07-05-2025
What a Met Gala dinner looks like with chef Kwame Onwuachi
Above Fresh flowers adorned the setting, taking inspiration from "Untitled (Sky)", a painting by Cy Gavin (Image: Denise Stephanie)
The tablescape was also more than just decor, but acted as an extension of the theme. Working hand in hand with Onwuachi, the decor was inspired by Cy Gavin's painting 'Untitled (Sky)', and a daffodil field located in upstate New York. Combining mythology, flowers, and celestial elements, the goal was to create a soulful environment that matched the culinary excellence being portrayed.
Hand-glazed plates, vintage cutlery, and over 7,000 narcissus flowers all tied together with food and fashion for a seamless storytelling experience.
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Above Chef Kwame Onwuachi walks the red carpet (Image: Eater NY)
The evening's seated dinner unfolded under Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's long-established culinary edicts: no chives, onions, and garlic: 'Well, those are three things I'm not particularly fond of.' Wintour states. An anti-messy appetiser rule is strongly enforced too, with foods such as bruschetta not allowed to avoid potential outfit mishaps and stains.
Onwuachi responded with ingenious flavour building, offering a first course of Papaya Piri Piri, made with Persian cucumbers, seasonal grapes, toasted almonds. Paired with Maison Noir 'Oregogne' Chardonnay, a mineral, fruity wine to start off the night.
Above Chef Kwame Onwuachi sneakily snaps a picture of the menu served to guests at the Met Gala (Image: @chefkwameonwuachi)
Above The behind-the-scenes of service (Image: @chefkwameonwuachi)
Followed with a Creole Roasted Chicken with a lemon emulsion, hot sauce, with rice and peas. This comforting meal was accompanied by Cornbread with Honey Curry Butter, BBQ Greens with beef bacon and nasturtium. It was served with Phil Long 'Reserve' Cabernet Sauvignon.
For dessert, Onwuachi dug deep into his New York roots and brought about a Bodega Special to the most coveted night in fashion—a Cosmic Brownie powdered sugar doughnut mousse—a popular dessert item from Tatiana, and an elevated nod to the corner store nostalgia that perfectly encapsulates his knack for remixing food traditions.
Above The menu of the evening (Image: @lagavi_official)
What distinguishes Onwuachi's approach is his ability to transform fine dining while honouring cultural authenticity. His Met Gala menu wasn't simply 'elevated' soul food or Caribbean cuisine; it was a thoughtful exploration of how food, like fashion, carries cultural meaning and memory.
The chef's mission to create an 'edible anthology of the diaspora' mirrored the exhibition's celebration of Black style through history. Both recognised that sophistication isn't about erasing cultural origins, but rather, celebrating them with precision, care and contemporary vision.
Above The elegant portrayal of the Black diaspora culture, through elevated cuisine on a global stage (Image: Denise Stephanie)
In a space where exclusivity reigns supreme, Onwuachi's menu offered something surprisingly inclusive: a culinary language that spoke simultaneously of grandmothers' kitchens and Michelin-starred technique, of corner stores and haute cuisine.
It reminded the fashion world's most influential figures that true style—whether in clothing or cuisine—tells a story of identity, heritage, and the remarkable journey from everyday to extraordinary.
