Exclusive | NYCs hottest Caribbean chefs dish on where to enjoy a taste of the islands ahead of the West Indian Day Parade

Islands in the mainstream.For its 59th anniversary, NYC’s legendary West Indian American Day Parade will dance down Eastern Parkway this Labor Day to celebrate all things Caribbean culture — and its biggest champions have a whole new reason to party this year.With packed restaurants, culinary accolades, star chefs and book deals galore, Caribbean food’s hottest names are basking in the glow of dishing out what’s become NYC’s trendiest cuisine.“Caribbean cuisines have always been a cornerstone of the New York City restaurant world,” Robert Sietsema, food critic and author of Robert Sietsema’s New York on Substack, told The Post.“But it is in the last decade that Caribbean chefs have risen to the fore and received the accolades they deserved.”Leading the charge is superstar chef and James Beard Award winner Kwame Onwuachi, one of the nation’s most prominent cooks.The New York Times lauded his acclaimed Lincoln Center eatery Tatiana, named after his sister, NYC’s No.1 restaurant for both 2025 and 2026 and last year, Onwuachi was named one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential People.“I think people are finally starting to recognize how deeply Caribbean culture is woven into New York,” Onwuachi, who also curated the menu for the 2025 Met Gala, told The Post. “It’s in the neighborhoods, bodegas, music, and the food.

Caribbean flavors have always been an essential part of the city’s culinary landscape, and there are so many stories to be told.”He’s not wrong.20% of the Big Apple has Caribbean heritage, while a 2023 report found that Jamaicans specifically are the third-most represented foreign born immigrants in NYC, as the tiny island nation ranks ahead of Mexico, the Philippines and India, according to recent stats from the NYC City CouncilOnwuachi, who is prepping the release of his new cookbook “All Hours: Crazy Good Food for Whenever, Wherever” later this month, chalks up his success to simply cooking what he’s accustome...