[title]
With each restaurant in his pocket, Kwame Onwuachi invites us to take another step into his heritage. Washington D.C’s Dōgon by Kwame Onwuachi traces his ancestral ties to the West African Dōgon tribe, while at Las' Lap, his first foray into South Beach, he nods to his Trinidadian and Caribbean roots. At Tatiana, one of the best restaurants in New York right now, he shows his endearment for the concrete city that raised him. At Patty Palace, Onwuachi is continuing to show love for all things NYC, honing in on his favorite childhood snack: the Jamaican patty.
So, why the humble patty? Before the buzz of Top Chef, awards and wholly successful Family Reunion, Onwuachi was just another kid growing up in the Bronx. Like many of his classmates, his after-school activities revolved around one thing: grabbing a patty.
“It was a curried chicken patty with coco bread and a Nutrament as a drink,” said Onwuachi of his go-to order back in the day, citing that his favorite shop was at Jackie's West Indian Bakery. While he has since left the Nutrament behind, his love of patties remains and served as a jumping-off point for another venture. Looking to tap back into his fast-casual arm—Onwuachi previously operated Philly Wing Fry and Gorsha, both in Washington D.C.—he teased a sneak preview of his coming patty shack at the Black and brown entrepreneurial conference, CultureCon. Naturally, patties were the first to come to mind when Citi Field approached him to create a fast-casual concept.
“I was approached by the Mets to put a concept in Citi Field,” said Onwuachi. “We got the concept together in a month and have been hitting the ground running ever since!”
Named Chef Kwame’s Patty Palace, Onwuachi sells a single flavor, which happens to be his go-to favorite: the curried chicken. Making everything from scratch, the chicken is seasoned with a blend of Caribbean spices—green seasoning and curry powder, accompanied by a mix of ginger, garlic and onions. Encased in a classic turmeric-tinged crust, the patties are then dressed with a ginger-cabbage slaw and two sauces: jerk barbecue and a green seasoned aioli. And just like how he ate it in the old days, it is all encased in coco bread.
But seeing as how not all could sink their teeth in, as only those with access to the stadium’s Hudson Whiskey NY Club and Clover Club could enjoy them, Onwuachi decided to bring the patty to the people, parking a truck outside his award-winning restaurant in Lincoln Center. Seemingly working his way down the length of Manhattan, Patty Palace will soon find a home at Time Out Union Square. His latest installment of Patty Palace will also introduce new menu items, adding simmering beef and jerk mushrooms to the mix. Soon, you'll be able to eat like Onwuachi too.