Chef of the Year Nominee Jennifer Kim of Proxi Shares Chicago Recommendations

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Every month, people from Chicago's hospitality industry share recommendations for food, drink, ingredients, and more as part of our Chef Picks series.

Jennifer Kim, chef de cuisine at Proxi in the West Loop, brings influences from their years of experience cooking in Chicago’s finest kitchens, including Blackbird, avec, and Nico Osteria, and their own erstwhile concepts, Snaggletooth and Passerotto, as they work alongside executive chef Andrew Zimmerman. Their wide-ranging food is admired: Kim has been nominated for Chef of the Year in Chicago's 2026 Jean Banchet Awards, while Proxi is up for Restaurant of the Year, although Proxi will close at the end of the year. Kim's upbringing as a second-generation Korean informs Proxi's menu and the flavors within, but their experiences dining, cooking, and shopping in Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods add layers of interest and impact, as you can see from their generous and multifarious recommendations in Chicago, below. 

Favorite restaurant(s)

Thattu, Boonie's, PERILLA Fare, Lao Peng You, Mi Tocaya Antojeria

Favorite dish(es)

Esan sausage from Lao Der; Chadolgui at Cho Sun Ok; Everything bagel at New York Bagel and Bialy; Braised greens made by Proxi's sous chef, Dominique

Favorite place(s) to drink

Cafés: Four Letter Word, Anticonquista Café, Portage Grounds

Bars: Moonflower, Easy Does It, Estereo, Nine Bar

Favorite place(s) to buy ingredients

Armitage Produce, Joong Boo Market, H Mart, Park 2 Shop, Tai Nam Market, Tony's Fresh Market, Paulina Market, Dirk's Fish

Favorite local Chicago brand(s)

Stock Mfg for aprons, Marz Community Brewing Co., Vargo Brother Ferments, Pink Salt

Favorite place(s) in the city to bring an out-of-town guest

Chicago Cultural Center; Humboldt Park; Logan Square farmers market; a live show at the Empty Bottle; Garfield Park Conservatory; King Spa

A person in the industry you admire

Andrew Zimmerman (executive chef at Proxi and Sepia): He has a natural proclivity to create warm and inviting environments where people feel encouraged to approach food with curiosity, ask questions, and grow alongside each other. He leads with a people-centered mindset, putting an immense amount of care into those around him. His own drive to keep learning and growing, as both a chef and a human being, permeates everything and everyone around him.

Margaret Pak (chef owner of Thattu) is possibly the most genuine and kind-hearted person I’ve ever met. She cooks from the heart and leads from the heart; there is a deep authenticity to herself and what she stands for that is both infectious and inspiring.