The Shadow
HOT SPRINGS — Leen Kim knows how to create “Boozy Baskets.”
Kim, the executive pastry chef at The Omni Homestead, successfully competed on a recent episode of Chopped Sweets that aired on the Food Network Monday, Feb. 3, at 10 p.m. for the first time.She competed against three other chefs. In each round, they were presented with a mystery basket and had to create a special dessert based on the direction of the host, Scott Conant.
The episode was titled “Boozy Baskets.” In each round the contestants had an alcoholic beverage as one of the items in the basket.
In her day job at The Omni Homestead, Kim works alongside a team of bakers to prepare, bake and embellish a multitude of pastries in the resort’s restaurants.
Since joining The Homestead family in 2015, her talents have been featured in outlets such as Forbes, Virginia Living, Meetings Today, WTVR, WSLS and WDBJ.
In 2018, she was honored by Hotel F&B magazine as one of 25 Women to Watch.
Before coming to The Omni Homestead, Kim was preparing for a career in business management and working as a personal banker in Los Angeles. When she realized that banking wasn’t her path, she decided to turn her focus toward desserts.
She began baking cupcakes in the comfort of her home and started testing recipes before landing an entry-level position at a local bakery.
In April 2012, she served as a pastry cook and chocolatier at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, where she was responsible for making chocolates, bon bons, lollipops and other sweets for the hotel, as well as Jose Andres’ restaurants, The Bazaar and Tres.
Always seeking new opportunities to expand her experience, she left the SLS Hotel to become a pastry chef assistant for Flores, a Los Angeles restaurant that she helped open.
While there, she not only prepared breads and desserts but also assisted chefs working on entrees and other dishes.
For two years, Kim was the Pastry Chef de Partie and Chocolatier for Bottega Louie in downtown Los Angeles.
She was appointed assistant pastry chef at the Jean Philippe Patisserie at Aria in Las Vegas in October 2015, where she managed daily production for the patisseries located at Aria and the Bellagio.
“We had a watch party here at the resort with about 30 associates,” said Lynn Swann, director of marketing and communications for The Omni Homestead Resort. “We gathered in Jefferson’s Bar where we could watch on the big screen. We had flags and pennants with #TeamLeen to wave.”Kim apparently felt this support from her colleagues in Hot Springs. In the end, she captured the top prize of $10,000, which she is giving to her mother who lives in Los Angeles.————————————————————————————————————-Leen Kim, the executive pastry chef at The Omni Homestead, was the winner on a recent episode of “Chopped Sweets” on the Food Network. The title of the episode was “Boozy Baskets.” Kim won $10,000, which she is giving to her mother who lives in Los Angeles. Kim has worked at The Omni Homestead since 2015. (Photo Courtesy The Omni Homestead)
