About Jen Kim & Le Dinner Party
Who is She?
I’m Jen Kim (She/Her/Hers), a chef and educator. As a first-generation American, I’ve learned early on that the dinner table can do more than feed people; it can create a sense of belonging. This idea is at the heart of Le Dinner Party, and this is where I share my approach to cooking, hosting, and finding joy and pleasure through the process. I want to encourage you to invite people into your home to build and deepen meaningful relationships around food because meals are where delectable parts of life happen.
I started Le Dinner Party in 2019 as a way to stay connected with my friends and community when I left Brooklyn to train at the Ferrandi Paris School of Gastronomy. After completing both the intensive professional programs in Cuisine and Bread Baking. In Paris, I studied under some of France’s most decorated chefs, including multiple Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, before working in professional kitchens and as a boulangère, baking bread and viennoiserie.
After returning home to the United States, I moved to Southern Vermont to work on a farm to deepen my understanding of seasonal ingredients and local food systems. I grew Le Dinner Party into a private chef and catering business, cooking for rock stars, private clients, intimate pop-up supper clubs, and special events.
Before entering the culinary world, I taught elementary school in New York City; trained and developed school leaders; and led operations in nonprofit organizations serving historically marginalized communities. I’m passionate about building community through food, and my background as an educator and chef informs how I teach folks how to cook, host, and feel more confident about how we move through our kitchens and welcome folks into our homes.
I live in Southern Vermont with my spouse, Romaine, and my two rescue cocker spaniels, Olive and Louis. Outside the kitchen, I’m a hobby enthusiast and you’ll find me throwing bowls in the ceramic studio, woodworking, gardening, and knitting with friends.