Notes from a Young Black Chef

A Memoir

By: Kwame Onwuachi, Joshua David Stein

Narrated by: Kwame Onwuachi

“Kwame Onwuachi’s story shines a light on food and culture not just in American restaurants or African American communities but around the world.” (Questlove)

By the time he was 27 years old, Kwame Onwuachi had opened - and closed - one of the most talked-about restaurants in America. He had launched his own catering company with $20,000 that he made from selling candy on the subway, yet he’d been told he would never make it on television because his cooking wasn’t “Southern” enough. In this inspiring memoir about the intersection of race, fame, and food, he shares the remarkable story of his culinary coming-of-age.

Growing up in the Bronx, as a boy, Onwuachi was sent to rural Nigeria by his mother to “learn respect”. However, the hard-won knowledge gained in Africa was not enough to keep him from the temptation and easy money of the streets when he returned home. But through food, he broke out of a dangerous downward spiral, embarking on a new beginning at the bottom of the culinary food chain as a chef onboard a Deepwater Horizon cleanup ship, before going on to train in the kitchens of some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country and appearing as a contestant on Top Chef.

Onwuachi’s love of food and cooking remained a constant throughout, even when he found the road to success riddled with potholes. As a young chef, he was forced to grapple with just how unwelcoming the world of fine dining can be for people of color, and his first restaurant, the culmination of years of planning, shuttered just months after opening. A powerful, heartfelt, and shockingly honest story of chasing your dreams - even when they don’t turn out as you expected - Notes from a Young Black Chef is one man’s pursuit of his passions, despite the odds.

“This is an astonishing and open-hearted story from one of the next generation’s stars of the culinary world. I am so excited to see what the future holds for Chef Kwame - he is a phoenix, rising into better and better things and showing us all what it means to be humble, hungry, and daring.” (José Andrés)

Includes a PDF of recipes from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Kwame Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

An IACP Award Finalist Long-listed for The Art of Eating Prize

"Kwame Onwuachi is memoirist turned narrator. His style is characterized by an unblinking honesty through which he reveals the story behind one of the most talked about new restaurants in Washington, DC. Onwuachi's indignation at the restaurant industry, and chronicle of his life as the child of Nigerian immigrants, is told at a rapid pace, laced with simmering critiques of both. Listeners who are unfamiliar with his story will find themselves cheering as a wayward child from the streets of the Bronx makes good on his love of food. Fans of the cooking world, including shows such as 'Top Chef,' will be entranced." (AudioFile Magazine)

“Kwame Onwuachi has given us something to crave. A culinary autobiography sitting at the crossroads of West Africa, the American South, and the Caribbean and beyond mixed with his journey to find himself and the flavors that make him unique. This is the future of Black food writing and a new chapter in the saga of how chefs come of age.” (Michael W. Twitty, author of The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South)

“A young black chef’s raw and gritty tale of survival, ingenuity, and hustling. Kwame takes us on this journey where he eventually finds himself captivated by the culinary world of fine dining. A fast-paced page turner with inspirational recipes at the end of each chapter.” (Carla Hall, author of Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration)

“This book is a testament to the old adage, ‘it’s not how hard you hit but how you respond after being hit.’ Chef Kwame Onwuachi is a living example of bouncing back when hit with challenges and obstacles. Notes from a Young Black Chef is an inspiring tell-all about the reality of being a young Black chef in the world of fine dining and all the roads taken to become a culinary sensation.” (Edouardo Jordan, chef/owner of Salare, Junebaby, and Lucinda Grain Bar)

A transformative memoir of an eloquent young chef

As a former struggling chef in NYC, I could relate to so much of Kwame's experience--except that of being a young black man from the Bronx projects. I found the story of his itinerant upbringing riveting. In some ways, despite Kwame's struggles, I'm actually envious of his diverse origins. The epilogue brought tears to my eyes.

this book lit a fire under my ass

I loved kwame's story, I myself am an aspiring chef and about to start culinary college. Honestly since I come from a poor background, and hearing the story has lit a fire under my ass to get my shit started and be everything I can be.

A must for anyone that enjoys Chef Memoirs

Kwame’s story, as read by him, is so entertaining and he makes it relatable, too. Plus his path is really interesting for anyone who cares about the restaurant and food entertainment worlds. Kwame shares openly and honestly. Highly recommended

Personal perspective

Great book. I love chef stories and anything with food. But the personal background and story in this one was something special.

Young Black Chief Experience s the High and Lows

Loved it couldn't wait to listen to it. I hated when it ended wanted to hear more.

Splendid

Loved it. I was deeply immersed in the authors world. Highly recommend if you are an inspiring chef

Beautiful memoir

One of my favorite chefs. I only knew bits and pieces of his story. Learning the twists and turns is amazing. If you want a story of resilience and leadership this is a good one.

Unexpected fine

Very good book I’d listen again, and refer to my friends that like to cook lol

Fascinating

Very engaging. Enjoyed Kwame’s telling of his life story and struggles along the way. His determination is inspiring. I expect we will see much more of this young chef in the future.

A must read

Riveting stories of a chef trying to make it in the culinary world. Excellent narration!