in catering, which is very similar to a pop-up. You have to very much be a problem solver in a sense and that’s what I thrive on. I love the pop-up format because it’s spontaneous you have to adjust on the fly. What do you love most about the pop-up format? “As a chef you start off kind of never knowing where you’ll end up, so I think I’ve evolved as a leader more than anything.”īefore opening Shaw, you were behind several pop-ups, including Philly Wing-Fry, which ran for two days at Union Market in DC. It’s really just finding the best product and delivering that to the guests while still having the same flavor compositions and soul the other dishes have. Instead of using the lower cut of meat I was used to eating in a certain dish I use the best meat I can find. It was taking different things I’ve eaten over the years from my childhood until now and creating them in the way I cook these days. What was your creative process when translating these memories to such a high-end menu? Your childhood and travels inspired the Shaw Bijou tasting menu. The way people react when they taste my food and how supportive they are prompted this type of concept. We created it in the fashion of it being our home and inviting people into our home. I think just everyone who has ever eaten my food has inspired me in creating this concept. What or who has inspired you the most in creating this concept? Congratulations on the opening of the Shaw Bijou this month. My chores were helping her prep dishes for events. Most kids have chores to make their bed and take out the trash. I was at her feet cooking and trying to reach over the stove. She is a chef who ran a catering company.

How did you start your journey in the culinary industry? Ready to start the next chapter of his career, Onwuachi fills us in on his journey to the Shaw Bijou. The Executive Chef/Owner started his career in the catering world, but since then has worked at Eleven Madison Park, traveled the world and competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” season 13.

Kwame Onwuachi celebrates the opening of his first restaurant, The Shaw Bijou in Washington, D.C.