Congrats to Jonah Kim!

Chef Jonah Kim of Yona was crowned the Prince of Porc at Cochon 555 this past Sunday, April 17 at the Loews Madison Hotel.

Chef Jonah will go on to represent Washington D.C. against the other nine cities’ winners in Grand Cochon at Snowmass / Aspen for the title of 2016 King or Queen of Porc and the grand prize, a four-day wine experience in Rioja, Spain’s most prominent wine region. Grand Cochon features ten chefs competing for the crown and guests attending the event can book tickets for Heritage Fire, the country’s premier live-fire event which both fall on the same weekend as the Classic in Aspen. This year’s Seattle event benefitted the Piggy Bank, a farm devoted to providing free heritage breed pigs and business plans to emerging family farms. 

This year’s competing chefs included Marjorie Meek-Bradley of Ripple, Jennifer Carroll of Requin, Anthony Lombardo of The Hamilton, Host Chef Louis Goral of Rural Society Argentine Steakhouse and winning chef Jonah Kim of Yona who took home top honors. The chefs prepared show-stopping dishes using whole heritage-breed pigs from family farms in a head to tail showcase for a crowd of pork-loving gourmands. Chef Jonah won the event with a Mulefoot breed of pig raised by Spring House Farm. Originating from the U.S., the Mulefoot is a black hog named for it’s solid hoof, which resembles a mule. Critically rare, this breed recently won several blind taste tests against eight different heritage breeds. It’s superior tasting meat is red with freckled marbling and worked in tandem with Chef Jonah’s winning menu of seven uniquely created delicious bites. Dishes included: Yona Kimchi Plate: Fennel, Napa Cabbage, Daikon and Sesame Leaves, Sour Sausage Tartare: Spicy Garlic Condiment, Ramp Salsa Verde, French Beans and Roasted Peanuts, Pork Belly & Turnip Cake: XO Sauce, English Peas, Scapes and Rice Pearls, Pork & King Crab Broth: Pork Jowl, Shoulder, King Crab Dumplings, Coppa Chashu and Garlic Chives, Mapo Tofu: Szechuan Pork Butt Gravy, Fermented Black Beans, Fresh Silken Tofu, Puffed Rice and Sexy Scallions, Grilled Baby Ribs: Korean Chili Glaze & Sesame Seeds and to close, Pork Blood Cotton Cake: Chocolate Custard, Bacon Caramel, Whipped Lard and Fatback Peanut Butter Powder.

Congrats!