Atlanta’s celebrated Cafe Sunflower is a dining hot spot, and everyone from Ludacris to Liam Hemsworth is a fan. Much of the restaurant’s popularity is owed to Shawain Whyte, a passionate and creative young chef from Jamaica who has been cooking since he was a child. Shawain came to the States for an internship with the Western Hospitality Institute and worked his way up from Burger King to famous vegan restaurants such as Seattle’s Plum Bistro and New York’s Blossom Restaurant—a favorite of celebrities such as Russell Simmons, Woody Harrelson, and John Salley. He eventually settled in Atlanta, where he has been garnering rave reviews since taking the helm at Cafe Sunflower. We asked how his childhood in Jamaica and other life experiences have played a role in molding his unique cooking style.

What experiences led you to vegan cooking? What motivates you?

Growing up, it was always a kind of an “eat what you grow” mentality. It was fascinating to see the older folks go into their backyard to dig for yams and cut vegetables, etc., to cook for dinner. Though I really didn’t know much about being a vegan, I grew up around a lot of Rastafarians who believed in eating from the Earth.

Also, I must say I was exposed to a lot of meat. It was the norm to see an animal get slaughtered, and everyone had a feast. There were a lot of butchers in and around my family, as most people in Jamaica do it as a source of income. It wasn’t always a pleasant experience. When I was about 10 years old, my aunt gave me a little pig. I immediately fell in love with her and named her Pinky. She was like my little pet. One Christmas Eve morning, I woke up to the sound of Pinky screaming. I ran outside only to see blood running from her throat. It was one of the saddest things ever. From that day on, I could not eat pork. It would just always remind me of Pinky. From there, I started leaning more toward vegetables and less toward the idea that someone has to die to satisfy my hunger. Knowing I always wanted to be a chef, I decided that I would change the way people eat in whatever way I can. That’s what motivates me to cook vegan cuisine.

What are your favorite ingredients to work with?

My favorite ingredients are millet, farro, and quinoa, because they are great sources of fiber and several B vitamins. Quinoa is a great source of protein. It also contains all nine of the amino acids your body needs.

I love working with tempeh, as it has that grainy, earthy flavor to it, and the texture makes it easy to cook in a variety of ways. You can grill it, fry it, steam it, etc. It’s very bland, but there are so many ways to flavor it. My favorite way to do it is to smoke it, then cook it down in a nice, rich BBQ sauce.

I’m also obsessed with fruits, especially tropical fruits like pineapples, oranges, and mangoes. I love to use them in sauces. There’s nothing like a fruity sauce, especially in the warmer seasons.

What and/or who influences and inspires your cooking?

I think the thing that inspires my cooking the most is life—the fact that I can prepare meals that provide all the necessities to the body without sacrificing the life of another living thing. Every day, I walk into the kitchen, I create a new dish, I see people sit in the restaurant, and I enjoy the smile on their faces—or I go online and see the reviews. I say to myself, there again, I have proved that you don’t have to sacrifice a life to satisfy your appetite. That’s what society wants us to believe, but I prove them wrong with everything I cook.

Throughout my working experience, I have never had clients or customers leave the restaurant and say they didn’t enjoy their meal. I have cooked for a lot of non-vegans. Some of them didn’t even know their meal was vegan until after, and they’re always amazed. I often tell people, even if you try to do one day out of the week without meat, or animal byproducts, you’re doing a great deal for nature, life, and the environment.

And the fact that I’m helping people to eat healthier, which can contribute to their living longer, is very inspiring.

Do you have any cooking tips for aspiring vegan chefs?

Not a lot of people will agree, but one of the main tips I would give anyone who wants to be a one-of-a-kind vegan chef is DIY—do it yourself. Learn to make the product yourself—it gives you a better understanding of how to work with it, and learning the basics is always key. Rather than running after the next new vegan product on the market, which you barely know what’s in it, try to do your own version of it. That will make you unique.

And seasoning—seasoning is essential. Learning what seasoning goes well with certain herbs and the difference between marinating tofu, tempeh, and seitan is very important. It is always wise to marinate your tofu for at least four hours before you cook it in whatever flavors you’re using. It’s also advisable to kind of grill it a little first before marinating, as this opens up the pores so it sucks up the flavors. You want to marinate your tempeh for at least six to eight hours. Seitan I prefer to leave overnight in most cases.

You have a young daughter. Has she influenced your cooking?

Yes, since the birth of my daughter, she has been my biggest influence in everything I do. She does have a great deal of influence on my cooking, as I’m trying my best to raise her vegan. I have been very strict about what she consumes from the day she was born. She hasn’t had any meat or animal byproducts. Everyone is saying that it’s not going to work, but my wife and I are determined to prove them wrong. My daughter is 14 months old, and she is a healthy and amazing little girl. She is definitely one of my motivations, as I want to create a healthier environment for her, and I don’t want her to struggle with the same issues I used to in my teens, such as being overweight. I have already started writing healthy kiddie recipes that I’m going to teach her later—little snacks and stuff. Our generation is stuck on frozen or fast food. I don’t want her to pick up that trend. Her favorite things to snack on right now are berries.

Feeling inspired? Take Shawain’s advice and DIY with some of his favorite dishes:

Beet Carpaccio with Cashew Ricotta

11/2 cups (225 g) cashews

1 medium red beet

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 pinch salt + more for seasoning

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. minced fresh basil

• Place the cashews in a bowl, cover with cold water, and let soak for 2 hours.
• Peel the beet and cut it carpaccio-style—in thin slices. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Add the beet slices and marinate while prepping the cashew ricotta.
• Drain the cashews, rinse with cold water and place in a blender or food processor. Blend on high into a thick paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, oregano, and basil. Season with salt, if desired. Cover tightly and let sit for 1 hour.
• To serve, place the beet slices in a single layer on a plate and top each with a dollop of the cashew ricotta.

Makes 4–5 servings

Crispy Brussels Sprouts With Sweet Chili Sauce

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1 cup (240 ml) vinegar

1/4 cup (100 g) sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped pickled red chili peppers

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup (60 g) flour

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch dried thyme

Pinch salt

Pinch pepper

1 cup (240 ml) beer or water

Vegetable oil, for frying

15 Brussels sprouts

• In a small sauce pot, bring the water and vinegar to a boil. Whisk in the sugar, chili peppers, and garlic. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add the beer or water and whisk until smooth.
• Pour oil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches in a heavy pot and heat to a high temperature. Dip the Brussels sprouts in the batter to coat and then drop into the hot oil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
• Toss the fried Brussels sprouts with the chili sauce and serve immediately.

Makes 3–4 servings

Argentinian Chimichurri ‘Steak’ with Cauliflower Purée

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

3–4 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 Fresno chili pepper or red jalapeño, minced

1 tsp. kosher salt + more, to taste

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lb. seitan

Cauliflower Purée (see recipe below)

• Combine the vinegar, garlic, shallot, chili pepper, and salt in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, parsley, and oregano, then whisk in the olive oil. Place 1/2 cup of this chimichurri marinade in a small bowl, season with salt and reserve as sauce.
• Slice the seitan thinly, place in a stainless-steel or ceramic dish, and toss with the remaining marinade. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Remove the seitan from the marinade, pat dry, and grill.
• Reheat the reserved chimichurri sauce.
• To serve, spread a couple tablespoonfuls of the chimichurri sauce in the center of a plate. Top with a large spoonful of the Cauliflower Purée. Place a few slices of grilled seitan on top and drizzle with a bit more sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Cauliflower Purée

 1 head cauliflower, quartered

1 medium potato

1/3 cup melted vegan margarine

Salt and pepper, to taste

• Boil the cauliflower and potato until very soft, then drain.
• Place in a bowl, along with the melted margarine, and mash to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Photo credit: © Jade Dhooghe