Marcus Samuelsson
Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef, author, and cooking storyteller behind Red Rooster Harlem, sharing recipes and the people and cultures behind them.
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Latest
Marcus’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Avery
Voracious
PBS
Random HouseOverview
- Roots
- Born in Ethiopia; adopted and raised in Sweden.
- Home base
- New York City, with Harlem at the heart of his work.
- Breakout
- A three-star New York Times review at Aquavit in 1995.
- Makes
- Restaurants, cookbooks, cooking videos, and food television.
Mini bio
How it started.
Born in Ethiopia, Marcus was adopted with his sister by a Swedish family and grew up in Gothenburg. His grandmother Helga helped him discover cooking. In interviews, he remembers her kitchen as a place where there was always something to prepare, preserve, or taste.
Finding his own flavors.
Training in European kitchens led him to Aquavit in New York. In 1995, he became the youngest chef to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times. His Scandinavian cooking drew on pickling, curing, seafood, and the wider range of flavors he encountered through travel.
Making room in Harlem.
He opened Red Rooster Harlem in 2010. In his own account, years spent learning the neighborhood shaped a restaurant that celebrates its food, music, and art. With No Passport Required, he brought that curiosity to immigrant communities across the United States.
Food and community.
His books include the memoir Yes, Chef and The Rise, a celebration of Black cooks and their contributions to American food. He also serves as a World Central Kitchen frontline advisor and helps expand culinary career opportunities through C-CAP.
Creditschronological, newest first
Books
- 2026Back to GreenAuthor, with Jamila Robinson
- 2020The RiseAuthor, with Osayi Endolyn and Yewande Komolafe
- 2012Yes, ChefMemoir coauthor with Veronica Chambers
Television
- 2018No Passport RequiredHost and executive producer
Restaurants
- 2025Marcus DCChef and restaurateur
- 2010Red Rooster HarlemChef and co-creator
Awards
Quotes
But in a kitchen you’re coming together because you need one another.Marcus Samuelsson, National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works interview
Speaking about kitchen teamwork in the October 21, 2016 interview: https://www.arts.gov/stories/podcast/marcus-samuelsson
Trivia
- He dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player as a child, and later became New York City FC’s first Chief Culinary Coach.
- His childhood summers included fishing in Smögen on Sweden’s west coast, then helping prepare the catch.
- He served as guest chef for the Obama administration’s first state dinner in 2009.
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