10 Things You Should Know About Joseph 'JJ' Johnson of Harlem's The Cecil

Udon noodles with braised goat and sweet peas in a West African peanut sauce and Afro-Asian-American oxtail dumplings with green apple curry sauce and taro root are anything but typical plates. And the success of such unsung flavor pairings found at Harlem's The Cecil are the handiwork of 29-year-old chef de cuisine Joseph "JJ" Johnson, and Eater Young Guns 2014 Winner. Inspired by his grandmother's Caribbean cooking, Johnson pursued a career in food, cooking through Tribeca Grill, Jane, and the now shuttered Centro Vinoteca, all in Manhattan.