After Failing With Shaw Bijou, Chef Kwame Onwuachi To Open Restaurant At The Wharf
The restaurateur behind one of D.C.'s most famous recent restaurant failures, Shaw Bijou, is getting back into the District's dining scene.
Chef Kwame Onwuachi in October will open Kith and Kin, a 96-seat, 3,500 SF restaurant at The Wharf's 278-room InterContinental Hotel.
Onwauachi, a Top Chef alumnus, opened the highly anticipated Shaw Bijou in November. The high-end restaurant charged $185 for a 13-course meal, later dropping that to seven courses for $95, but it continued to lose money and closed in January.
Now after taking some time off, Onwauachi is coming back with a new concept with less-expensive dishes. Small bites will range from $9 to $15, entrees from $12 to $26 and family-style shareable dishes from $22 to $65. It will also feature cocktails from $13 to $17. The restaurant will pay tribute to the chef's own roots with African, Creole and Carribbean-inspired dishes.
“I took some much needed time to step away, reflect, travel and dig deep into my past and heritage in search of what I wanted to do next in regards to my culinary career, and it was the powerful memories of cooking for and alongside family and friends that truly struck me to my core," Onwauachi said in a release.
The announcement comes one week after one of The Wharf's other hotels, the Canopy by Hilton, unveiled plans for a rooftop bar and lounge, Whiskey Charlie. The Wharf, celebrating its grand opening Oct. 12, will also feature restaurants such as Del Mar by Fabio and Maria Trabocchi, Requin by Mike Isabella and Jennifer Carroll, and Hank’s Oyster Bar by Jamie Leeds.
