about the chefs

CHEF ZHEE ZHEE & JC

We are husband and wife, Zhee Zhee and JC, and have been chefs, working in many facets of the food service and hospitality industry for over 20 years.

We actually met, as youngins’, while working together in the kitchen of a fine dining restaurant in San Diego…kissed in the walk-in refrigerator one night next to a case of organic strawberries, married a couple of years later and the rest is history (17 years of history making good food together!).

Our dream of one day having our own little restaurant, where we could serve up our favorite flavors and share our love for great food with the world, came true when we bought Spoon, in December 2017. Not only did we get an adorable restaurant, but it is located in one of our favorite places to visit every year, Lake Tahoe.  So we packed up the cat and dog in a trailer, and made our way here to begin the next delicious chapter.

The previous owner who started Spoon, had a wonderful following of locals and visitors.  We wanted to keep the name and tradition of yummy eclectic comfort, put our own style and food into place…all fresh, homemade, with seasonal touches and approachable menu choices for a variety of eaters.  A place where sophisticated palettes, casual munchers, families, locals, regulars and first time visitors alike could gather to enjoy what we have to offer.

OUR PARTNER

We not only were fortunate to meet each other while working in that San Diego fine dining restaurant; but that is also where we met Mark Koenig (now Dr. Mark Koenig), while he was waiting on tables during medical school. We became friends and remained so, for all of these years, sharing fun times and our passion for food (we love to cook together for our friends), always talking about how we would partner at some point in the future.And partner is what we did!  Mark’s life experiences, including extensive work in all aspects of food service industry during his teen years and through medical school, have taken him from West Virginia, Florida, Alaska and North Carolina. He eventually settled in San Diego, California, where he could also explore his other passions, fitness and surfing.

Currently Dr. Koenig works in the Emergency Room while growing his practice in Functional, Anti-Aging and Aesthetic Medicine. Ultimately he would like to combine his love of food, nutrition, fitness, weight management, and functional medicine in a comprehensive wellness center. He considers himself very fortunate to have met us, all those years ago and is looking forward to opening more wonderful restaurants with us in the future.