STORY OF DOUGLA
Dougla Kitchen is the most personal concept from James Beard Award–winning Chef Andrew Black — a tribute to his grandmother, his heritage, and the cultures that shaped him.
The word “Dougla” is a Caribbean term, most commonly used in Caribbean and Guyana. It refers to a person of mixed Indian (South Asian) Caribbean and African ancestry. The word comes from Bhojpuri/Hindi, where do means “two” and gala means “neck/throat,” so literally it meant “two-headed” or “mixed.” Over time, it became a cultural identity in Trinidad, and especially in the Caribbean.
Dougla Kitchen brings these cultures together through bold flavors, soulful stories, and heartfelt hospitality.
“A NOTE TO MY GRANDMOTHER,
ELYSABETH BANDOO”
Love, Chef Andrew Black
Chef Andrew Black – a 2023 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southwest, and a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Chef - is a chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur in Oklahoma City. Arriving in OKC 17 years ago after being hired by the historic Skirvin Hilton Hotel to open Park Avenue Grill and serve as its Executive Chef, Chef Black has made his home in the city as one of its leading small business owners and tastemakers with three acclaimed restaurants in the growing hospitality group he co-founded, Culinary Edge Concepts. They include inimitable fine dining venture Grey Sweater and trend-setting Black Walnut. He returned to The Skirvin Hilton Hotel to open his new restaurant Perle Mesta in June 2024.