Ann Kim facts for kids

Ann Kim is a famous chef and restaurant owner. She has won a special award called the James Beard Award. Her restaurants are in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ann Kim's Early Life

Ann Kim was born in South Korea. When she was four, her family moved to the United States. They settled in Apple Valley, Minnesota in 1977. She lived there with her sister, parents, and grandmother.

Ann went to Apple Valley High School. She was part of the theater program there. Later, she studied English at Columbia University in New York City. She finished college in 1995. After college, she returned to Minneapolis. Ann worked as an actress for eight years. Then, she decided to start a career in restaurants.

Ann Kim's Culinary Journey

Starting with Pizza

Ann loved the pizza she ate in New York. This inspired her to learn how to make pizza. She trained at a special pizza school. It was called Tony Gemignani's International School of Pizza. This school is in San Francisco.

In 2011, Ann Kim opened her first restaurant. It was called Pizzeria Lola in Minneapolis. She opened it with her partner, Conrad Leifur. Famous food expert Andrew Zimmern reviewed Pizzeria Lola. He said Minnesota had "the best pizza in America." In 2012, Guy Fieri from Food Network visited Pizzeria Lola. He featured it on his show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Later in 2012, Ann and Conrad opened a second place. It was a smaller pizzeria called Hello Pizza. This restaurant is in Edina, Minnesota. It sells whole pizzas and slices from a counter.

Expanding Her Restaurants

In 2016, Ann and Conrad opened their third restaurant. It was named Young Joni. This restaurant is in northeast Minneapolis. Young Joni offered more than just pizza. It had a wider menu. Many dishes were cooked in a hearth (a special oven). The menu also had Korean influences.

Young Joni quickly became very popular. Eater and GQ magazine named it one of the best new restaurants in America. The Star Tribune newspaper also honored it. They named Young Joni their 2017 Restaurant of the Year. A food critic said Young Joni was a big reason why dining in the Twin Cities was so exciting.

Winning a Big Award

In 2019, Ann Kim won a very important award. She received the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest. This award is like the "Oscars" for chefs.

New Ventures and Challenges

Ann Kim opened her fourth restaurant in 2021. It was called Sooki & Mimi. This restaurant was in the Uptown area of Minneapolis. The menu focused on tortillas and dishes made from special corn dough. Ann was inspired by amazing corn tortillas she ate in Mexico.

In 2023, Sooki & Mimi closed. Ann opened a new restaurant in the same spot. It was simply called Kim's. This restaurant opened on November 7, 2023. However, Kim's later closed on August 30, 2024.

Ann Kim on TV

In 2022, Ann Kim was featured on a TV show. She appeared on episode 3 of Netflix's Chef's Table: Pizza. This show is part of the Chef's Table series. The episode showed Ann's journey as a chef. It focused on her amazing pizza creations.