Chef Jake Kim

Meet the Staff

​Jake Kim, Adjunct Instructor

Chef Jake Kim was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. He attended culinary school in Sydney, Australia, working in the Sydney Opera House, Clock Hotel, and Quay West. Upon graduation, he moved back to Korea to serve as a cook in the military for two years, followed by a variety of chef positions in Korea. In 2017, Chef Kim and his wife Brooke, a native Iowan, moved back here to raise their family. Chef Kim worked as sous chef and then executive chef at Firebirds in West Des Moines, and as culinary director/corporate chef at Wasabi where he managed multiple locations in the Des Moines metro area. Chef Jake recently joined the ICI team as an adjunct instructor. When he isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his family, training Jiu jitsu, and watching American football.