Chef Kwame Onwuachi of New York City — whose cooking has drawn luxuriant praise for its deft mingling of Nigerian, Creole and Afro-Caribbean influences, plus more than a dash of his Bronx childhood — is returning to Las Vegas, where he was among the marquee panelists at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants gathering last year.
The James Beard Award-winning chef, owner of Tatiana in Manhattan and Dōgon in Washington, D.C., will open a restaurant in the Sahara Las Vegas space now occupied by Bazaar Meat, from celebrated chef José Andrés. After more than a decade of flesh meets flame, Bazaar Meat will close after service June 30 in advance of its move to The Venetian.
Cooking as personal history
On one hand, the arrival of Onwuachi makes a kind of sense, a star of a new generation of chefs replacing one of the most lauded chefs in the world. On the other hand, Onwuachi’s restaurant — name and cuisine(s) still to be disclosed — gives rise to some fair questions.
His cooking at Tatiana and Dōgon is deeply responsive to the cultural moment and deeply personal, reflecting his ethnic heritage, his growing up in New York City and his experience as a Black chef. Will that approach play on the Strip, where cooking can be exciting but is typically not so directly personal?
Or will the chef take his approach and blend it with a spin of Vegas for the new concept? For his part, Onwuachi, in a Thursday statement, said he was looking forward to setting up shop out West.
“I am excited for this next chapter, and the opportunity to bring a new culinary concept to Sahara Las Vegas and the city’s dynamic food scene,” he said.
Accolades in abundance
Besides his Beard win, Onwuachi is the author of the critically regarded cookbook “My America” and the memoir “Notes from a Young Black Chef,” which is being made into a feature film. Onwuachi has been recognized as one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs, as Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year for 2019, and as a 30 Under 30 honoree by Zagat and Forbes.
He first appeared on “Top Chef” as a Season 13 contestant; for Season 18, he was a judge. He also hosted the 2021 and 2022 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago. He currently is the executive producer for Food & Wine. Visit saharalasvegas.com/newrestaurant-by-chefkwameonwuachi.
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
