Taste of Success: Intentional Living from Kwame Onwuachi

0:00Mick:Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another exciting episode of Mick Unplugged. And today I'm sitting down with someone who I've been a fan of since like 2015 when I saw him grace my TV watching Top Chef. He is a revolutionary culinary artist, an award-winning author, and a visionary restauranteur who is boldly redefining the landscape of modern American cuisine. He's a James Beard Award winner and a cultural force who continuously pushes boundaries so that people like me can enjoy and learn about food. Please join me in welcoming the amazing, the chef, Kwame. You're listening to Mick Unplugged, hosted by the one and only Mick Hunt.

0:45Mick:This is where purpose meets power and stories spark transformation. Mick takes you beyond the motivation and into meaning, helping you discover your because and becoming unstoppable. I'm Rudy Rush, and trust me, you're in the right place. Let's get unplugged.

1:05Comment, how are you doing today, brother? What's up, what's up, what's up? I'm good, man. Can't complain.

1:09Mick:Man, I'm honored to have you on. Like I said, I was a huge fan of you the first time I ever saw you. You pushed my palate, too, man. It was one of those things where growing up in the South, you eat what you eat and you get used to it. And I saw you for the first time, man, I was throwing in new dishes in the kitchen, new cuisine in the kitchen. I love that. I love that. I love that. I love how food can do that for people. Absolutely. So Kwame, the first question I usually ask my guests is, what's your because? And I define your because as that thing that's deeper than your why. It's like your true purpose.

1:46Mick:And it probably changes from time to time. So if I were to ask you today in 2026, what's your because, brother? What's your purpose today? Oh, man. I mean, my because would honestly be the gift of life. You know, we're given this gift that we get to get up every day, we get to experience joy, we get to experience sadness, fear, excitement, love, the gift of life. You know, I'm fortunate enough to be presented with a lot of opportunities and that's not really missed on me. So, you know, the fact that I'm able to do that, the fact that I'm able to get so many things done is my because. And, you know, then, you know, start to think of like, okay, that's the root of it.

2:35Then, you know, what are you doing with that? What's your why? And I think my why is to leave this place better than I found it. You know, to kind of continue to put my culture at the forefront of everything that I do, to use my soapbox to amplify and give a voice to the inaudible.

2:55Mick:And you do an amazing job, man. And I want to hit on something that you said. You talked about always getting things done. And if I were to define Kwame now, again, being a huge fan of yours, following you forever, and all of your journey, bro, you get things done. Right? Like, for those that don't know, like, Kwame is restaurant here, book there. their TV segment, TV shows here, the things you're doing in communities that I know you don't talk about because how humble you are. But the things that you do to give back, bro, like I always wonder how much time does Kwame have in a day? Because I have 24 hours.

3:32Mick:It seems like you might have much more than that. All the things that you have going on. Talk to us about those things, bro. Yeah, I mean, I yeah, I have a lot going on, but I do have I do have that me time and I carve out time for it. It's really, really important for me for my my like recharging and resetting that I have that time to myself. You know, I play a lot of golf. I work out. I watch TV, you know, but that the the times that I am working, they're very concentrated. And it's more like, you know, I have a team and I would say I'm sometimes I'm the quarterback and sometimes I'm the coach and sometimes I'm the water boy.

4:19Sometimes I have to fall back and let my team play the game or let my team run this play. So I think when you when you can rely on your team, the days and the hours feel multiplied a little bit.

4:34Mick:I love it, man. Did you always see? this vision for yourself, right? Like, you know, going back to elementary, middle school, high school, right? Did you see this version of yourself? I did. I always felt that I was going to be doing something. I didn't, I didn't know what it was going to be. You know, my mom is a chef. I grew up in the kitchen. I didn't know that that was going to be my career path, but I always wanted to do something. I remember my, my dream was to own a McDonald's, you know, when I was younger and I went and I worked at McDonald's and that was my first job. So like, I always, I knew that I would be doing something that would be multifaceted, that I would be in, you know, have the responsibility of many people.

5:23I just didn't know what it was going to be.

5:26Mick:Amazing, man. Amazing. You know, I got to, to see a lot of that journey that you had in your memoir, right? Notes from a young black chef. And one of the things that I truly was inspired by that book was that you talk about a lot of things and I see your entrepreneur spirit all throughout that book too, right? You're talking about the journey. You're obviously aspiring chefs, right? But I also think there's a big part that's just like all entrepreneurs, no matter what you're doing, you need to hear this story or you need to understand how you don't give up on visions and dreams and how obstacles are going to happen.

6:09Mick:But your mark is really going to be how you respond to those obstacles and what you decide to choose to do. Talk to us a little bit about what motivated you to share your story and inspire others with it. Well, you know, I was giving, I was doing a couple of these keynote speeches where I would tell my story. And at one of them, there was a literary agent in the crowd. And she was like, you know, you need to have a book. And I was like, okay, how much is this going to cost? You know, me, me being from New York, thinking everything's a hustle. And she was just like, you don't get paid until I get paid.

6:43And at that moment, we started working on it. You know, it wasn't really, I, like a dream of mine to write a memoir, especially at such a young age, That'd be a crazy dream. But I, I, I thought it was important to, to tell that story and be vulnerable. I think vulnerability is, is very human. And not just talk about the good times, we'll talk about the bad times and the obstacles. And, you know, that's, that's the, the, also what displays like true defining moments for people. Like it's not what happens to them. it's how they get back up it's how they respond to it because that's what you're really in control of you know you could be up one year and down one year you know how are you going to really how you're going to respond to that

7:31Mick:yeah and that's what I love taking away from the book man because to your point and you reference it in the book to everybody that we know that's great or that's good something happened multiple things probably happened that they had to overcome to get there right but the common thread is they didn't give up. And so again, I think everyone, regardless of who you are, what you do for a living, like that book needs to be a staple in your life because there's so much that you give in your journey that transpires and inspires to others. Yeah. I mean, that's a common thread among successful people.

8:08It's not how successful they are. It's that they didn't give up. that's, that's it, you know, and a successful person's most exciting project is the next project, you know, a true entrepreneur. So, so yeah, it's, it's, I'm glad you said that, because I think that that book, you know, the name chef can be swapped out for any, any career path. And the narrative will reign true of, you know, the obstacles and the tribulations and the mental dexterity it takes to push through to get to that next level.

8:43Mick:Real talk. I'm always on the move, always jumping on some airport Wi-Fi or hotel network without thinking twice. Then it hit me how exposed my passwords and banking information really were. And that is when I started using NordVPN. It locks down my data wherever I am, even on public Wi-Fi. It's the fastest VPN out there. No buffering when I'm streaming. And one account covers up to 10 devices. And it's the price of a cup of coffee a month. premium cybersecurity, total no-brainer. To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan, go to nordvpn.com slash mickunplugged. Our link will also give you four extra months on the two-year plan.

9:27Mick:There's no risk with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box. Go check out nordvpn.com slash mickunplugged. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. So, I mean, I know the story of how this began, but I'd love to hear it from you personally. Now I can be selfish. This is a question for me and me only. Talk to us about how your career began, the culinary side from the catering company, like all the things that got you to where you are today. Yeah, I mean, it started, like I said, with my mom, you know, she had a catering company that she operated from the house. And we had no choice but to help out to keep the lights on.

10:13And that was more of a chore, but that chore turned into a passion and that turned into, you know, a career and a profession. Um, but, um, I started working with my mom and catering and, and helping out, you know, set up events or, you know, helping prep dishes or pack up, you know, I learned how to drive on a, on a catering van. Um, I, I pretty much did every job in, in the catering business. And then, um, my first job outside of my mom's kitchen was in, was at McDonald's and I worked fry. I worked the grill. I worked the screen. I worked drive through. with the register. I pretty much did every position there.

10:52And I went to school after that for business administration. And I ended up dropping out and moving to Louisiana where my mom had moved to Baton Rouge. And then I started working in kitchens as a dishwasher and as a cook, as a server. And then I went to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that happened in the Gulf of Mexico as a chef for the cleanup crew, the oil, the first responders down there. And, you know, that really taught me that I really, it showed me that I really enjoyed what I did. And I enjoyed the joy on people's faces when they ate a meal because I was cooking for a crew of 60 people, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

11:37I didn't have any internet. You know, this is before Wi-Fi or anything like that. So it was just focusing on cooking and honing my craft and making these people happy that were doing pretty tough, grueling jobs. Then after that, I went back to New York City. I started working as a cater waiter and a waiter at some affluent restaurants and found that I wasn't happy. And I needed to chase that happiness, that happiness that I felt when I was on the boat cooking for people. So I started my own catering company and I needed access to capital. I didn't have it. So I got on the subway and started selling candy in order to raise money for my catering business.

12:22And I started it. It went extremely well. And I was able to go to the Culinary Institute of America from the profits from that company. and from there I got introduced to some of the best restaurants in the world and you know went went on to work at them and and then left to then open my own restaurants

12:46Mick:and the rest as they say is history right or history in the making at least history there we go history in the making so yeah when your mom started out like how does your cuisine differ from your mom's? What are the different staples? I mean, I would say, you know, mine differs in the sense of my training and like the restaurants that I've worked in.

13:16The core flavors are still there. Most of my restaurants run on like four pillars of Trinidadian, Jamaican, Nigerian, and Creole from Louisiana. So I've taken those flavors and, you know, implemented them in different ways based off of like my culinary education. But I would say, you know, the root of it, my mom taught me how to season food, you know, so like the root of it all is definitely her and then matched with like my education and and my own my own work history. I think that and then my own creativity, right? We're all individuals. So that that all plays a role. But it's very different.

13:56You know, her cooking is her cooking is more traditional. She definitely gets creative when she's, she was a personal chef for a while. So she's able to get real creative there. But, but for the most part, it's, you know, her stuff is very traditional, just done the right way. And, you know, I think with my cooking rooted in that, that's where I'm able to have some liberty and, you know, create things that are kind of new because I have that foundation in tradition.

14:27Mick:absolutely you know one of the things that i learned from you and this is something i'm sure everybody's gonna resonate with you taught me that spice doesn't have to be spicy in the sense that like we normally think of like heat and so again learning that from you like i cook differently now man like i not that i didn't understand spice before but if you were to say hey go add spice I would assume you meant heat. And now I because and I don't like heat, but I now understand just I'm not very technical, but I am more technical now than I was. Like, how could you for the everyday, you know, home chef, not even home chef, the dad, the mom.

15:11Mick:Talk to us about spice versus spicy. Let me tell you about Chime. I switched over in just a few minutes and it was honestly the easiest move I've made. I didn't just switch banks. I upgraded to a smarter, fee-free way of managing my money. I use it, and you should too. Chime lets you access up to$500 of your paycheck anytime with my pay and get paid up to two days earlier with direct deposit. Forget overdraft fees, minimum balance fees, monthly fees. They even help you build credit history stress-free with the new Chime card. No annual fees, no interest. Plus, your savings earn up to 3 % APY. That's seven times higher than a traditional bank.

15:56Mick:Chime is just not smarter banking. It's the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.com slash mick. That's chime.com slash mick. Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services, a secured Chime Visa credit card, and MyPay line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank N.A. or Stride Bank N.A. MyPay eligibility requirements apply, and credit limit ranges$20 to$500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com slash fees info. Advertised annual percentage yield with Chime Plus status only.

16:23Mick:Otherwise, 1.00 % APY applies. No min balance required. Chime card on-time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms. We talk a lot about trends on this show, and AI is the one that just won't quit. But here's the thing. Talking about AI doesn't make you more productive. Actually putting it to work does. And that's what Zapier did for me. Zapier is an AI orchestration platform that connects top AI models like ChatGPT and Claude to the apps your team already uses. No coding, no IT bottleneck, no complexity. You just plug AI into your workflow wherever you need it, whether that's enriching leads, coaching sales reps, or automating tasks that you see eat your whole day.

17:07Mick:3.4 million companies are already on it, and they're running over 300 million AI tasks. This isn't hype. It's results. My team uses Zapier to connect the platforms we already use, forms, CRMs, content workflows, follow-ups, and more. It just runs in the background while we focus on leading. Join the 3.4 million companies already automating with Zapier and transform how you work with Zapier and AI. Get started for free by visiting zapier.com slash mick. That's Z-A-P-I-E-R dot com slash M-I-C-K. Spices are flavor additives to your food, whether even heat. You know, heat has different, heat has flavor.

17:56So you could be using, you know, a scotch bonnet or a Thai chili or a serrano chili. They all have different levels of heat, like Scoville units, but they all have different flavor profiles. And then when you're talking about spices, which are, you know, your dried berries and seeds and pods, you know, that radiate, you know, flavor, those are things that you use as like balancing acts with heat. So the heat doesn't have to be the driving force. It's like a symphony almost, you know, every instrument has a role in creating this beautiful sound. Um, you know, if it was just the drums, it would, it would, you know, it would sound totally different than when it's like six or seven instruments altogether.

18:46So, um, it's, it's that balancing act that, you know, I have to have spice in my food. That doesn't mean it chilies, but it has to be something more than just salt and pepper.

18:56Mick:yeah yeah so i i personally thank you for that man because i i always just if somebody wanted something with spices i went to heat and like i'm like i'm not eating this dish because i can't do spicy but i can definitely now do spices because yeah chef kwame yeah man yeah spices are there they're very very important in cooking very important in cooking yes sir yes sir um you know you judge food as well. What's one thing that, that we can do at home to just bring a little bit of extra, that little bit of something to a dish? Um, you know, you got to start with the basics. I always say, you know, salt is really, really important.

19:42I think people undersalt their food a lot. And then they're like, why doesn't this taste good? It's like, well, you didn't really season it to begin with. Um, and then cooking things properly, you know, searing things properly making sure that your like meats are patted dry make sure you're um you know padded dry with paper towels so they're you know so there's not this like layer of moisture on the outside you know your your pan is really hot you're cooking on high heat so you get a nice you know crust on the steak or the chicken or the fish or whatever you're making um you know playing with the cooking temperatures so you're not cooking everything to you know 165 internal temperature.

20:24You know, other things they lend themselves depending on what kind of fish it is or what cut of meat it is, like really, really doing research on when you're cooking. And then, you know, balancing acidity. Acidity brings out a lot of flavor too. You know, that final squeeze of lemon or lime, you know, that's what like makes restaurant quality food, you know, different from home food is that we're really honing in on the basics, letting the food speak for itself. But at the end of the day, we're seasoning things pretty well. Yep.

20:56Mick:I love it, brother. I love it. You know, I hinted earlier that you do a lot in the community. You do a lot for the culture. Talk to us about some of those. I don't even want to call them initiatives because they're not initiatives to me. It's just your way of being Kwame, right? Talk to us about some of the things that you're doing to help elevate the culture and to help elevate community yeah you know it's important to for me for everything that i do to have a philanthropic arm um it's i think it's easy to give back when you're getting so much and um you know like one thing that we do we have an event called the family union that we do in middleburg virginia at the salamander um resort and um you know we send someone to the cia on a full ride scholarship that's in need.

21:48And, you know, we pay for their housing on externship. They have like mentorship by me throughout the entire time. So that's one way, you know, at the restaurant Tatiana in New York City, we have Tatiana Gives Back, where a percentage of each check goes to the public housing behind Lincoln Center to, you know, supply like turkey drives, give demonstrations on, you know, better ways to utilize your groceries. You know, we've done a lot of beautification and murals, you know, in the public housing and upkeep. So, you know, those are a couple of examples. But, you know, it's important to always think about that.

22:30It doesn't have to be as grand as what I'm saying. You know, anything that you can do to give back is important to those that are in need because a lot of us are in need and you know i saw that firsthand when i was growing up in the bronx for one you know being the one of the biggest food deserts and the biggest financial financially free capital of the world um you know that that that's just because not enough people are thinking about them and you know i i want to make sure that like i said earlier i'm leaving the place better than I found it, you know, in any little way that I can. And hopefully to inspire others to do the same thing.

23:13Mick:Amazing, brother. Amazing. And I'd be remiss, you know, because I know how busy you are and I don't want to keep you forever. I could ask you a thousand questions, but I do want to talk about these restaurants that you have and break some news on one that's opening up right around the corner. Right. Like a couple of days, we got one opening up. Yep. Yep. Yep. Maroon in Las Vegas, here in Las Vegas. I'm here now. I'm officially a resident of Las Vegas, which is cool. It's a Caribbean steakhouse. You know, I thought about what does Vegas like need? And they need that. You know, there's not anything like that on the strip.

23:52And, you know, if I'm going to be involved in something, I'm definitely going to put my culture forward. and there's going to be like Caribbean steakhouse. There's going to be steakhouse classics with a Caribbean twist. And yeah, I mean, it's just going to be a really, really fun dining room. We have a giant jerk pit in the middle of the room. The design is meant to feel a little exclusive, you know, depending on where your seats are. And yeah, I mean, I want to just give Vegas something they haven't seen before because there's so much richness in the culinary landscape of Vegas. But I think the locals kind of get lost in that.