Dakota Kim
Los Angeles Contributor
Dakota is a writer living in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. She previously worked at Sunset and Edible San Luis Obispo, and owned a restaurant. She is the daughter of Korean American immigrants who taught her that every good hike should be punctuated by a meal of kimbap at the summit. She enjoys talking to chefs and farmers, hiking, climbing, foraging, and teaching her son about edible weeds.
Fun Facts
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Lives in
Los Angeles, CA -
Best high-low pairing
Kimchi and oysters (I’ll leave you to discern which is which). -
Your Ratatouille moment
Eating incredibly fresh sora (sea snails) at a seaside restaurant in Busan, South Korea. -
Hot take
I only want Bloody Marys with a lobster claw garnish. -
Pro tip for diners
I always ask the host their favorite tables in advance, so I can reserve them for birthdays and dates. -
Favorite food city
My mom’s house. It’s a world of fermentation projects; frozen Korean mandu and pajeon in the chest freezer; crocks of homemade gochujang; a giant garden with persimmon, pomegranate, and Pakistan mulberry trees; and a talking Cuckoo rice cooker that babbles to you about its day. She even makes her own wine. (“It’s not hard,” she once told me. Good to know.) But failing that, L.A., Istanbul, CDMX, or Seoul.
