Jihyun KIM

A disciple of Alain Passard, Korean chef Jihyun Kim plans to open the Ébène restaurant in Paris in 2025 with the help of Dotation Jeunes Talents Gault&Millau.

Presentation

Originally from South Korea, Jihyun Kim is a perfect example of the long-standing trend for Asian cooks to move to France after training there, often with top chefs .

The young woman, born in the early 1990s, first learned French at theCatholic University of Lyon before joining the Institut Paul Bocuse (now Lyfe) to earn a bachelor's degree in restaurant management. Working in parallel at Les Saisons, the Institut's fine dining establishment, as well as at Christian Têtedoie and with Bertrand Grébaut at Septime, the young woman decided in 2018 to settle in Paris, joining Alain Passard 's teams at l'Arpège. Starting out as a commis, Jihyun Kim quickly climbed the ranks before being promoted to second chef barely a year after joining the rue de Varenne .

She would spend six years with our Academician before deciding, in 2024, to open her first restaurant in partnership with Simon Plantrou, the man she met at l'Arpège. This pastry and knitting fan hopes to open Ébènein the summer of 2025.