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 twenty-seven 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 twenty thousand dollars 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 on board 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.

Includes a PDF of recipes from the book.

“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

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.