Become a digitalPLUS subscriber. $13 for 13 weeks.


From art student to Acadia
From art student to Acadia

10:45 p.m. is not the usual time for an interview, but that is how it worked out. As I entered Acadia on South Wabash, pastry chef Ji Yoon greeted me from behind the host stand. She had been waiting for me, and was dressed in her civilians, ready to head home. I was afraid it was too late. Yet she graciously led me to a table opposite the L-shaped bar. Above the bar, large egg-shaped lights dangled from the ceiling and illuminate the starkly decorated lounge. A peek of the dining room down the hall from the bar revealed a more plush setting where the last customers were finishing their 15-course meal. What is immediately striking about Ji is that despite her admirable talent, she is so...