An Interview with Chef Bill Kim
05/04/20
Interviewed by Won Kim
Quarantine Times Monday Editor, Won Kim, talks to Bill Kim, one of Chicago’s pioneering Chefs. He opened up his legendary Urbanbelly noodle and dumpling joint in Avondale back in 2008 and has expanded into several other restaurants and concepts throughout Chicago.
Won Kim: How have you strategized to go with the flow of this pandemic?
Bill Kim: We really didn’t have to change too much at Urbanbelly. We were already set up to process to-go, carry out, delivery and catering orders.
At Urbanbelly, we set up wellness checks for each shift, which means a temperature check, list of questions asked to see how each individual team member is feeling. If somebody is not feeling well, they are sent home.
Also, our team is split into two teams: “Red” and “Blue”. The Red team works the morning shift (9am to 2:30pm) then the Blue team comes for the afternoon and evening (3pm to 9pm). We shut down the restaurant between 2:30pm and 3pm. No orders are processed during this time, so we can clean and sanitize the entire restaurant. Everybody has to wear gloves, face mask and wash hands frequently. We are trying our best to keep everybody as safe as possible.
The dining room is closed. Deliveries are done through third parties, such as Caviar or DoorDash. Nobody comes into the restaurant. Orders are only allowed to be picked up in the vestibule by the front door. No payments are processed at the door. All payments are placed on the internet and prepaid. No walk-in orders allowed!
What steps have you taken to ensure your employee has some kind of liquid income this time?
Once the announcement regarding the shutdown became official we committed to paying our entire staff from our three locations, through the end of March. When we learned about the extended mandatory shelter in place and the fact that we could only offer carry out and delivery, we could only do so from one location (Urbanbelly). While we’ve had to temporarily lay off two-thirds of our staff, we are helping them navigate where to find financial assistance during this time. We intend to bring everyone back on board and adapt accordingly as things progress.
Are you offering anything unique or different in response to what’s happening?
We are committed and available to help all of our staff with questions and support until we can reinstate everyone.
How are you getting through this? Where are you finding joy?
I feel like a culinary student again! Back to the basics! I have more time to cook at home. I’m posting cooking videos on my Instagram and demo-ing recipes that people can try at home. This helps me spread some joy and also keeps me sane!
What are you saying “yes” to?
I’m cooking for the people who are working on the front lines at hospitals and volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, packaging shelf-stable items to be distributed to families across Cook County.
How can you express through your artwork the depth of feeling you and our communities are experiencing now?
It’s always about cooking from the heart! Comfort food is something you were raised with. Nothing fancy, just good ole down home cooking. Simple pleasures like mashed potatoes, roasted chicken and coleslaw.
How can you help other people feel their way through this crisis?
During this time, it’s important to reach out and stay connected. We are truly all in the same boat! Just being able to hear someone’s voice on the other end of the line has a positive effect. Or you could text, if that’s your thing. Right now I prefer the old school phone call. I’m also grateful for my daily meditation practice. The 25 minutes I take in the morning to still my mind sets me up in the best way possible to deal with life’s twists and turns.
What is the urgent response you need to communicate to us now?
Now more than ever we understand how much small businesses help contribute to the economy and the GDP. Independent restaurants alone employ 11 million people. Every bit of support to restaurants during this time with carry-out and delivery will help give us a fighting chance to survive in the future.
What do you need to communicate to future Chicagoans?
While we have challenges just like other cities, Chicago has a special vibe. This city has a diverse representation of people from all over the world and unique neighborhoods that highlight the spice of life in food, culture and art.
Korican fried rice
Tools
6 qts pot (for cooking fried rice)
2 qts pot (for cooking jasmine rice)
Wooden spoon
3 small bowls
Whisk
Cutting board
Knife
Small bowl for prepped items
Kitchen towels
Serving bowls
Tasting spoons
Ingredients
Set 1 (prepping)
2 eggs, raw, scrambled (set aside)
1 small clove garlic, minced
⅛ cup carrots peeled sliced super thin or shredded
⅛ cup raw broccolini or broccoli
1 cup white jasmine rice, cooked & cooled, dried out overnight
4 to 6 oz cooked leftover protein, meat or seafood or even vegetables
Set 2 (seasoning)
2 tbsp fish sauce ( Three Crab brand)
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
½ tsp Sazon seasoning
In a small bowl whisk all the ingredients together & set aside
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Set 3 (gathering)
2 tbsp olive oil
Steps
Cook jasmine rice the day before and spread onto a half baking pan; cool overnight in the refrigerator
Heat up a 6 qt pot on medium high heat, add olive oil, then add raw scrambled eggs and minced garlic until fully cooked
Add rice and leftover protein or vegetables; cook for 1.5 minutes or until hot
Season with fish sauce mixture and cook for 30 seconds
Garnish with chopped cilantro to finish
Born in Seoul Korea, raised in Chicago, Chef Bill Kim takes a boldly flavored, borderless approach to every bowl of noodles and plate of dumplings he makes. A graduate of Kendall College, Kim immersed himself early in his career in classical French cuisine, working alongside such world-renowned chefs as Pierre Pollin, Jean Banchet and Charlie Trotter. In the 1990’s, he honed his skills and developed his distinct style at other acclaimed restaurants, among them Susanna Foo in Philadelphia and New York City’s Bouley Bakery.
In 2008, with the opening of Urbanbelly, his BYOB noodle and dumpling joint in an unassuming strip mall in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, Kim spurred the wave of fine-dining chefs branching into creative casual dining. The following year, he opened Belly Shack in Logan Square, a mashup of Korean and Puerto Rican food inspired by his wife Yvonne’s Puerto Rican heritage. In 2012, Kim brought his take on Korean barbecue, bellyQ, to the bustling Randolph Street corridor, and in 2016, he opened a second urbanbelly in Wicker Park.
Kim’s first cookbook, Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces, was released in April 2018. In October 2018, he and Cornerstone Restaurant Group announced plans to open a full-service restaurant at Oakbrook Center in partnership with Crate and Barrel. The Table at Crate officially opened in July 2019. In the fall of 2019, Chef Kim and Cornerstone Restaurant Group opened a kiosk inside the largest Timeout Market in North America.
Bill Kim was interviewed by Won Kim, the Quarantine Times Monday editor. Each week, Won selects a Chicagoan to share a commissioned creative response to the pandemic.