Briana Kim

Briana Kim is a woman who identifiesher goals and then, calmly and patiently, with soft-spoken but adamantine resolve, attains them. A self-taught cook with a degree in political science from the University of Ottawa, she opened her first place 17 years ago — a vegan café on Ottawa’s Bank Street called Café My House that specialized in raw shakes.

Today, she has an international reputation as a chef and expert in culinary fermentation and, in 2024, was invited by René Redzepi to head the fermentation program at Noma in Copenhagen. She turned him down, preferring to remain in Ottawa and open her latest restaurant, Antheia. One reason was the special relationship she has with the city and her clientele. “It’s a sense of trust that builds quietly over time,” she explains. “Guests return not just for a meal, but to follow the evolution. That continuity is something I value deeply.”

The evolution is scientific as well as aesthetic, for Antheia exists as a fermentation research and development lab, as well as a restaurant. “Staying in Ottawa allowed me to retain full creative control and realize the concept exactly as I had envisioned,” Kim says, “to develop my own fermentation language.”

Two years in the making, Antheia was built with great intention. Customers in the serene, intimate space are aware that even the smallest detail is part of the overall vision. As for Kim, she has no hesitation in admitting that she’s having fun. “Yes, I am. It’s serious work, but it’s also very joyful. I still feel curious every day, and that’s what matters most to me.”

Ottawa’s restaurant-goers are loyal to their champions and proud of Kim’s burgeoning rep. The loyalty is mutual — and that is why Briana Kim has earned our community leadership award.