Kwame Onwuachi (top center) with Michelle and Barack Obama.Photo: Kwame Onwuachi/Instagram; Official White House PhotoKwame Onwuachimay have a history of being in the presence of some megastar celebs in his line of work, but the food always comes first.On the latest episode of thePEOPLE Every Daypodcast, theTop Chefstar (once a contestant in 2015, and now a guest judge) chats with hostJanine Rubensteinabout his experiences cooking for some very high-profile clients, includingBarackandMichelle Obama,BeyoncéandJAY-Z,Oprah WinfreyandDave Chappelle.“For the Obamas, they wanted something healthier, so we did a red-velvet crepe cake utilizing beets,” recalls Onwuachi, 31.“For Jay and Beyoncé, I did a menu based off of Brooklyn and Houston. For Dave Chappelle, I do Afro-Caribbean cuisine,” he says.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Onwuachi is all about tailoring his eats exactly to the customer’s tastes, telling PEOPLE, “I’m client-based, at the end of the day, so I make whatever you want me to make.““We’re not cooking for ourselveswhen we’re in the kitchen— we’re cooking for everybody else, and it’s a reflection of who we are,” he adds.And while he’s “able to sprinkle a little bit of spice here and there that really reflects who I am,” Onwuachi’s menus are “really a representation of whatever the client wants.“Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday—and listen to Kwame’s episode, below!RELATED VIDEO: See Oprah’s Lavish Thanksgiving Spread!Onwuachi also reacted to the “surreal” news about the upcoming film based on his memoir,Notes from a Young Black Chef,starringLakeith Stanfield.“Similar to me sitting [at] the judge’s table, it won’t hit me until I’m on set and seeing someone act out a scene of my life,” he says of what he expects to be a “beautiful” experience.Touching on theimportance of “representation,“the chef adds, “A book can reach so many people; a movie can reach even more. And people will see themselves reflected on the screen in ways that they could never imagine.“Check out more from Onwuachi’s interview on PEOPLE Every Day, airing now oniHeartMedia,Apple podcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,Amazon Musicor wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Kwame Onwuachi (top center) with Michelle and Barack Obama.Photo: Kwame Onwuachi/Instagram; Official White House Photo
Kwame Onwuachimay have a history of being in the presence of some megastar celebs in his line of work, but the food always comes first.On the latest episode of thePEOPLE Every Daypodcast, theTop Chefstar (once a contestant in 2015, and now a guest judge) chats with hostJanine Rubensteinabout his experiences cooking for some very high-profile clients, includingBarackandMichelle Obama,BeyoncéandJAY-Z,Oprah WinfreyandDave Chappelle.“For the Obamas, they wanted something healthier, so we did a red-velvet crepe cake utilizing beets,” recalls Onwuachi, 31.“For Jay and Beyoncé, I did a menu based off of Brooklyn and Houston. For Dave Chappelle, I do Afro-Caribbean cuisine,” he says.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.Onwuachi is all about tailoring his eats exactly to the customer’s tastes, telling PEOPLE, “I’m client-based, at the end of the day, so I make whatever you want me to make.““We’re not cooking for ourselveswhen we’re in the kitchen— we’re cooking for everybody else, and it’s a reflection of who we are,” he adds.And while he’s “able to sprinkle a little bit of spice here and there that really reflects who I am,” Onwuachi’s menus are “really a representation of whatever the client wants.“Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday—and listen to Kwame’s episode, below!RELATED VIDEO: See Oprah’s Lavish Thanksgiving Spread!Onwuachi also reacted to the “surreal” news about the upcoming film based on his memoir,Notes from a Young Black Chef,starringLakeith Stanfield.“Similar to me sitting [at] the judge’s table, it won’t hit me until I’m on set and seeing someone act out a scene of my life,” he says of what he expects to be a “beautiful” experience.Touching on theimportance of “representation,“the chef adds, “A book can reach so many people; a movie can reach even more. And people will see themselves reflected on the screen in ways that they could never imagine.“Check out more from Onwuachi’s interview on PEOPLE Every Day, airing now oniHeartMedia,Apple podcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,Amazon Musicor wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Kwame Onwuachimay have a history of being in the presence of some megastar celebs in his line of work, but the food always comes first.
On the latest episode of thePEOPLE Every Daypodcast, theTop Chefstar (once a contestant in 2015, and now a guest judge) chats with hostJanine Rubensteinabout his experiences cooking for some very high-profile clients, includingBarackandMichelle Obama,BeyoncéandJAY-Z,Oprah WinfreyandDave Chappelle.
“For the Obamas, they wanted something healthier, so we did a red-velvet crepe cake utilizing beets,” recalls Onwuachi, 31.
“For Jay and Beyoncé, I did a menu based off of Brooklyn and Houston. For Dave Chappelle, I do Afro-Caribbean cuisine,” he says.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Onwuachi is all about tailoring his eats exactly to the customer’s tastes, telling PEOPLE, “I’m client-based, at the end of the day, so I make whatever you want me to make.”
“We’re not cooking for ourselveswhen we’re in the kitchen— we’re cooking for everybody else, and it’s a reflection of who we are,” he adds.
And while he’s “able to sprinkle a little bit of spice here and there that really reflects who I am,” Onwuachi’s menus are “really a representation of whatever the client wants.”
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast,PEOPLE Every Day,to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday—and listen to Kwame’s episode, below!
RELATED VIDEO: See Oprah’s Lavish Thanksgiving Spread!
Onwuachi also reacted to the “surreal” news about the upcoming film based on his memoir,Notes from a Young Black Chef,starringLakeith Stanfield.
“Similar to me sitting [at] the judge’s table, it won’t hit me until I’m on set and seeing someone act out a scene of my life,” he says of what he expects to be a “beautiful” experience.
Touching on theimportance of “representation,“the chef adds, “A book can reach so many people; a movie can reach even more. And people will see themselves reflected on the screen in ways that they could never imagine.”
Check out more from Onwuachi’s interview on PEOPLE Every Day, airing now oniHeartMedia,Apple podcasts,Spotify,Stitcher,Amazon Musicor wherever you listen to your podcasts.
source: people.com
