Chef Ken and Aki Ballogdajan are no strangers to the industry; the siblings got their start at a very young age while working in their grandparents’ restaurant, Kyoko’s in Cleveland Park, and then at their parents’ Cafe Kyoko in Frederick, MD. They went on to open their first restaurant together, KENAKI Sushi Counter, in Gaithersburg in 2018. While Ken touts a 25-year career in the industry, his sister Aki left her career in software to open KENAKI as its General Manager. The third-generation restaurant owners have opened their second concept, AKO by KENAKI–named for their late mother (her nickname)–at The Roost food hall on Capitol Hill in late 2020.  

In 2003, Ken Ballogdajan left the DC-area to work alongside Chef Roberto Trevino of OOF Restaurant in Puerto Rico as Corporate Executive Sous Chef, going on to compete together on the first season of Food Network’s “Iron Chef America.” Upon returning to the District in 2005, he completed his finance degree before attending culinary school at L’Academie de Cuisine. While in culinary school, Ken completed an internship under the tutelage of Chef Bryan Voltaggio at the critically-acclaimed VOLT in Frederick, MD.

As General Manager/Co-Owner, Aki oversees the front-of-house operations at the popular Gaithersburg restaurant. Although Aki also spent her early years in the restaurant industry, she spent the last decade-and-a-half in tech. While successful in her career, she felt a draw back to the food and restaurant world, and after many discussions about potentially opening a restaurant with her brother, Aki switched gears and jumped back in the industry in 2018.