MEET THE MASTERMIND
CHEF JIHO KIM
Chef Kim has had a long and distinguished career in the restaurant industry. He started his career as a pastry chef in 2004, eventually making his way as Executive Pastry Chef of The Modern in NYC, which holds two Michelin stars. In 2020, Chef Kim opened up a pop-up restaurant in K-town, which was a smashing success. Riding on the coattails of that success, Chef Kim opened Joomak Banjum in 2021 and it earned a Michelin star in 2022.
​
The pandemic hit the restaurant industry hard, especially when it came to fine dining. In the face of limited opportunities, while many other pastry chefs turned to social media to continue selling baked goods, Chef Kim returned to his Korean roots. He began posting follow-along videos of himself cooking Korean food, which garnered the interest of folks who began requesting catering services and pop-ups to see more of his work. It was in this time he was able to build the vision for and realize his dream of opening his own restaurant.
​
A cornerstone of Chef Kim’s vision is that people would come not only for the food, but also for the service, atmosphere, and overall experience. The culture of his restaurants is of paramount importance to him. At DDOBAR, he wants to highlight his chefs by promoting direct chef-to-table service. With a full-bar service menu, he creates an intimate atmosphere between the guests and the restaurant team in order to best serve every customer.
AS AN OWNER,
Chef Kim is invested in mentoring and raising up the chefs around him to see them realize their full potential. He desires to create opportunities for other chefs and to bring their unique perspectives into the industry.
Chef Kim also champions himself as a peacemaker. He believes that food made with peace and joy will also be consumed as such. Although a fine dining kitchen can be a high-stress and tense environment, Chef Kim believes in running his kitchen with calmness. If he and his chefs can enjoy the process of cooking, he believes that his customers will enjoy the food that much more.
Chef Kim believes in the power of a positive mindset and a live-in-the-moment mentality. Influenced by his mentor, Frank McClelland, Chef Kim is committed to following his own path, without comparing himself to others, in order to cultivate his own unique vision and contribution to the culinary world.
CHEF SECHUL YANG
Chef Sechul Yang brings over a decade of experience at the highest levels of the restaurant and fine dining industry. After completing his study at the Culinary Institute of America in 2013, Chef Yang became a line chef at Michelin Star awarded Gramercy Tavern in NYC. Later that year, he started at the Maialino at the Gramercy Hotel as a garde manger cook, eventually going on to be the sous chef of this NYC favorite. At DDO BAR, Chef Yang unites his culinary expertise with his roots, bringing his creative approach to Korean flavors to the beautiful Yubutart.