Sitting down with The Oak Room’s Chef Kyle Baker

​A new young chef at The Oak Room in the InterContinental Hotel is hoping to make a lasting impression on both residents of Kansas City and travelers staying on the Plaza.

“I just want us to be known for putting out consistently good food,” says Kyle Baker — the chef de cuisine at the Oak Room.

Baker, 27, attended the culinary arts program at Johnson County Community College before graduating from the Scottsdale Culinary Arts Institute in Arizona. Before taking up his position at the InterContinental, Baker worked under chief Debbie Gold at the now-shuttered 40 Sardines and at the Maker’s Mark Bourbon House & Lounge in the Power and Light District.

“I like making simple, clean food. I’m attracted to simple styles of cooking like Eric Ripert [celebrity chef at Le Bernadin in New York City] that highlight each ingredient,” says Baker.

That starts with the new menu at the InterContinental, which just launched at the end of July.

“I would like to offer three to four menus a year, something to change with the season,” says Baker.