i. Biography
A Korean immigrant, Ann Kim learned the base notes of her cooking at the kitchen table, working alongside her mother and grandmother on traditional staples like fermented bean paste and kimchi. Those early lessons in labor, patience, and seasoning became the groundwork for a career that would later take shape in Minneapolis and Edina, where Kim’s cooking has long read as personal without losing its shape in the trade.
The Climb
Ann Kim trained at Columbia University before beginning her professional life as an actress in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a first profession that eventually gave way to work behind the stove. The move into restaurants was less a break than a tightening of the thread already present in her upbringing: memory, discipline, and an inherited sense of flavor. She later stepped into the kitchen as chef/owner at Sooki & Mimi in Uptown, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2021–2023), and then at Kim's in Uptown, Minneapolis, Minnesota (2023–2024), building a body of work that balanced ambition with directness. Today, Ann is chef/owner of Pizzeria Lola (since 2011), chef/owner of Hello Pizza (since 2012), and chef/owner of Young Joni (since 2016). Taken together, those rooms show the range of her approach: familiar formats handled with a distinct hand, and a consistency that has kept her central to the Twin Cities dining conversation.
Today
Kim is chef/owner of Young Joni in Minneapolis, United States, where the restaurant’s identity is closely tied to family and remembrance. Its name carries a dedication she has explained directly: “Young Joni is named after my mother and my husband's mother.” In that naming is the larger frame she has described plainly: “We really set out to honor their spirits.” The same lineage sits underneath the food. The early work of helping her mother and grandmother make fermented bean paste and kimchi remains part of how the cooking is read, with warmth and depth carrying forward from those first lessons. Kim has also described the room with a note of surprise and pleasure, saying, “I can't believe they’re paying for this food!” The remark lands because it reflects the balance in her work: memory on one side, ease and wit on the other.
Signature
Ann's signature dishes include Lady Zaza, My Sha-Roni, Hawaii Pie-O, La Creme, and Boise.
In Their Words “Young Joni is named after my mother and my husband's mother.”
Recognition
Ann's honors include James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest (2019).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Ann
What is Ann Kim's current role?
As of 2026, Ann Kim is Chef/Owner.
Where did Ann Kim train or study?
Ann Kim trained at Columbia University.
What recognition has Ann Kim received?
James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest (2019).
