071324_DIS_A01_c_V2

MARK YOUR
CALENDARS!
Flavors
KATE HARLOW | STAFF WRITER
F R O M T H E E A S T
PLAC hosts
Korean
cooking class
on July 21
For one evening, you can travel
to Korea without having to
have a passport, get on a plane
or pack a suitcase.
All you have to do is head to the
Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji
at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 21.
Chef Won Kim will return to
Okoboji to host a Summer Korean
Flavors cooking class after first coming
to Okoboji last year.
“In 2023, Won Kim was invited to
show his graffiti art in a solo exhibit
at the Pearson Lakes Art Center. As
Danielle Clouse Gast, the visual director
and I were researching some
of his recent art works, we discovered
he was just as prolific in his
cooking as his art, so the idea of
him also teaching a cooking class
showcasing Korean cooking was
natural,” said Jean Quinn, the culinary
director at the Pearson Lakes
Art Center. “The culinary event sold
out quickly and was so well received,
we asked him to return this summer.”
Kim’s artistic creativity seems to
know no bounds as he has expanded
his areas of expertise to three very
different pursuits.
“Won Kim is often referred to as
a ‘triple threat,’ excelling as a chef,
graffiti artist, and deejay. Kim’s
family moved to Chicago from
Korea when he was an infant and
as he grew up he was inspired by
the city’s vibrant culinary, visual art
and music cultures. He trained at Le
Cordon Bleu, but he never thought
he would run a restaurant,” Quinn
said. “All this changed when he
met two local restaurateurs and the
three created the highly acclaimed
Kimski, a Chicago eatery offering an
unlikely yet delicious blending of
Korean and Polish foods. No doubt,
Won’s drive for excellence has been
instrumental in his successes and
was recently quoted, ‘It’s real easy to
be ordinary, some people are complacent.
I’m not like that.’”
This cooking class will be a fun
and unique one for the Pearson
Lakes Art Center. It will give participants
a glimpse into a new cuisine
for some of them.
“This class will focus on learning
about the unique flavor combinations
and cooking techniques in
authentic Korean cooking,” Quinn
said. “Won feels strongly about
supporting Midwest communities
and will be using locally sourced
products from Krafty’s Meat Market
and West O Beer.”
Quinn is hoping that this class
with give people a chance to take a
break, try something new and enjoy
a night out.
“It’s been a very tough summer
for our communities dealing with
all the extreme weather issues.
Those of us at Pearson Lakes Art
Center want to provide a welcoming
space to gather, relax and be
re-energized by all the cultural arts
offered. And Chef Won Kim does
not disappoint! Guests can expect
an extraordinary evening tasting
interesting delicious food prepared
fresh while Won teaches, cooks and
entertains with his incomparable
style and passion,” Quinn said. F
Okoboji | Iowa
DISCOVER! | JULY 13, 2024
Taste | 13
At a Glance:
WHAT: Summer Korean Flavors
With Chef Won Kim
WHERE: Pearson Lakes Art Center,
2201 Highway 71, Okoboji,
IA
WHEN: 5 p.m. Sunday, July 21
COST: $95/$105 and the deadline
to register is July 15
CONTACT: 712-332-7013
ONLINE: www.lakesart.org
Guests can expect
an extraordinary
evening tasting
interesting delicious
food prepared
fresh while Won
teaches, cooks, and
entertains with his
incomparable style
and passion.
Jean Quinn