Intern Hyunji Kim

“I started with desserts, but I came here to understand ingredients and cooking on a much broader level.” This is the story of Kim Hyunji, an intern exploring new possibilities while building a strong foundation.

How did you start this path?

I graduated from a culinary high school and later majored in Culinary Arts at Woosong University. From an early stage, I considered cooking as my career path, and initially, I focused primarily on bakery and pastry. I’ve loved desserts since middle school. At first, it was simply because I enjoyed eating them, but as it became expensive to buy them frequently, I began to think, “Why not make them myself?” That curiosity led me to study desserts more seriously from high school onward, and I continued building my experience in that field.

During university, I also organized and participated in pop-up events with friends. It started with a suggestion from a senior, and eventually, we hosted pop-ups about twice a year, including course-style dining and dessert-focused events. For our first pop-up, nine of us rented a bar near campus and ran a one-day event. I was in charge of petit fours served after dessert. Through these experiences, I began to think beyond just making food and started considering the full experience of how it is presented to guests.

I also worked as a student intern with a food stylist, where I was responsible for sourcing ingredients for commercial shoots, selecting items based on color and concept, and managing their condition. That experience gave me a different perspective on how ingredients can be handled and expressed.

Why did you choose fine dining, and why Solbam?

Although I initially planned to continue focusing on desserts, I gradually felt the need to gain more diverse experiences.

These days, desserts are no longer limited to traditional ingredients like fruits, flour, and butter. There are many creative approaches that incorporate vegetables, herbs, and savory elements into plated desserts. I realized that to develop new recipes, I needed a deeper understanding of ingredients as a whole, which led me to seek opportunities in cooking beyond pastry.

I believe fine dining is where ingredients are handled in the most fundamental and refined way. It’s an environment where you can learn how to treat seasonal ingredients properly, how to prepare them using the most appropriate techniques, and how to bring them to their best condition.

Among many options, Solbam was the place I truly wanted to join. Since it operates only dinner service, I felt I could use my mornings for personal development and future planning, which would ultimately benefit both my work and myself. Before joining, I had the chance to do a trial, and I was deeply impressed by the team’s atmosphere and philosophy. The way team members supported each other and grew together, as well as the gesture of listing every team member’s name on the menu, showed how much the restaurant values its people. That consistent message and identity resonated strongly with me, and I knew I wanted to be part of this team.

What kind of experience are you gaining at Solbam?

Before officially joining, I did my stage in the pastry section. However, after joining, I started in a different role. I spent about a month working in the garde manger section, where I handled and prepared cold ingredients, learning the fundamentals of ingredient preparation.

Currently, I am working in the R&D kitchen, where we focus on developing the next season’s menu. Our work involves researching traditional regional cuisines, studying seasonal ingredients, documenting our findings, and testing various cooking techniques.

For example, during this spring season, we are researching a wide variety of spring herbs. By testing different methods—grilling over charcoal, steaming, frying, blanching—we are discovering that each ingredient responds differently, and each has its own optimal cooking method to bring out its best qualities. Through these hands-on tests and tastings, we build knowledge that eventually leads to new menu development.

What does working in the R&D kitchen mean to you?

Since most of my previous experience was focused on desserts, this kind of in-depth research on ingredients feels entirely new and exciting. While studying regional cuisine and seasonal ingredients, I’ve come across many ingredients that, despite being Korean, I was not familiar with—such as Kalopanax shoots, Aster scaber, and daylily. By working with them directly, I’ve begun to understand how they can be used in various dishes.

We also experiment with fermentation, such as lactic fermentation using ingredients like potatoes, water parsley, and tomatoes. Observing how texture and aroma change through fermentation has been particularly interesting. Documenting these processes, organizing the data, and sharing insights with the team allows us to collectively build new directions for our cuisine. It’s not just about cooking—it’s about participating in the process of designing and conceptualizing dishes, which makes the experience deeply meaningful.

What are your goals moving forward?

In the short term, I aim to obtain at least one professional certification within 2026. At the same time, I hope to participate in more events, both domestic and international, if given the opportunity, to broaden my experience. In the long term, my goal is to open my own dessert shop. However, rather than a traditional pastry shop, I want to create a space that offers plated desserts in a dining format. I believe the knowledge I am gaining now—especially in understanding ingredients and cooking techniques—will be essential for that vision.

I’m also interested in food-related marketing and advertising, so I’m keeping my options open for the next 10 years, exploring different possibilities.

What have you been enjoying learning the most recently?

Since I only recently expanded into cooking, everything related to handling ingredients feels new and exciting. In particular, learning about seasonal ingredients—especially herbs that I had little exposure to before—has been very interesting. Previously, I viewed ingredients mainly through the lens of desserts, but now I’m developing a much broader perspective. That shift itself has been very inspiring for me.

What kind of team member do you hope to become at Solbam?

As I am still in the learning stage, my first priority is to adapt well to the team and build good synergy with my colleagues. Moving forward, I want to take more responsibility in my role and become someone who contributes meaningfully to the team. At the same time, I hope to continue growing and use what I learn here as a foundation to expand my possibilities. Right now, I am learning step by step, but I believe that these experiences will eventually shape my own direction.