Chef
Ayo Balogun
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
i. Biography
Ayo Balogun works in Brooklyn as chef and host of Dept of Culture, where Nigerian tasting-menu cooking is paired with a communal dining format that treats hospitality as part of the plate. That framing matters: the meal is not only authored in the kitchen, but received through the room, with the role of host built into the work itself. “It’s important for us to cook our own food. We need to celebrate our culture from our perspective.”
Coming Up
Training in Nigeria remains visible in the way Ayo Balogun cooks: direct, legible, and unburdened by translation. Since 2022, he has been chef and owner of Dept of Culture, and since 2023, chef and owner of Radio Kwara. In Brooklyn, those two rooms point to the same discipline: putting Nigerian food first and shaping the dining experience around it with intention.
Where They Are Now
At Dept of Culture in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, Ayo Balogun works as chef and host, so the menu and the room read as one operation. He is also owner of Department of Culture in Brooklyn, New York City, and chef and owner of Radio Kwara in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, New York City. Across those titles, the constant is control over both food and frame: Nigerian cooking presented by the person responsible for how it is received. That gives the work a close, direct quality, with flavor, memory, and welcome handled together.
Signature
Ayo's signature dishes include IYA EBA, fish pepper soup with cilantro ashoké, goat meat pepper soup, wara ti abe, and okele. Read together, they show a kitchen working through broth, staple, and texture with clear intent. The names carry their own cadence; on the table, they register as Nigerian cooking stated plainly.
In Their Words “Some people call it ogbono, we call it apon. It’s a soup that’s going to come on a dish at Dept. Of Culture at some point, so I’m just messing with it right now.” “It’s important for us to cook our own food. We need to celebrate our culture from our perspective.”
Honors
Ayo Balogun has received James Beard Foundation, Best New Restaurant nomination (2023). The clearest recognition in Balogun's record is Dept of Culture itself: a Brooklyn project led as chef, host, and owner, built around Nigerian tasting-menu cooking and communal dining. The value lies in how the work is structured—food, perspective, and hospitality kept under one hand. His 2023 role at Radio Kwara marks the same approach in another room, with each title reinforcing a consistent claim to presentation, place, and cultural authorship.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ayo
What is Ayo Balogun's current role?
As of 2026, Ayo Balogun is Chef and host.
What is Ayo Balogun known for?
Nigerian tasting menu and communal dining experience.
