The EpiQurean Way
Welcome to The EpiQurean Way where all your private cheffing & catering needs are always met with sincere passion and the utmost care. We love what we do and we're here to support and enrich your life by providing a myriad of customized services ranging from cooking classes & demos to preparing private dinners, as well as event planning, catering, and restaurant development & consulting. We're here to enrich your way of life by sharing our love & passion for food. As a result, we hope that you become encouraged & empowered to enjoy your life and the lives of others through a deeper understanding and appreciation of all the senses involved with cookery and eating.
"Why do we do what we do?" you might ask. Simple. Because life is a precious gift and eating is a fundamental part of life as we know it... Therefore, we believe it is our privilege to cultivate and enjoy the act of cooking & eating together.
"Why do we do what we do?" you might ask. Simple. Because life is a precious gift and eating is a fundamental part of life as we know it... Therefore, we believe it is our privilege to cultivate and enjoy the act of cooking & eating together.
Mike "Q" Kim
Private Chef
Hello! If you're reading this, I'm both humbled and honored by your gesture to find out who I am and what I love to do... COOK! Some of my earliest, most fondest childhood memories are centered around sharing a meal and simply satiating one's appetite. As a child, my mother played an important role in influencing my appreciation for food as she would often take me to all the most delicious "hole in the wall" eateries, ultimately deepening my understanding that deliciousness comes in all shapes and sizes... and to always check how clean a restaurant's bathroom is in order to know how clean their kitchen is. Sound advice to this very day.
As a self-proclaimed Epicurean and bona fide foodie turned private chef, I've worked in the restaurant industry for over 15 years. Studying all the various aspects of what makes a dinner/meal both memorable & pleasurable. I've had the privilege of working in a number of highly acclaimed restaurants such as Nobu and Megu in TriBeCa, New York as well as Iron Chef Morimoto's Sous Chef's restaurant, Sashi in Manhattan Beach. My culinary roots are inspired by my Korean-American upbringing but I've always been inspired by Japanese, Chinese, South East Asian, and Indian flavors alongside American comfort food classics.
Currently, I am available for both cooking seminars/demos, restaurant consultanting/development, catering, event planning, dinner parties, and interviews.
As a self-proclaimed Epicurean and bona fide foodie turned private chef, I've worked in the restaurant industry for over 15 years. Studying all the various aspects of what makes a dinner/meal both memorable & pleasurable. I've had the privilege of working in a number of highly acclaimed restaurants such as Nobu and Megu in TriBeCa, New York as well as Iron Chef Morimoto's Sous Chef's restaurant, Sashi in Manhattan Beach. My culinary roots are inspired by my Korean-American upbringing but I've always been inspired by Japanese, Chinese, South East Asian, and Indian flavors alongside American comfort food classics.
Currently, I am available for both cooking seminars/demos, restaurant consultanting/development, catering, event planning, dinner parties, and interviews.
way
–n.
1. manner, mode, or fashion: a new way of looking at life; to cook in a passionate way.
2. characteristic or habitual manner: Her way is to taste sensually and always focus on the pleasures of life.
epicure
-n.
1.a person who cultivates a refined taste, esp. in food and wine; connoisseur.
2. a person dedicated to sensual enjoyment.
–n.
epicure
-n.
1.
Culinary Roots: Korean-American Seoul-Food
Growing up in the United States as a first generation Korean-American male, I was never intended nor expected to know my way around a kitchen. Although, many of my fondest childhood memories are centered around the dining table since it was there that my family gathered together to devour what scrumptous delights my mother had painstakingly prepared over a hot stove and the classic Joy of Cooking cookbook that she acquired early in her marriage to my father. She would often prepare dishes that reflected our cross-cultural roots, combining both classic Korean fare alongside her impression of American classics such as fried chicken, meatloaf, and casseroles of all sorts.
Thanksgiving was always my most cherished holiday due to the abundant diversity of dishes that declared our family's assimilation as Americans as well as the fact that my mother was a wonderful cook. To this day, I've not had a stuffing as delicious as the ones she used to make and I've certainly tried to replicate it to no avail. Perhaps, it was my mother's love & affection that seasoned her cooking... which is probably why I love to cook myself. Because through the act of cooking, one can transmit so many emotions... the greatest of them being LOVE.
I invite you to take part in this personal journey of mine as I pursue the "Way of the Epicure" and hopefully you'll discover glimmers of enrichment for yourself and those you love. After all, "love loves to love love."
Thanksgiving was always my most cherished holiday due to the abundant diversity of dishes that declared our family's assimilation as Americans as well as the fact that my mother was a wonderful cook. To this day, I've not had a stuffing as delicious as the ones she used to make and I've certainly tried to replicate it to no avail. Perhaps, it was my mother's love & affection that seasoned her cooking... which is probably why I love to cook myself. Because through the act of cooking, one can transmit so many emotions... the greatest of them being LOVE.
I invite you to take part in this personal journey of mine as I pursue the "Way of the Epicure" and hopefully you'll discover glimmers of enrichment for yourself and those you love. After all, "love loves to love love."
