Q&A with Kamat Newman, Chef de Cuisine at NYC’s Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi
Kamat Newman, Tatiana’s Chef de Cuisine | Photo: Evan Sung
Our goal at Gastronomer is to shed light on the existing and emerging culinary talent found in city’s across the world, so we’re kicking off our new “Chef Q&A” series with Chef de Cuisine, Kamat Newman, who is making an extraordinary impact at Chef Kwame Onwuachi’s first NYC restaurant Tatiana, which has been receiving high praise (The New Yorker, New York Post) since it opened at the Lincoln Center last November.
Born in Illinois and raised in St. Louis, Newman attended culinary school in the Chicago. After finishing culinary School, Kamat joined the Soho House team, where her role required extensive travel throughout the United States. After discovering her West African ancestry, Kamat developed a passion for that region's culture and heritage, especially in terms of the culinary arts. Combining those influences with her own experiences – which includes traditional southern cuisine – she developed her own signature approach to cooking, which can be experienced at Tatiana, where her passion for food and community conjure an elevated sense of home and hospitality each and every day.
Below, Chef Newman shares more about Tatiana’s cuisine, how she finds inspiration to create new dishes, and her advice for those beginning their careers.
Q: What is one of your favorite dishes currently on Tatiana’s menu and how did you conceptualize it?
“One of my favorite dishes on the Tatiana menu would have to be the Short Rib Suya Pastrami. Myself, Chef Kwame, his business partner David Paz, and our executive sous chef all sat down to figure out the final dish to complete our opening menu. Chef Kwame had the idea to pull in his Nigerian influence and utilize the flavors of Suya (A Northern Nigerian dish) and looking to give it more intention we thought to incorporate the cultural influence of the Jewish and Caribbean community, in comes the “Pastrami” aspect and the Coco bread!”
Short Rib Suya Pastrami | Photo: Evan Sung
Q: How do you find inspiration for new dishes?
Finding inspiration for new dishes comes on a bit of a whim. It could be something that evokes nostalgia that I haven’t thought about in years that inspires me to approach something with a more refined palette. I love to read and pull influence from cultures that have had some impact on my life, one way or another.
Braised Oxtails | Photo: Evan Sung
Q: Which global destination excites you the most from a culinary perspective and why?
“The mere thought of visiting India thrills me. I have only been able to scratch the surface of the impact the eastern world has had on our consumption of spices. Knowing that a large percentage of spice production comes from that part of the world, I would love to deeply immerse myself in more of that knowledge and tie it into my own cooking.”
Selection of Tatiana’s dishes | Photo: Evan Sung
Q: What is one piece of advice you'd give to those starting their culinary careers?
“Practice self-discipline. It is important to allow your creativity to speak and shine through, but the longevity of your career is contingent upon how much intention and effort you put into those moments that may be a little rougher than others. Perseverance is key and that comes through self-discipline.”
Photo: Courtesy of Tatiana
