Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Proxi is highlighting the frequently overlooked cuisine of North Korea this month with a new limited-edition chef’s tasting menu. Created by Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Kim (Blackbird, Avec, Nico Osteria), the prix fixe menu showcases the country’s signature dishes, including porridge, cold noodles and vegetable-forward plates.
The Coastal-Asian eatery in the West Loop is known for its open-fire cooking and globally inspired plates, courtesy of chef/partner Andrew Zimmerman. Sister restaurant to Michelin-starred Sepia next door, Proxi offers a rare glimpse into the mystified culture of North Korea.
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Highlights on the $110 menu include sunchoke juk, a porridge made with job’s tears (a grain found commonly in North Korea) and topped with Tillamook cheddar and sunchoke chips; Naengmyon, a cold noodle dish that has become synonymous with North Korean cuisine, made with Pyongyang noodles, yellowfin tuna, water kimchi; and lotus root jorim, a Korean soy-braised dish that utilizes vegetables as the central ingredient. An optional wine pairing is available for an additional $56.
Kim, who was named a Jean Banchet Chef of the Year finalist, drew on their own history to develop this menu. “Once the Korean War started in 1950, my grandmother fled to South Korea with her daughters, leaving her sons behind to protect their home,” Kim said. “My mom was born shortly after, never having met her brothers, and my grandmother never had the opportunity for reunification. I don’t have many details about my family’s history, some of it lost to trauma both internal and generational, but through research and cooking, I am hoping to bridge some of those missing familial connections.”
Kim’s culinary prowess is a result of their prolific career in Chicago’s restaurant scene. In 2015, they opened Southport cured-fish deli Snaggletooth, which garnered much praise but closed two years later. Before then, Kim worked under Blackbird’s David Posey during culinary school, then headed to Europe to work at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south of France. Upon their return to the States, Kim spent time at Avec while helping open One Off Hospitality’s Nico Osteria.
Reservations for Kim’s North Korean chef’s tasting menu at Proxi can be made via OpenTable. Based on the buzz Kim is receiving right now and the cultural storytelling they offer through their new North Korean tasting menu, this is bound to be a hot reservation.
