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A review by brea_by_the_beach
Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi
3.0
A wild ride of a story about a young ambitious chef, whose tale spans the disparate lifestyles of the Bronx, to reclaiming a lost Nigerian heritage, to apprenticing in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the world, to Food Network appearances of Top Chef. Along the way, he embraces the multi-faceted sides of his identity, and uses his knowledge, skill and hustle to open up a high end dining restaurant in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, the arc of ambition isn't perfectly linear, and our protagonist learns some humbling lessons along the way.
What I liked - the sheer audacious brilliance of this guy - it clearly takes some balls to achieve the success he has, and so early in his life. I admired his perfectionism, attention to detail and drive. I loved some of the stories - cooking on a oil recovery rig, the stainless steel bastion of Per Se, the recipes.
Where this fell short was that I think there was more to be said after the business of Shaw Bijou and its demise, and some life learning that he could have done more of a deep dive into, but I suspect he rightfully doesn't have time for that. Maybe this suggests he could have waited a bit before penning a biography.. but I think perhaps that was intentional. He clearly has a big, glittering culinary career still ahead of him.. which is why this is just "Notes" to other young chefs in training, or some advice, to those considering a career in the culinary world?
I would probably rate this a half star higher if that were an option, because his life story thus far is really interesting. I'm always a sucker for a good food story, especially one with the behind the scenes tid bits that are so enticing.
What I liked - the sheer audacious brilliance of this guy - it clearly takes some balls to achieve the success he has, and so early in his life. I admired his perfectionism, attention to detail and drive. I loved some of the stories - cooking on a oil recovery rig, the stainless steel bastion of Per Se, the recipes.
Where this fell short was that I think there was more to be said after the business of Shaw Bijou and its demise, and some life learning that he could have done more of a deep dive into, but I suspect he rightfully doesn't have time for that. Maybe this suggests he could have waited a bit before penning a biography.. but I think perhaps that was intentional. He clearly has a big, glittering culinary career still ahead of him.. which is why this is just "Notes" to other young chefs in training, or some advice, to those considering a career in the culinary world?
I would probably rate this a half star higher if that were an option, because his life story thus far is really interesting. I'm always a sucker for a good food story, especially one with the behind the scenes tid bits that are so enticing.