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. His signature style of combining culturally relevant ingredients with classically trained cooking and a global point of view was inspired by the Caribbean tastes he grew up with, combined with inspiration from his travels. Johnson's brand of creating cultural connections through food is a hallmark of his hospitality group Ingrained Hospitality Concepts.

Recognized by Eater as one of the New Guard of Power in NYC Dining, Johnson has been featured on a variety of TV shows including Food Network’s "Chopped" and Netflix’s "Street Food," and his own show, "Just Eats with Chef JJ," on TV One's network Cleo TV. He has been named a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Eater Young Gun, and has been featured on NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America" as well as in the pages of Food and Wine and Esquire magazines, among others.

His culinary work has earned Johnson numerous accolades, including the James Beard Foundation Book Award for his co-authorship of "Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-American-Asian Cooking for Big Nights, Weekends and Every Day," and a two-time spot on the Nation’s Restaurant News Power List. His cookbook, "The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table," was named one of the New York Times' "Best Cookbooks of 2023."

At FIELDTRIP, Johnson’s rapidly growing fast casual rice bowl concept, he champions sustainability, working with local rice farmers and producers to source the freshest ingredients. With four locations throughout New York City, he is a community advocate for food justice and equity, raising awareness within the industry. He also serves on the James Beard Impact Programs Advisory Committee

Chef, Black Heritage, James Beard Award, African Culture, Food, Food industry, Food & Beverage, Celebrity Chef, Cookbook & Culinary Authors, TED, Culture Hospitality, Restaurants & Dining,