Skip to content

These Seattle Pies Became an Overnight Social Media Phenomenon

Meet Lauren Ko, the sorceress behind some seriously stunning desserts.

By Chelsea Lin November 29, 2017

lauren-ko-blueberry-pie-pic

Three months ago, Seattle resident Lauren Ko was just an executive assistant with a home baking habit. Now, she’s an executive assistant with a home baking habit and social media fame. Her Instagram handle, @lokokitchen, has rapidly attracted more than 60,000 Instagram followers obsessed with her pie designs.

By the time you read this, that number of followers will be higher. It’s gone up 6,000 in the time it took me to finish this blog post.

“There are no words,” Ko says, in true, honest bafflement at her relatively overnight catapult into internet foodie fame. “I’m just a nobody. I just started this account for fun—for a way to separate my food photos from my regular account. I don’t even know.” 

Ko, 30, isn’t a nobody—she’s just being modest. But she’s not a pastry chef, she’s never gone to culinary school, she’s not even trying to sell her baked goods out of her house. She says she actually likes savory foods more than sweets, but she loves baking and started playing around with pies and tarts in an artistic way. Ko says she’s driven by art and geometry—her photos illustrate the intricate designs that top her desserts.


Photo and pomegranate goldenberry tart by Lauren Ko (@lokokitchen).

It seems silly to point out that pie is having a bit of a moment right now—at least online. Pie is not a trendy food. My grandma ate pie. Pie is delicious, it is comfort food, but it is not generally the sort of colorful, creative foodstuff that makes the internet go nuts. Ko’s pies are pure eye candy though—and national social media accounts like @designmilk@food52 and @grubstreet picked up on it, particularly around Thanksgiving (arguably pie’s greatest holiday). Buzzfeed published this article on Ko on Monday.

With this popularity come the trolls quick to point out all the many ways Ko’s a fraud—something she laughs off. She’s not claiming to be a professional, and she says she’s even hesitant to start a blog because her creations are more about design than they are about recipe (in fact, she usually uses recipes she’s found elsewhere). She doesn’t feel confident troubleshooting your own pie problems. And while she has no desire to become a chef or take customer orders, she says she’s open to wherever this leads.

For now, we’ll have to just eat with our eyes, though.

 

Follow Us

Restaurant Roundup: Dutch Bros’ Seattle Debut and Hatch Green Chiles

Restaurant Roundup: Dutch Bros’ Seattle Debut and Hatch Green Chiles

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

Stay updated on Seattle's food scene! From Dutch Bros' SoDo debut and Bite of Seattle to Hatch green chile pop-ups, here is the latest restaurant news.

Opening Night: This Tiny Pioneer Square Restaurant Is About to Be Standing Room Only

Opening Night: This Tiny Pioneer Square Restaurant Is About to Be Standing Room Only

In the former Salumi space, Doris serves martinis and playful snacks at tables close enough to make a new best friend. 

Welcome to Opening Night, our new column about hot new restaurants around Seattle. For our debut edition, we went to a media preview at Doris, a teeny-tiny Pioneer Square spot that oozes style. Longtime Seattleites may get a bit of a shock when they walk into Doris. The narrow, hallway-shaped space on the corner where…

House Special: Soondae Gukbap at Busan Jeong

House Special: Soondae Gukbap at Busan Jeong

Every component of the signature pork soup is made in-house to create a lasting impression.

Seattle is not short of quality Korean restaurants, but many offer similar menus built around the best-known, most popular dishes. When global restaurateur Hoyeon Park moved to Seattle, he noticed that it was difficult to find authentic Busan-style pork soup, a beloved comfort food in Korea but largely unknown in the States. Park currently operates…

Restaurant Roundup: Cold Noodles and Underground Italian 

Restaurant Roundup: Cold Noodles and Underground Italian 

Here’s what was served up recently in the Emerald City.

Noodles might not be at the top of everybody’s list when it comes to treats to cool off this summer—but they should be. Slurping down cold udon, naengmyeon, or bún is as refreshing as it is tasty. There are plenty of Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants putting their best chilled dishes forward for the season,…