Chef
Jiho Kim
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
i. Biography
In New York City, DDOBAR by Joomak NYC works from a compact set of materials with sharp edges: Botan Ebi, egg, Ikura Salmon, the seasoning memory of an Everything Bagel-inspired tart, and Duck Pastrami with rillette. Since 2022, Jiho Kim has been Chef/Owner there, using tasting menus to let New American cuisine meet Korean inspiration while carrying pastry’s exacting habits into savory work. The result is controlled rather than loud, with each course built to land cleanly.
The Path
Training at Kyungju Hotel School gave Jiho Kim the base that still shows in the plate: kitchen discipline, technical rigor, and a habit of working from structure first. That foundation is visible in the way the food arrives now, with compositions that feel considered before they are tasted. The line from school to service points to a chef using technique as a working language, not just a set of rules.
The Work Today
At DDOBAR by Joomak NYC, tasting menus are the format that lets New American cuisine and Korean inspiration sit in the same frame, then get sharpened by pastry precision. Structure, temperature, texture, and proportion do the heavy lifting here. Kim’s plates tend to work through controlled contrast: richness checked by clarity, reference rebuilt with a lighter hand. The Botan Ebi with Egg and Ikura Salmon on an Everything Bagel-inspired tart shows that method in a small space. Seafood, egg, and roe are set against a pastry idea that points to a New York flavor reference, but the dish stays tightly built rather than nostalgic. The Duck Pastrami and Rillette combo moves differently, using cured meat and rillette’s softer texture to create something layered, savory, and measured. His working philosophy is spare: keep your head down and work hard, do not let anxiety get the better of you, and remember that no matter what, the day is done. That discipline leaves room for release, too, and for the plain question of why not, which fits a chef working across cuisine, pastry technique, and ownership with the same steady control.
Signature
Jiho's signature dishes include Cacio e Pepe tart with egg yolk and parmesan and Duck Pastrami and Rillette combo.
Acclaim
The current restaurant reads less like a break from pastry than an extension of it. The tasting menu format gives Kim room to apply pastry precision beyond dessert, including to seafood, egg, Ikura Salmon, Duck Pastrami, and rillette, with the measured rhythm of someone who came up through exacting stations.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Jiho
What is Jiho Kim's current role?
As of 2026, Jiho Kim is Chef/Owner.
Where did Jiho Kim train or study?
Jiho Kim trained at Kyungju Hotel School.
What is Jiho Kim known for?
His tasting menus blend New American cuisine with Korean inspiration and pastry precision.
