I really enjoyed this book and am so glad I finally got to it. My library got the audiobook for it, which made for a really good experience because the narrator, Malik Rashad, seemed like a great fit.

I liked how the story started out towards the end of where it would eventually be headed. It made for a really good contrast between the author’s beginnings into his culinary adventures and what he would eventually go on to accomplish later on. He said “rags to riches” was too extreme of a description for his life, but the ups and downs were still very distinct from each other and it was interesting to hear about his rise to the top.

Despite getting a glimpse of the ending at the beginning of the book, the actual ending took me really off guard. I didn’t know much about the author at all aside from having seen him on Top Chef so I had no idea what was coming. I don’t want to spoil things for readers that also don’t know so I’ll just say I wish the author good luck in all his future endeavors!

I don’t remember why I decided to request the YA adaptation of the original memoir but I thought it was really well done. I don’t know the differences between this one and the original but found this one very fitting for a YA audience.

I appreciate adaptations of non-fiction for ease and accessibility. I was excited to read "Notes from a Young Black Chef" after following Kwame's journey on tv. I appreciate young adults having the opportunity to find themselves in his story, particularly his hard growing up years. The cadence of the writing was interesting and did not feel fully representative of the adult book, but I still think it would make an excellent non-fiction young adult read.

No rating for nonfiction, but this was so good! I listened to it in one day and it was such a powerful story of a chef having a dream, and despite everything in the world going against him, he persevered and is one of the most influential chefs in New York. As someone who has worked in restaurants my entire adult life, I loved the inside look at the inner workings of a kitchen, and the different dynamics of chefs. Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I absolutely loved this. Adapted for young readers, it retained the power and importance of the original but used easy-to-access language.

A wonderful book that gives readers insight into something they may not see. The YA and Adult versions are perfect for school-wide reads or family reads.

From the opening words, I knew I was going to love this memoir of a young chef, proud of his story and proud of himself even in the very real failures and challenges he experienced. Onwuachi is one of the youngest and most successful chefs in the country today, and his memoir traces his history from an often unsettled childhood in the Bronx to a year and a half living with his grandfather in Nigeria and on through high school and college when association with a gang and easy access to drugs threatened his bright future. Onwuachi escaped those difficult spaces, but only after dropping out of college and moving across the country to live with his mother again in LA. His story proves his tenacity, but also provides a certain hope and inspiration to anyone who has been in circumstances that feel out of their control but still want to dream of better. This YA adaptation is fast-paced and accessible, offering insight into the world of the culinary arts and fine dining as well as excellent reflections on the pernicious effects of racism and the dangers of stereotyping others.

An excellent memoir. Engaging, evocative, and honest. This book will engage young readers and be a great addition to the classroom. I love having a book about cooking, men in cooking, and a Black man in cooking for my students to experience. What a delight.

This young adult adaptation does really well with everything involving Onwuachi's growing up, but when it gets into his adulthood and becoming an actual chef, it felt very rushed and inconsistent. I'm not sure if focusing on the growing up part was done purposely or if that's how the original is as well. Either way, it felt like it ended on a bit of a low note and didn't match up with the very successful author biography.

We read this a potential pick for our internal Printz Award committee. It was not chosen as a final nominee.

I did not finish this novel. I found Onwuachi's story interesting in its focus on food, but I did not find it unique in its story of a boy growing up in poverty and finding his way out.

I really enjoyed this memoir! I'm currently employed as a line cook so I really related to a lot of whole industry stuff. I loved following Kwame's journey to the chef he is today, and it helped remind me why I do what I do.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. The adaptation of Kwame Onwuachi's memoir for young readers is a welcome addition to the YA memoir world. Onwuachi highlights the difficult journey he made to get where he is and doesn't shy away from sharing the racism, microaggressions and more he encountered while making his way to the top. Great book to add to your collection.

When I saw that Top Chef contestant and professional chef Kwame Onwuachi was writing a book I new I had to read it. Then I saw he was adapting it for a ya audience and I needed to read this one!

I watched Kwame’s season of Top Chef and his story intrigued me but while reading this book I learned so much more. It’s a fascinating account of Onwuachi’s life from birth to opening his first restaurant. He writes about struggling with authority in school and the young black experience in America. He talks about his experiences in college and then in the culinary institute.

Then transitions into talking about opening his own catering business and working in professional kitchens. He talks about how racism was felt at each turn but how it played into his self image and what he was actively trying to change in different settings.

There are some trigger warnings to be aware of: physical and verbal abuse, drugs and drug dealing, seeing a murder, gun violence and language as well as racism. Be aware of this before handing this book to your child. This would be very appropriate for high school and even mature middle schoolers. None of this content is grotesque or the focus of the story.

This would be a great book to add to your Black Lives Matter reading list if you are working on diversifying your reading. I definitely recommend this memoir and highly enjoyed it!

Thank you @NetGalley for this copy in return for an honest review.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5/5

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for honest review.

Notes From a Young Black Chef would be a great addition to any culinary course or school libraries. I loved the formatting of this book, it had story and then recipes for those to try. In the course of this work we learn about the often rough an gritty story of Kwame on his path to become a chef. The ever evolving story touches on the racism, challenges, and successes on his journey to become a chef. We learn of Kwame's exposure to culture which is demonstrated and shared in some of the recipes shared along the way. I

Thankyou to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Although not a culinary minded person, I do enjoy watching Top Chef, so to hear Kwame tell stories and share memories of his life was very interesting. Kwame begins with memories of his childhood-- both happy and sad -- that resonated with me as a reader. His life was not easy, but he persevered. This message will resonate with young readers, especially those who see themselves in Kwame.

I wish this book dug deeper throughout-- his motivation to become a chef never waivered, but I felt the text as a whole was very surface level. There could have been more.

Overall, I would recommend this to both middle grades and young adult readers with confidence.

This was an excellent memoir! The author had a strong voice and a wonderful narrative style. I enjoyed reading about his life and how he worked his way to where he is now.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for a copy of this book! OMG THIS IS A MEMOIR AND THERE'S RECIPES TOO. I loved reading about Kwame Onwuachi's history and it's a must-read. He had a rough childhood and the book doesn't sugar coat anything. It's honest, raw, and vulnerable. Kwame also talks about how he ended up on Top Chef!

This is a memoir or biography of a young black man trying to navigate his complicated life and career choices. Kwame's parents are separated, his dad was abusive, his mom worked hard to try to provide for her children. Kwame gets to spend two years with his grandparents in Nigeria and has a wide variety of cultural influences. He ends up at culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and makes connections by working hard in a variety of places. It's an excellent example of what it's like to have a passion and how a person might be willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill that passion. It's too big for my elementary library, but I suspect at least one copy will end up at my husband's culinary school library.

This adapted memoir will be a welcome addition to the shelves of high school libraries and the offices of those who offer career guidance. It tells the often gritty story of Kwame Onwuachi and his pathway to becoming a chef with all of the challenges, hard times, racism and triumphs of his evolving story. It is written in an engaging style that will draw readers in. Those who think about wanting to work as a chef will find out how challenging it can be and the sheer amount of grit and hard work that are needed. The satisfactions are also delineated.

I had some knowledge of the author from having seen him on two seasons of Top Chef. The first time he was a contestant and the second a guest judge. That familiarity made me eager to learn more about him as a TV story can never be a full picture. I found it interesting to more fully get to know the man.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

Warning: Do not read when hungry!
Kwame Onwuachi tells his story in the YA adapted memoir of his experiences as a young, Black chef wanting to enter the world of fine dining. Though adapted for YA audience, the details of drug use, physical abuse, and overt racism are not veiled over. Being a chef is not a simple vocation--it's more than cooking, it's artistry and passion--that can be mastered without physical and emotional scars. It's also expensive, thankless, and hierarchal.

I always enjoy memoirs that demonstrate human flaws while not glossing over someone's success and failures. Is Chef Kwame cocky? Yes, definitely. But in his narrative, he demonstrates how he has earned his stripes and the confidence he has had to develop. I would have liked to hear more about his time enrolled in CIA. I have not read the adult version so there may be more details that I was craving throughout the second half of the book. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know Chef Kwame through his book and liked the fact that he ended it with the lessons he learned from his mistakes/pride.