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rayvenn28's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
khornstein1's review against another edition
4.0
Take what I say with a grain of salt (ha-ha)...after a slow start and weird introduction, I was ultimately entertained by this book and rooting for Onwuachi. I am not someone who "appreciates fine dining." I like good food, that's pretty much it and setting and presentation are lost on me. I'm not a Top Chef fan. My late dad was a fine dining snob and I'd accompany him to restaurants....ugh, the long "tastings," the wine pairings, the hours of just. sitting. there. I need to get up and move...but I digress.
This book was written "with" Joshua David Stein...and I feel that's where some of my complaints lie. So many typos. So much...lack of editing? This is a compelling story and Onwuachi's personality shines through, but extra words (like the wrong words?) in sentences bother me. Things just sounded a bit choppy...proofreading please!
And then the introduction. He's 26 years old! And he's not "humble" at all per the book jacket! I had hard time rooting for his big restaurant opening. But his life story grabbed me: the candy selling on the subway thing was fascinating. I loved hearing about his back of the house experiences and especially cooking on the oil rig.
Occasionally he'd say, "I guess I'm arrogant!" That's what made it bearable...he gets himself. And there is a super-revelatory sentence on page 130..."how eating in these (fine dining, award-winning) restaurants made me feel: like I was taken care of, like there was a guy in the back very concerned that I was having a wonderful time." I find this intriguing. I just want to eat and leave!
The recipes sound great. His expose of racism in the fine-dining world was troubling. Reading this in the midst of the pandemic made me think, "maybe I'll give fine dining a go if I ever go to restaurants again." Read for Book Club. Foodies will like it.
This book was written "with" Joshua David Stein...and I feel that's where some of my complaints lie. So many typos. So much...lack of editing? This is a compelling story and Onwuachi's personality shines through, but extra words (like the wrong words?) in sentences bother me. Things just sounded a bit choppy...proofreading please!
And then the introduction. He's 26 years old! And he's not "humble" at all per the book jacket! I had hard time rooting for his big restaurant opening. But his life story grabbed me: the candy selling on the subway thing was fascinating. I loved hearing about his back of the house experiences and especially cooking on the oil rig.
Occasionally he'd say, "I guess I'm arrogant!" That's what made it bearable...he gets himself. And there is a super-revelatory sentence on page 130..."how eating in these (fine dining, award-winning) restaurants made me feel: like I was taken care of, like there was a guy in the back very concerned that I was having a wonderful time." I find this intriguing. I just want to eat and leave!
The recipes sound great. His expose of racism in the fine-dining world was troubling. Reading this in the midst of the pandemic made me think, "maybe I'll give fine dining a go if I ever go to restaurants again." Read for Book Club. Foodies will like it.
the_herbal_carnivore's review
It's hard to rate this book. It wasn't what I thought it would be. Despite being so young, Kwame does have quite the life; some parts were really interesting to listen to, while other parts were just too vulgar and seemed unnecessary. Many times throughout the book I thought about how Kwame should listen to some of what Candace Owens has to share...
jenny_bean_reads's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What a memoir, wow. I love to read memoirs because you are hearing about someone's life from their point of view, and this is a perfect example of why reading memoirs are wonderful and important. Reading about his evolution as a young kid making mistakes to shaking himself out of it (with pushes from his mom at certain points) and starting his rise in his culinary career.
I actually laughed out loud when he described the Culinary Institute of America on his first visit at the point in describing the campus when he said "Just because fountains are dope." I loved that line, legit cackled.
It was so hard to hear him questioning his worth, because of a multitude of reasons, one of which is the non-stop racism in this country - institutionalized and regular ol' bigots. He asks at one point if it was arrogant to open an expensive restaurant that young, which in my opinion is no. He had confidence in his skills, he had shitty back office support, and I think the critic that tanked them opening night didn't give them the hour to grease showing up after 20 minutes was based on that critic's desire to see a confident, young, black chef taken down a peg.
Then the Trump election, and that bullshit coming from Gene and Kelly (which I honestly don't care if I spelled their names wrong, they are jerks), Kwame Onwuachi deserved better. He has accomplished so much since then, and before, but that doesn't mean he deserved to be treated that way.
Anyway, I loved this memoir and I appreciate Chef Onwuachi's willingness to speak about his experience.
I actually laughed out loud when he described the Culinary Institute of America on his first visit at the point in describing the campus when he said "Just because fountains are dope." I loved that line, legit cackled.
It was so hard to hear him questioning his worth, because of a multitude of reasons, one of which is the non-stop racism in this country - institutionalized and regular ol' bigots. He asks at one point if it was arrogant to open an expensive restaurant that young, which in my opinion is no. He had confidence in his skills, he had shitty back office support, and I think the critic that tanked them opening night didn't give them the hour to grease showing up after 20 minutes was based on that critic's desire to see a confident, young, black chef taken down a peg.
Then the Trump election, and that bullshit coming from Gene and Kelly (which I honestly don't care if I spelled their names wrong, they are jerks), Kwame Onwuachi deserved better. He has accomplished so much since then, and before, but that doesn't mean he deserved to be treated that way.
Anyway, I loved this memoir and I appreciate Chef Onwuachi's willingness to speak about his experience.
sincerelylogan's review against another edition
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
We all know I love a culinary memoir, but it was such a treat to read one that discussed the food and restaurant scene in three places I know so well: New York City, South Louisiana, and Washington, D.C. Onwauchi has a clear voice that comes through the ghostwriter, and his delivery of the audiobook was very passionate. This memoir reads as unapologetic and deeply honest. Excited to follow his career and see what he gets up to.