The Met Gala’s queen bee and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour handed the Top Chef star one big quick-fire challenge: cook with no garlic, onions, or chives (along with being bad for breath, they’re “three things I’m not particularly fond of,” she told the Today Show ahead of the 2024 gala).
Rapper Megan Thee Stallion broke the no-cell phone policy inside and documented his passed apps of caviar-topped cornbread on Instagram. Per Vogue, roving silver trays also showcased Onwuachi’s hoecakes with crispy chicken and curry chicken patties — an edited version of the goat ones found at his acclaimed Afro-Caribbean restaurants in NYC (Tatiana, which is two miles south of the museum) and D.C. (Dogon). The ever-popular “bodega special” Cosmic Brownie served at Tatiana was for dessert.
As a Time100 honoree and owner of the New York Times’ No. 1 restaurant in NYC, with a newly announced Vegas project on the way, the Bronx native was well-suited for the job for many reasons. This year’s theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” — marking the first time in decades that men’s fashion stole the spotlight. Onwuachi opted to don a sleek black look — complete with a jeweled crown — by designer Ugo Mozie.
“I wanted to really capture Black culture in all of its elements,” Onwuachi told BET. “From the diaspora to the Caribbean to the American South, even to just the boroughs in New York.”
Last night’s decked-up guests also enjoyed Onwuachi’s papaya piri piri salad, Creole-roasted chicken with rice and peas, and other classic Kwame calling cards like sides of barbecue collard greens with bacon and cornbread slathered in honey-curry butter.
Met Gala guests partaking in the feast included hosts Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, ASAP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams. On the carpet, singer Teyana Taylor gave Onwuachi the ultimate compliment — saying she was the most excited to see him (and eat his food).
Tables for 10 started at $350,000, and invite-only solo tickets were $75,000. The gala — widely known as the Super Bowl of style — raised a record $31 million for the Costume Institute. Its newest exhibition unveiled last night explores dandyism through the ages.
Along with Onwuachi, the closest thing to a chef on the floral-framed carpet was The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White; compared to the rest of his celebrity counterparts, he “dressed down” in a black Louis Vuitton suit encrusted in pearls. Also in attendance was Joshua Dat of NYC corner store Datz Deli (known for its viral mac and cheese-stuffed patties) and his mother.
—Nadia Chaudhury contributed to this report
