New York City’s Tatiana by Chef Kwame Onwuachi is today named as the recipient of the Resy One To Watch Award from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, in news that was revealed live by the 50 Best organisation at a celebratory dinner held at Tatiana last night. The award recognises a rising-star restaurant that is making waves in the gastronomic scene worthy of international acclaim.
The restaurant opened just six months ago, in November 2022, at the city’s prestigious Lincoln Center in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Named after Onwuachi’s sister, Tatiana celebrates the chef’s New York upbringing along with his heritage as part of the African diaspora. An inventive menu features dishes ranging from Cornbread and Cod, with smoked jerk cod, buttermilk soubise and fennel to Braised Oxtails served with rice and peas, Thumbelina carrot and chayote squash.
A Bronx native, with roots in Nigeria, New Orleans and the Caribbean, Onwuachi was first introduced to cooking by his mother. After training at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he worked at some of the world’s most renowned restaurants including Eleven Madison Park and Per Se. His impressive resume saw him open five restaurants before the age of 30, including the much-lauded Kith/Kin in Washington, D.C., as well as appearing as a judge on season 18 of Top Chef, having made his debut as a contestant on the show some five years prior.
William Drew, Director of Content for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “With Tatiana already one of the hottest tickets on New York City’s culinary scene just six months after opening, this award could not be more deserved. Chef Kwame and his team are trailblazers in delivering a standout gastronomic experience, putting Caribbean, African and Black American cooking in the much-deserved spotlight.”
Onwuachi says: “I want to thank my team and my support system first and foremost, none of this is possible without you. I’m excited, honoured and grateful to be recognised on a world stage.”
The Resy One To Watch Award winner is revealed ahead of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 awards ceremony, which will be held on Tuesday 20th June in Valencia, Spain.
