Beverly Kim
Beverly Kim | |
|---|---|
| Born | Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, restaurateur |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Co-owner of Michelin-starred Parachute; James Beard Award winner |
| Notable work | Parachute, Wherewithall |
Beverly Kim is an acclaimed chef and restaurateur who has received a James Beard Award and is recognized for co-owning the Michelin-starred establishment Parachute in Chicago. She participated in the 2011 season of Top Chef and, together with her husband Johnny Clark, launched the adjacent dining venue Wherewithall in 2019.
Early life
Raised in Downers Grove, Illinois as the daughter of Korean immigrant parents, Kim developed an interest in culinary arts following her high school education. She completed an internship under chef Sarah Stegner at The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago and graduated from Kendall College in the year 2000.
Culinary career
Following her graduation, Kim gained experience working at The Ritz-Carlton and under chef Charlie Trotter. She later held the executive chef position at Opera and Aria, located within Chicago's Fairmont Hotel. During the ninth season of Top Chef in 2011, she achieved fourth place overall, securing victories in prominent challenges such as "Restaurant Wars" and "Last Chance Kitchen."
In 2012, Kim briefly served as the head chef at Bonsoirée, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chicago that subsequently closed. She also contributed to culinary education by teaching fine dining courses at Kendall College.
Kim and Clark introduced Parachute in 2014, situated in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, where they emphasize contemporary Korean-American dishes. The restaurant was honored as Eater Chicago's Restaurant of the Year in 2014, became a finalist for the 2015 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant, and was featured on Bon Appétit's list of top new restaurants. Parachute earned a Michelin star in 2016.
In 2019, Kim and Clark received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes.
Personal life
Kim lives in Chicago with her husband and their two children. Her sister is journalist Lee Ann Kim.