joining a select group of James Beard-honored peers who’ ve created exclusive menus.
“ You’ ll see the heritage shining through dishes like coconut currybraised chicken, jollof rice, or Caribbean chicken soup. I wanted that culture amplified in a space where it normally isn’ t,” he said.
Despite traveling the world, he always feels happiest being part of D. C.’ s food scene. Though proud of being a New Yorker, he says D. C. has always been part of his spirit.
As a child, he spent summers visiting his grandfather, a professor at Howard University, and other relatives. He moved to the city in his early twenties to open his first restaurant. It didn’ t last— but he stayed determined, later running Kith and Kin for four years before opening Dōgon.
“ D. C. is great. It’ s such a beautiful representation of Black excellence. The food scene runs the full gamut, featuring Laotian, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern cuisine. We have amazing chefs and so many cultures doing great things.” He cites Chercher( Ethiopian) and Bokum Café( West African) as his favorite African spots when he’ s in town.
My food always has a nod to my heritage, whether that is Nigerian or Jamaican or Creole. I use the ingredients as building blocks to create dishes.
These days, you’ ll often find him in Dōgon’ s kitchen among the line cooks or out in the dining room serving guests, staying close to the food the way he learned in Nigeria.
“ Dōgon’ s dishes are interesting because Chef Kwame makes them his own,” said Jade Campbell, a D. C.-based food influencer.“ It’ s special when a chef challenges what we think we know about a cuisine— and brings us along for the ride.”
He’ s brought diners along in other ways, too. His 2019 memoir Notes from a Young Black Chef earned acclaim from NPR, The New York Times, and Time Magazine, becoming a finalist for the International Association of Culinary Professionals. His 2022 cookbook My America: Recipes from a Young Black Chef, featuring 125 recipes rooted in his culture and travels, was named Bon Appétit’ s Best Book of the Year.
Dōgon
Credit: Matt Dandy
A decade after Top Chef, he still feels awe when people express their admiration.
“ Every time feels like the first time,” he said.“ I’ m always taken aback that I am somebody’ s role model. It’ s a blessed position, but also a big responsibility.”
He strives to become the best version of himself— immersing in research, pushing boundaries, and ensuring that every interaction is positive, even on hard days. He views his culture and the stories within his cuisine as his responsibility.
When you make it to Dōgon, try the dish inspired by his mother, the Mom Dukes Shrimp. She originally made it with a homemade spice blend, garlic, butter, and thyme. As is his style, Onwuachi adds“ a bunch of other ingredients,” creating supple shrimp drenched in decadent sauce.
Whatever you order at Dōgon will connect you to lineage, heritage, the Caribbean, and Africa. He hasn’ t been back to Nigeria in years, but it’ s high on his list— along with Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mauritius, Ghana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Egypt, Madagascar, and Seychelles.
FLYWASHINGTON. COM 8 AUTUMN 2025