one of them runs a michelen star restaurant!

The live kitchen at The New York Coffee Festival is getting a lot of hype leading up to the event, and for good reason: it will see some of the top emerging chefs in the city take the stage.

Before you catch them cooking up their signature dishes at the festival, get to know chefs Kevin Adey of Faro, Eunji Lee of Jungsik and Bowdy Tolhopf of Hole in the Wall below.

Photo: Lily Brown
 

Chef Kevin Adey, Faro

A native of Rome, New York, Kevin Adey lived and worked in Florida before joining the kitchen team at Le Bernardin and later taking the reins at Northeast Kingdom in Brooklyn. While at Northeast Kingdom, he began to build a local following and garnered a Bib Gourmand for his cooking. But Kevin and his wife Debbie, a veteran of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants on the service and management side, had long wanted to open their own restaurant, which would become Faro. Opened in May 2015, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in the 2017 guide for the first time and has held it every year since. 


 

Eunji Lee, Jungsik

Chef Eunji Lee was born in Busan, South Korea and fulfilled a lifelong dream of studying pastry arts when she moved to France in 2006. Classically trained at institutions in Paris, Lee spent three years in the acclaimed restaurant Ze Kitchen Galerie of Chef William Ledeuil and then trained under Chef Alain Ducasse and Pastry Chef Cedric Grolet at three Michelin-starred Le Meurice for another four years. When the opportunity arose for Eunji to combine her classic French training with Korean ingredients, she jumped at the chance to become the Pastry Chef of Jungsik. Chef Lee became the first non-European contestant and also finalist in Season 4 of the French competition Qui sera le prochain grand pâtissier? and her Dessert Tasting Menu at Jungsik was featured in the New York Times in August 2017.


 

Bowdy Tolhopf, Hole in the Wall

New Zealand born but Australian raised, chef Bowdy Tolhopf honed his hospitality skills in beachside town, Wollongong, just one hour south of Sydney. After perfecting his craft and launching a successful small business with a long-term friend, Bowdy relocated to Melbourne, Australia’s culinary capital, to further expand his knowledge of food and drink and develop his skills. With over 12 years of experience under his belt, and the undeniable call of New York City’s restaurant scene, Bowdy accepted the role of Head Chef at Hole in the Wall’s second location in Manhattan, located in the bustling Murray Hill area. All eyes are on Bowdy as he delivers his refreshed Australian take on classic dishes here in the Big Apple!

Be sure to check out what time they will be presenting here so you can plan your day (and meals!) accordingly.