Island Remix: Chef Corwin Hemming Does Bold Caribbean Food His Way

The Top Chef contestant isn’t afraid to experiment in the kitchen. His “contemporary Caribbean” food honors where he’s from—and everywhere he’s been.

By EatOkra

Chef Corwin Hemming has never shied away from a challenge. “Win, lose, or draw, I’m going to go out swinging,” he says—and it’s a mantra that’s served him well. The Augusta, Georgia native grew up in an army family, resulting in a global exposure that's shaped Hemming's boundless cooking approach. When home flavors of Jamaica mix with influences from life abroad and stops at Michelin-starred restaurants across the country, including Le Coucou and Acadia, the result is a unique style of cooking: the Hemming-way, if you will.

Currently the executive sous chef at The Occidental in Washington D.C., Hemming is feeling excited for what’s ahead. That’s largely in part due to his experience on Top Chef Season 22, one he admits was extremely challenging—but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Below, Hemming shares more about his time on the hit Bravo show, the early days in the kitchen that shaped a successful career, and why he proudly refers to his unique cooking style as “contemporary Caribbean.”

Igniting The Fire

There was one restaurant when I first started cooking in Washington, D.C. where we did a lot of really creative cooking in a busy restaurant. It was really popular, number four in the city at the time.

We had a ton of waste that we could better use for specials. There was a station that was strictly dedicated to it. I was watching my white counterparts come up with crazy dishes and I thought, “How did he do that? What made you pull these flavors together?”

Once I got comfortable, about a year in during the summertime, I came in early, and I wanted to try something. My family had lived in Korea for some time, and I love kimchi. I thought, “Why not ferment the vegetables and trade out the Korean ingredients for Jamaican ingredients?” I remember grilling pineapple for my sugar component, and I made a jerk marinade to ferment those vegetables for a summertime dish. My head chef took a bite and was like, “Oh, this is way better than I thought.”

That one component became a menu special. This was the first time I had experimented with something and it worked. That was the ball that started spinning. And then I came up with a dish where I combined Mount Gay Rum with some other Caribbean components and we ran that as a special, too. My chef said “I'll pick out the fish for you, but everything else I love.” I think these little pockets of success ignited a fire. I'm also just naturally a competitive and creative person, but circumstances could have very easily not let me be Black and proud and Jamaican. They could have easily put my fire out, which happens a lot in this industry. Luckily, now we're now seeing this tsunami of creative Black chefs change the game, and I'm here for all of it.

The Top Chef Experience

It was extremely challenging. You don’t know what to think when you’re going into something completely new. There’s this mysteriousness because they want a raw, natural competition…it is that and more. You really have to find your bearings; you have to find your comfortability. You're surrounded by a lot of other really good chefs, so you've really got to find your peace within the competition, cook the way you want to cook, and do things that you want to do.

One standout moment was the ice challenge, when I did the scallop crudo. The surprise ingredient I picked that was under the cloche was an apple. I had layers of Caribbean flavors, there was a little bit of coconut, I used bonnet as my aguachile base. And I just really wanted to define contemporary Caribbean the way I do in my cooking.

Doing Things His Own Way

I’ve had my own family members say, “Why don’t you post traditional Jamaican cuisine on your page?” I can cook that, but that’s not what makes me special. I don’t cook my grandmother’s food, I cook with my grandmother in mind. I think that’s what makes me unique. There’s a ton of eateries around the country, around the world, that do traditional Jamaican cuisine and they’ve been doing that for a long time. That’s what they’re known for. I’m not. I have never worked in a Jamaican eatery, but I grew up eating Jamaican food with my dad’s side of the family.

People can say they hate it. They can say I’m gentrifying it. They can say whatever they want. But at the end of the day, I’m setting out to create a fine dining space for Caribbean people to come and enjoy flavors that they grew up eating. And I know this to be true because I did a pop-up in Brooklyn right before I shot Top Chef. My guy, Cheech, ate a bully beef fritter, and he was like, “This took me back to being a kid” even though it was like an arancini.

To hear from people who you feed that your food is evoking nostalgic memories? I’m like, “All right, I’m doing the right thing.” Ultimately, I want to put the Caribbean Islands on a pedestal and showcase that our restaurants can swing with the best of them.

Looking Ahead

Top Chef was a big spark for me. Being in a room of really talented chefs, I had a couple of days where I was like, "I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to win this…" and then I woke up in the morning willing to try. Reinvigorating my culinary soul was something I needed.

For the last five years, I’ve been really trying to figure things out—asking myself, “am I ready to open a restaurant?” I need experiences that are going to help me reach that point. Opportunities like The Occidental and working with Stephen Starr also don’t come every day. They will polish you in ways that you never thought you needed. It’s part of my culinary journey.

I listen to a lot of Nipsey Hussle. For me, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.