Communal Feasting: Dōgon incorporates a sense of community and authenticity in fine dining

By Sierra Fisher

Food has the ability to connect people and transport them to a familiar place or introduce them to a new location. For many, restaurants allow diners to pick their destination and be transported to a new place through their cuisine. From my recent dining at Dōgon in Washington D.C., it’s safe to say that such sentiments have materialised and come to fruition, as the fine dining establishment has captured the essence of community in fine dining to absolute perfection.

Currently in western culture, the familiarity of eating at restaurants used as a sense of escapism is noticeably sought after, as the current reality for many remains bleak. In the last few years in the United States, there has been increased political and social unrest. Restaurants offer an opportunity to not think about the chaos that engulfs the lives of many. Restaurants are taking the time to invest in quality ingredients, exclusive locations and one of a kind cocktails to create an experience for guests that will entice them to come back for more. 

As individuals continue to seek experiences that allow them to disconnect from reality and connect over meals and adorned dishes, it begs the question, how will the restaurant industry evolve to meet this collective desire for communal interconnectedness while eating? In many metropolitan cities such as Washington D.C., there are a plethora of dining options: From individuals eating sushi off of a revolving conveyor belt at Kura or visiting Flavor Hive and making custom Halal creations from a food truck. The key to curating memorable and unique food experiences will be in a restaurant's ability to foster a sense of community. 

Dōgon,

Washington D.C.

The recently launched restaurant inside the Salamander Hotel in D.C., curated by renowned chef Kwame Onwuachi, comes with a menu that is an authentic exploration of Jamaican, Nigerian, Trindadian, and Creole cuisine. The dishes at Dōgon are served family style: a large portion on a large plate, to encourage sharing amongst guests, further fostering a sense of community. Although unfamiliar to the fine dining scene, the process is made easy. Each dish presented with serving utensils for cutting stewed meats and spooning simmered vegetables onto smaller plates for the table. The exhilarating experience likely brings out the interpretation of the marinades and seasonings from each diner, and the euphoria it brings them.

Upon entering the restaurant, I became immediately aware of its elegance. The tables were marble, the silverware was gold, and the gold writing on the door reflected the lights of the hotel entrance. The staff was present and attentive, anticipating the needs of the guests of the restaurant and performing a delicate choreography only those in food service know. Such intricate details, decorated with cohesiveness certainly elevates the dining experience. As I glanced at nearby tables, the diners were smiling ear to ear as they eagerly awaited the dishes to be escorted from the open kitchen to the table. From the ambience alone, Dōgon has captivated me and has created a brilliant atmosphere of interconnectedness and communal feasting.

The creator behind the restaurant, and their journey, can often say a lot about the inspiration and intention behind the dining experience. In this case Dōgon is the brainchild of chef Kwame Onwuachi: part restaurateur and part businessman, who also owns Tatiana in New York City which features a similar menu of Afro-Caribbean dishes with a New York flair. It is evident that  Kwame Onwuachi's inspirations on creating a sense of community within the fine dining scene is deeply inspired by his family and upbringing. Growing up in the Bronx, his parent’s professional livelihood, informed his ambition of becoming a chef, as he grew up in a kitchen environment. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Onwuachi says:

“My father was a contractor and architect and I got a lot of attention to detail from him. My mom, she was a chef, and she operated a catering company out of this small one bedroom apartment in the Bronx and we all had to help out to keep the lights on. My sister is 6 years older than me so she would go to the events with my mom, but I was left at home with all of the ingredients.”

Onwuachi launched his early catering career by selling candy in the New York Subway, had also spent some time living in Nigeria at the age of 10 years old and has outwardly spoken about the difficulties he had faced and how he incorporated important lessons from his lived experiences into his passion for cooking. Such resilience, passion and determination is visible through his work as a restauranteur and Chef. This, alongside Onuwuachi’s sense of creativity and curiosity from being inspired by the multicultural culinary offerings of New York City, along with his Nigerian heritage has notably resulted in him prospering authentically into the fine-dining scene. Such inspirations carry through into his work at Dōgon. In the same Bloomberg interview, Onwuachi says:

“The Bronx is so multicultural so in one block you can have 10 different restaurants from 10 different nationalities. That taught me alot in regards to my profession. Ideas are all around us, so it’s best to just be a sponge and accept all.”

“I want to tell a story of DC through a West African lens. All the different cultures that make DC Beautiful and what it is, told through an Afro-Caribbean Lens”

Kwame’s Onwuachi’s trajectory from humble beginnings to fine dining has arguably influenced the atmosphere curated in his establishments; it also allows his restaurants to stand apart from casual high-end dining options that have large corporate structures, and have seemingly lost touch with what truly matters: the feeling of authenticity and shared interconnectedness, the heart of feasting. Dōgon offers authenticity in a time where western food culture is steeped in over-prioritising convenience and stark ambiances, over the welcoming reassurance from communal feasting which is often present in ethnic cuisines and cultures.

That being said, my favourite dish from my night of dining at Dōgon -notably the dish that evoked the most nostalgia for me- was the Rum Cake, as it transported me to my childhood, where Sunday dinners always had dessert and there was always room for second helpings. As someone who dines out frequently, I am not impressed with well-seared steaks or alternative takes on mushrooms, a true measure of chef’s ability is the dessert, as desserts are often an afterthought with many other menus; But rest-assured, not it is not the case with this one. The Rum Cake with vanilla whip and charred fruit achieved such a feat. The cake was warmed, the charred fruit burst with each bite, and the vanilla whip was cool and refreshing, in harmony with the sweet and smoky tartness of the charred fruit.

Rum Cake

with vanilla whip and charred fruit

Dōgon is offering an option to diners to be present in something else for a brief time in their day. Restaurants have served as gathering places and community staples for many decades, as the thirst for connection and community continues to grow, diners have an exciting opportunity to choose to participate in something new. The exchange between diners and restaurants will continue to ebb and flow as western culture shifts its expectation of restaurants from offering more than just food but an opportunity to connect in new ways.

Edited by Saiba Haque and Martyn Thomas