Jamaican Chef Andrew Black Makes a Bold Move with Dougla Kitchen Restaurant

When people kept asking Chef Andrew Black about a restaurant that served the food he grew up eating in Jamaica, he listened. And when he decided to act on it, he didn't take the safe route, he transformed one of his acclaimed Oklahoma City restaurants into something deeply personal, culturally rich, and unapologetically bold.

Dougla Kitchen is the result. It's a love letter to his grandmother, a celebration of mixed heritage, and a culinary bridge between the Caribbean flavors of his childhood and the American palate he's spent nearly two decades refining.

Chef Andrew Black

A Chef Who Cooks Without Boundaries

Chef Andrew Black is no stranger to risk or reinvention. The Jamaican-born chef arrived in Oklahoma City 17 years ago after being hired by the historic Skirvin Hilton Hotel to open Park Avenue Grill as its Executive Chef. What began as a career opportunity became home. Black planted roots in OKC, becoming one of the city's leading tastemakers and small business owners.

He co-founded Culinary Edge Concepts, a growing hospitality group that includes the inimitable fine dining venture Grey Sweater, the trend-setting Black Walnut, and Perle Mesta, which he opened in June 2024, once again at The Skirvin Hilton Hotel, bringing his journey full circle.

His accolades speak for themselves: a 2023 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southwest and a 2022 semifinalist for Outstanding Chef. His work has been featured on CBS News' "The Dish," in Bon Appetit, The Wall Street Journal, Wine Enthusiast (50 Best Restaurants 2022), Zagat Stories, and Thrillist. He's the author of Foraging in Oklahoma: Tales and Recipes from the Open Road, co-written with The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer, and he proudly partnered with Dorasti Premium Caviar to launch Grey Sweater Caviar, as featured in The Wall Street Journal.

His mantra?

"Every opportunity should be spent cooking without boundaries or barriers."

Dougla Kitchen is that mantra made manifest.

From Black Walnut to Dougla Kitchen

In a recent post on social media, Chef Black opened up about the decision to reform Black Walnut into Dougla Kitchen. "People kept asking about a restaurant that showcased the food I grew up on," he shared. It wasn't a whim. It was a calling.

The transformation represents more than a menu change, it's a reclamation of identity, culture, and memory. Dougla Kitchen is Chef Black's way of honoring where he comes from while creating space for a conversation about mixed heritage, belonging, and the ways food carries culture across oceans and generations.

What "Dougla" Means

The word "Dougla" is a Caribbean term, most commonly used in Trinidad, Guyana, and across the broader Caribbean. It refers to a person of mixed Indian (South Asian) and African ancestry. The word comes from Bhojpuri/Hindi, where domeans "two" and gala means "neck" or "throat"—literally translating to "two-headed" or "mixed."

Over time, "Dougla" evolved beyond a descriptor into a cultural identity—one that speaks to the beautiful, complex blending of cultures that defines much of the Caribbean experience.

For Chef Black, Dougla Kitchen is about bringing those cultures together through bold flavors, soulful stories, and heartfelt hospitality. It's a space where curries meet jerk seasoning, where African and Indian culinary traditions dance on the same plate, and where diners are invited not just to eat, but to experience a living heritage.

A Love Letter to Grandma

At its heart, Dougla Kitchen is a tribute to Chef Black's grandmother. The food he grew up eating in her kitchen, the spices, the techniques, the warmth—shaped not only his palate but his entire approach to cooking. This restaurant is his way of saying thank you, of keeping her legacy alive, and of sharing that love with a city that has embraced him as one of its own.

It's a bold move, reforming an established restaurant into something so personal. But for a chef who has built his career on cooking without boundaries, it's also the most natural thing in the world.

What's Next

Dougla Kitchen is open now in Oklahoma City, inviting diners to experience the flavors of the Caribbean through the lens of a James Beard Award–winning chef who refuses to be boxed in. Whether you're familiar with the term "Dougla" or hearing it for the first time, the food will speak for itself, rich, layered, and rooted in a culture that has always known how to make something beautiful out of many parts.

Chef Andrew Black didn't just open a restaurant. He opened a door, to his past, his heritage, and his vision for what happens when you cook without fear.

And Oklahoma City is all the richer for it.

Chef Black's journey is part of a larger, powerful movement of Caribbean excellence reshaping industries across the globe. His rise to James Beard–winning acclaim in the American Southwest is yet another testament to the creativity, resilience, and cultural richness that Caribbean people bring to every table they sit at, or cook for. Dougla Kitchen isn't just a restaurant; it's a declaration that Caribbean cuisine, culture, and stories deserve center stage in the fine dining world. And Chef Black is making sure they get it. Follow Chef Andrew Black on Instagram 

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