Kyoo Eom began his formal culinary training at Yeosu University in South Korea. He studied food science and technology, learning food preparation and preservation techniques, before following his sister to New York to pursue his goal of attending culinary school in America. Chef Kyoo graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at Brown College in 2003 and returned to Manhattan to work at Chef Daniel Boulud’s signature DB Bistro Moderne and Cafe Boulud, where he trained under Chef Andrew Carmellini and mentored with chefs Olivier Muller and Bertrand Chemel.

Chef Kyoo then moved to the Washington DC area to be the chef de cuisine at 2941 Restaurant for five years. It was in this role that he developed an understanding that while cooks may like to make and eat food, chefs are driven by the diners’ enjoyment. In 2014, he became executive chef at Poste Moderne Brasserie, where his training was transcendent in the French-inspired, farm-to-table dishes.

In 2016, Chef Kyoo helped open Dirty Habit, a luxe restaurant and bar in downtown DC that offers a vivid social scene centered around expertly crafted cocktails and an innovative social-plates menu. As executive chef, his globally influenced, seasonal cuisine includes dishes inspired by family recipes. Gracing the Dirty Habit kitchen with his talent and expertise, Chef Kyoo enjoys watching the pleasure and sense of discovery on guests’ faces as they sample their way through Dirty Habit’s eclectic menu.