Amanda Turner

HOMETOWN: Arlington, TX
CURRENT CITY OF RESIDENCE: Austin, TX
OCCUPATION/PROFESSION: Chef de Cuisine, Olamaie  

Amanda Turner has spent over a decade cooking and creating in the Austin culinary community, working for many esteemed chefs, including Tyson Cole from Uchi as well as “Top Chef” Season 9 winner Paul Qui. She’s also made her mark in restaurants where she has done a bit of everything, including Japanese cuisine, pasta, pastry, whole animal butchery and more. In 2017, Amanda received the Mentor BKB grant for continuing education, allowing her to cook in Japan for four months at DEN and Ryugin. She currently serves as the Chef de Cuisine at Olamaie and has received many accolades during her time, including being named a James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef in 2022, StarChefs’ Rising Star in 2023 and CultureMap’s Tastemaker Chef of the Year in 2023 as well. At Olamaie, she integrates her many culinary influences and skills while seeking to reclaim the concept of fusion. She continues to showcase the vibrance and depths of Austin’s flora and fauna and the versatility of modern Southern Cuisine through the breadth of the African diaspora.