Twenty-nine year old Marcus Samuelsson, Executive Chef of Restaurant Aquavit, has received more accolades than most chefs receive in a lifetime: a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times, an award for best "Rising Star Chef" in 1999 by the James Beard Foundation, a four-star rating in Forbes, a three and a half-star rating in Crain's, and an award for being one of "The Great Chefs of America" from The Culinary Institute of America. In light of Samuelsson's early struggles, his ascent to become one of the leading chefs of the new millennium is that much more extraordinary.

In 1973, Samuelsson, then just three years old, was orphaned in a tuberculosis epidemic raging through his native Ethiopia. He and his young sister found shelter at a Swedish field hospital in nearby Addis Ababa, where they were taken in by a nurse who arranged for their adoption by a young Swedish couple from Göteborg, Sweden. Samuelsson describes his childhood on the West Coast of Sweden as an idyllic time spent with family and close friends. At this young age, he also discovered his passion for cooking. "By the time I was six, my grandmother was teaching me how to cook," he recalls. "She had been a professional cook herself, and I'd spend hours with her learning how to make traditional Swedish food, cookies and fresh bread."

Unlike their American counterparts, young Swedes choose their career path at age sixteen. For Samuelsson, the choice to pursue cooking was easy to make. His first summer job at a local bakery was followed by several positions cooking in small restaurants. Single-minded in his decision to study at the Culinary Institute in Göteborg, Samuelsson attended classes by day and cooked in local restaurants late each night, fulfilling his degree requirements in record time.

Samuelsson apprenticed first in Switzerland and later in Austria, where he learned how to craft fine pastry. In 1991, Samuelsson returned to Switzerland for almost a year before fate intervened once again. This time he was selected to come cook at Aquavit in New York City for an eight-month apprenticeship. Owner Håkan Swahn was hard at work establishing an unprecedented identity for Swedish cuisine in the U.S.

Samuelsson then returned to Europe for a position at the world-renowned Georges Blanc in Lyon, France, a three star Michelin restaurant. "At Georges Blanc I learned that to be a top chef you have to have a passion for success as well as a passion for food," Samuelsson says. "It's not enough to be able to be prepare delicious food. You have to be consistent as well, and serve two outstanding meals a day to each and every guest."

In 1994, Håkan Swahn asked Samuelsson to return to Aquavit under new Executive Chef Jan Sendel. Sendel and Samuelsson found they shared much in common and eagerly began choosing which culinary influences to incorporate into their new menu. Unfortunately, the two chefs were not able to pursue their dream together. Just eight weeks after the pair began working together, Sendel died unexpectedly. Oddly enough, Sendel had just confided to owner Håkan Swahn that he intended to make young Samuelsson his Sous Chef. Samuelsson rose to the challenge. He quickly demonstrated his management skills and cooking prowess, and Swahn formally appointed him Executive Chef in May of 1995. Just three months later, Samuelsson earned a coveted three-star rating from The New York Times.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Samuelsson continually revolutionizes Aquavit's menu, crafting innovative interpretations of classic Scandinavian cuisine that marry the traditional with the modern. Samuelsson's cuisine continues to win kudos nationally. He has been featured in Gourmet, USA Today, Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Australian Vogue Entertaining, and has appeared on CNN, The Discovery Channel and ABC's "Good Morning America", and numerous local New York television programs. He was also chosen to appear in an episode of The Culinary Institute of America's "Great Chefs" television demo series. Samuelsson cooked for the royal family of Sweden, and was one of only a dozen chefs chosen to cook at a gala dinner honoring the late Patrick Clark at Tavern on the Green.

Most recently, Marcus Samuelsson has focused his energy on opening a branch of the celebrated Restaurant Aquavit in Minneapolis, a location chosen for its high concentration of Americans of Swedish descent. Additionally, Aquavit has launched a new line of traditional Swedish prepared foods from recipes Samuelsson himself developed and researched.

Marcus Samuelsson spends his free moments reading cookbooks and visiting museums and art galleries searching for inspiration. Asked about his goal at Aquavit, Samuelsson responds, "I want to ensure that each guest has the ultimate three-star experience, and leaves Aquavit feeling like they've taken a little trip to Scandinavia without leaving New York."