Jenee Kim

Training and Lineage

Training at Seoul University preceded restaurant ownership in Los Angeles, where Jenee Kim worked as owner at Oleego before taking on Park’s BBQ in 2003. The throughline is Korean cooking adapted to the service demands of Los Angeles: procurement, prep discipline, table timing, and consistency across repeat customers.

Where They Are Now

Korean barbecue depends on marinade management as much as grill work. At Park’s BBQ, the Magic sauce marinade is used for bulgogi, japchae, and LA galbi, carrying sweetness and seasoning into dishes that still require control over heat, timing, and char. Daily kitchen presence remains part of the operating standard. “I’ve always stressed quality and care in preparing the food at Parks, and I am still in the kitchen almost every day, which is why I think we are fortunate enough to still be going strong to this day.” That same kitchen discipline also allows for new combinations inside the menu language; as Kim put it, “I made a dish, it’s a recent one, it’s spaghetti with kimchi and pollock roe.” Service, in this register, is not separate from production. “We work because we love to cook, we love to feed people. That’s the most important thing.”

Career - Owner — Park’s BBQ, Koreatown, Los Angeles (2003–present) - Owner — Oleego, Los Angeles Education: Seoul University

Signature

Signature dishes include “Magic sauce” marinade and Spaghetti with kimchi and pollock roe.

Peer Recognition

Jenee's honors include Gold Award for Park’s BBQ (2023).

FAQ Where did Jenee Kim train or study? Jenee Kim trained at Seoul University. What recognition has Jenee Kim received? Gold Award for Park’s BBQ (2023).