Boo Kim, The “Accidental” General Manager
For more than
a dozen years, Boo Kim has been making a name for himself in the restaurant
business in the nation's capital. Born in Korea and transplanted to
the Washington area with his family at age 1½, he has spent most of
his adult life honing his skills as a first-class restaurant manager,
for the past seven years with Passion Food Hospitality, and currently
wearing the hat of General Manager of Acadiana restaurant. But that
was not always his intention.
A Political Science major at the University of Maryland, Kim began working in restaurants his junior year to make a little spending money. In the summer of 1993, working at Notte Luna, Kim met Gus DiMillo, then with the Capital Restaurant Group, whom he credits as his mentor. At the time, Kim thought he was just biding his time in the restaurant business while planning to attend law school. His heart was not in his work, and DiMillo - whom Kim calls "the ultimate behind-the-scenes man" - not only noticed his lack of enthusiasm, but he called him on it. Uncomfortable with the accusation that he was only an average employee, Kim worked harder than ever before, under DiMillo's careful tutelage and watchful eye, and the results were both visible and rewarding.
His law career was further put on hold - and his future in the restaurant business sealed, it turns out - after a motorcycle accident in 1994, in which Kim suffered injuries that prevented any major life changes. His "family" at Notte Luna offered him a host position while his injuries healed, and through no set plan of his own, Kim started to learn another side of the restaurant business. It was DiMillo, again, who gave Kim his first big shot in the arm, requesting that he be transferred to Georgia Brown's later that year, and then to the Georgetown Seafood Grill, moving up the managerial ladder all the while.
In 1998, DiMillo left Capital Restaurant Group to establish Passion Food Hospitality - which now owns DC Coast, TenPenh, Ceiba and Acadiana restaurants - with partners David Wizenberg and Chef Jeff Tunks. Not surprisingly, he took Kim with him. Before he knew what was happening, Kim was writing staff manuals for DC Coast, and not even thinking about looking back after what might have been. From the beginning, Kim has been an integral part of the Passion Food family, and takes it upon himself to nurture fellow employees the way DiMillo nurtured him. His gracious, easy-going manner makes him a natural with guests in the dining room, as well, and every day of his seven years managing DC Coast, Boo Kim knew that he made the right decision about a restaurant career.
When Passion Food began plans for Acadiana, Kim realized it was time for a change - a few blocks to the east, to the new challenges of the new restaurant. He is proud to be positioning Acadiana in line with its sister restaurants as another capital city favorite. "There's no other place like it in town," he says, "no one else serves Louisiana fish house cuisine at this level. I just love the food." His favorite dish? "Aunt Boo's Crawfish Bisque," he smiles wryly. “I like to think that somehow it's named it for me, and not just for the pastry chef's aunt down on the bayou.”