ABOUT ME

MY STORY

JJ Johnson is a James Beard Award-winning chef best known for his barrier-breaking cuisine connecting the foodways of West Africa and Asia to the Americas. Chef JJ’s signature style of combining culturally relevant ingredients with his classically trained cooking and global point of view was inspired by the Caribbean tastes he grew up with, combined with inspiration from his travels.  

Recognized by Eater as one of the New Guard of Power in NYC Dining, JJ’s brand of creating cultural connections through food is a hallmark of his hospitality group Ingrained Hospitality Concepts, LLC, a collaboration of industry professionals dedicated to creating great restaurants while sharing international cuisine with amazing hospitality. 

The restaurant group opened FIELDTRIP, a quick-casual rice bowl shop located in Harlem that highlights rice traditions from around the world with globally-inspired flavors and techniques. JJ is a Chef on Buzzfeed’s Tasty platform, a Mastercard Ambassador, and a television host on Just Eats with Chef JJ airing for its second season on TV One’s Network Cleo TV. He is a Forbes 30 Under 30, Eater Young Gun, and has been featured on NBC TODAY, GMA, Food and Wine, Esquire magazine, and the New York Times chose Fieldtrip as a Critic's Pick for the Hungry City Column. 

Chef JJ published his award-winning first cookbook in spring 2018, “Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights, and Every Day” (Flatiron Books). He serves on the James Beard Impact Programs Advisory Committee and sits on the junior board of Food Bank for New York City, taking action to end hunger. 

Follow him at @chefjj