Born and raised in South Korea, Jiho Kim moved to the United States in 2004 with no formal culinary training and no English—just a strong work ethic and an openness to opportunity. A bakery job in Boston led to a pivotal moment at L’Espalier, one of the city’s most esteemed fine dining institutions, where mentor Frank McClelland recognized his drive and talent. That encouragement set Kim on a path from pastry assistant to executive pastry chef at The Modern in New York City, where he led the two Michelin-starred dessert program for more than six years.
During the pandemic, Kim deepened his exploration of Korean culinary identity through pop-ups that eventually evolved into Joomak Banjum—earning a Michelin star in its first year. In 2025, he opened Joomak in New York’s West Village, a refined 27-seat restaurant inside Maison Hudson, where his tasting menus blend New American cuisine with Korean inspiration and pastry precision. His signature cooking style fuses elegance and experimentation, with flavor-forward dishes that often carry a visual or technical wink to the world of sweets.
Jiho Kim’s style defies easy categorization. Equal parts pastry precision, Korean soul, and New American creativity, his cooking is defined by curiosity and a refusal to follow convention. Or, as he puts it, “Why not?”
