Last week, Notre Dame welcomed renowned chef and restaurateur Ann Kim as part of the Experience Notre Dame's Visiting Chef Series. Chef Kim is the visionary behind acclaimed Minneapolis restaurants Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza, and Young Joni. A Korean immigrant raised in Minnesota, she attributes her culinary inspiration to her early experiences cooking traditional Korean dishes like doenjang, gochujang, and kimchi alongside her mother and grandmother.
In 2019, Chef Kim made history as the first woman and the first person of color from Minneapolis to receive the prestigious James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Midwest.”
During her visit, Chef Kim led a hands-on pizza-making workshop for Notre Dame Dining's culinary staff at North Quad. She shared her expertise on every step of the process, from dough proofing and topping combinations to oven techniques. Members of the culinary team had the opportunity to create their own pizzas alongside the award-winning chef.
Chef Kim also hosted an intimate luncheon at Rohr’s with a select group of women from Notre Dame’s culinary staff. Over the meal, she offered insights from her career and engaged in meaningful conversation about the aspirations and experiences of the women working in Notre Dame’s kitchens.
In the evening, Chef Kim presented a live cooking demonstration at North Dining Hall, where she prepared kimchi and pork mandu (dumplings) for a student audience. One student even joined her on stage for a hands-on experience. The evening’s menu featured dishes inspired by Chef Kim’s Korean heritage, including mandu and Korean bulgogi, literally translated as “fire meat.”
Special thanks to Gordon Food Service for sponsoring this event.
Originally published by at experience.nd.edu on May 05, 2025.