bake chats with Jiyoon Jang
the moodiest baker I know
If you’re hip to the LA pop-up baker scene then you’ve definitely come across Jiyoon’s work inspired by Korean nostalgia. From kabocha cakes layered with persimmon petals glossed with rice syrup to yuja kumquat tarts, not a single detail of Jiyoon’s bakes are over looked.
Jiyoon and I met back in 2021 working at Clark St and even had a pastry box collab (OGs know). Today we’re talking about, pros and cons of working from home vs working for someone else, setting clear work/life boundaries and the best bites in LA. Jiyoon’s got some big things planned for 2024!
Kassie: Hi Jiyoon! Earlier this year (2023) you were working as the pastry chef over at MIL and since it’s closure you’ve found your way back to working in your bakery studio by_jiyoon. What was the biggest pro and the biggest con to working as a pastry chef for a brick and mortar/restaurant group?
Jiyoon: Pro— I really appreciated the experience of being part of a group. I’ve always known that I’m someone who really enjoys working within a collaborative environment so working directly with people who really supported me and believed in my work was encouraging. The owners of the restaurant group also gave me lots of control and freedom to set up and operate the bakery in the way I wanted to. I was treated as a chef/owner + had the rare opportunity to run a bakery, build a team and learn business without the financial responsibilities coming out of my own pocket. I learned a lot about myself as a person, as a baker, as a leader + I’ll never take that experience for granted. I’m still really grateful to the group for the opportunity and wish them the best.
Con— My time there ended because I decided to leave the group and return to running my own business due to conflicting visions for the bakery. I just realized that things were not heading the way I had envisioned for me or my work. We ended up deciding to close the bakery because at that point, MIL was so intertwined with my work that it didn’t make sense for anybody else to run it. So for me, the biggest con, was the fact that it just wasn’t the right partnership. Collaboration is reallY amazing when it’s with the right people but things can become really difficult when you and your team aren’t on the same page. Right now, I prefer having full control over every aspect of my business and creative work.
K:Now that you're back baking in the studio, what are some of the pros and cons of working from home?
J: Pro— I really enjoy having full autonomy over my work and schedule. Even though some work days are incredibly long and tiring, it’s more motivating + rewarding because it’s my own work and for my own business. I also feel really privileged that I’m able to take time off if I need to or make time to grab a meal with my parents during the middle of the day when they visit.
Con— My extroverted side loves working on a team and being around people. There are definitely times where I wish I could bounce ideas off of someone or get some help in the kitchen. My goal is to open a brick and mortar in the next few years and be able to build my own team. But right now, I’m lucky to have friends, parents and a partner that help me feel really supported in this solo work.
K:What are some things you’re doing differently working from home and doing pastry drops this time around?
When I first started running the bakery studio back in 2022, I only did pastry box drops with an assortment of pastries on my menu. People sold those out during that time but I realized pretty quickly after coming back in May of 2023 that I needed to change the direction of my work. So I put pastry boxes on the back burner and started pushing popups since that’s where the traction was. I asked myself what I would want as a customer and realized that maybe people preferred an in person experience rather than a 10 second hello + box drop off. Since I work alone most of the week too, it feels really fulfilling to be able to meet and connect with my customers in person on popup days.
I’ve also ventured into writing with my newsletter on Substack. It’s a platform where I’m able to share my honest thoughts, insights and the behind the scenes of the work I do— as well as share curated recommendations of items I love or my essential food spots in LA. It’s been fulfilling and refreshing to be able to write more openly and in depth about topics that interest me + hopefully interest the readers.
K:What are some of the ways you’re creating clear boundaries for yourself to maintain a work life balancing baking from home?
J:When I first became self-employed, I heard this phrase: “When you choose self-employment, you go from a 9 to 5 to a 24/7”— and it’s so true. But this is even more reason why boundaries and balance are so important to implement into your day to day. I really don’t enjoy the extremes of burning out and then having to recover for at least a month. It’s not healthy or sustainable. I prefer creating space for solo time, for rest and for fun throughout my days and weeks. That kind of dynamic helps keep me healthy in all aspects of my life. The balance definitely evolves depending on my work load but right now, I’m taking my mornings slow and not working past 5 if I can help it. There’s always going to be more work to do so I cut myself off if it’s not urgent (and it usually isn’t). I used to skip meals because I was in “work mode” too but I’m prioritizing taking proper breaks now and making sure I’m fueling myself properly. Sometimes I’ll get a run in intentionally during the middle of the day and it helps me to break away from that ‘work mode’ and do something that’s solely for myself. I also make time for social plans and quality time with loved ones— my relationships are really important to me so I make my work wait instead of the other way around.
K: You recently got back from a trip to Korea + Japan, how was that? Did anything from the trip inspire the R+D process for future box drops?
J: It’s always super inspiring being in a new space and culture. I was born in Korea and visited my family often when I was young so a lot of my food experiences there tend to be very nostalgic. I usually draw inspiration from that feeling of nostalgia when I create so I tend to experiment with cultural Korean ingredients and flavors that are familiar to me. I remember when I went to Korea a couple years back, I had the most delicious + earthy ssuk (mugwort) latte at this small cafe run by a single lady. That latte inspired me to create my ssuk marble pound cake + to introduce that flavor to my customers. This time around, there weren’t any flavors that necessarily stood out to me but I loved seeing the designs of the pastries, dishware and spaces I was in. I typically don’t enjoy going on vacation with the intention to work so I just let myself enjoy my time there and take in everything. I feel like rest and space can really help to spark my creativity more than anything sometimes.
K:Your misugaru cookie is obviously the fan favorite, if you had to translate the flavor profile of the misugaru cookie into a different pastry- what would you make!!
J: A misogaru inspired tart could be really interesting. I love creating tarts since I’m able to add a lot of components and layers plus a lot of my tarts are brighter and citrus based so that could be a fun addition.
K: Misogaru cookie is the GOAT imo- is there something else on your menu you wish got a little more love?
J: Definitely the perilla lime tart. I’m lucky that most of my customers are pretty open to trying anything I create but I also understand that a candied leaf might make you a bit wary. But the perilla lime cream is really fresh and bright while the candied perilla leaf brings this minty quality that pairs really well together. It’s hands down my favorite pastry on my menu right now.
K: What has been one of your biggest kitchen mistakes/fails? (You can’t lie to me either because I know about the blood orange marm)
J: aHAHA you’re putting me on blast! But oh my gosh, yeah that was a shit show. I don’t know about the biggest fail but I feel like I have little fails all the time. I’m a perfectionist too though so I’m trying to see these as learning opportunities rather than failures to curb my anxiety. Recently though, I tried infusing barley tea into heavy cream, chilling it and then whipping it cold but it curdled into this really nasty looking mess. I’ve also accidentally added cocoa powder instead of hojicha powder to a whole batch of mochi muffins without knowing. Little things like that. They really humble you.
K: Who are some pastry people you look up to? What about about their work inspires you?
J: I honestly don’t consume enough content to know anyone’s work that well. I prefer that though, it keeps me sane. I feel like every creative person is doing their own thing and I think that’s amazing. Design wise though, I really love the works of Sophia Roe, Tootie from Nin Cupcakes and Amy Yip from Yip Studio. I respect people that have their style and just do their own thing.
K:Lastly, to me you’re the queen of good eats, always eating at amazing spots in LA and anytime I need help deciding what to have for dinner I turn to your IG stories. What are some of the restaurants and dishes you’re loving around LA right now?What’s making you “say ah”?
J: It’s been cold lately so I love anything comforting! That could be a couple slices from Quarter Sheets to sulungtang from Shin Chon to just instant Shin ramen at home. I wrote a whole newsletter about this so I’ll plug it here: https://byjiyoon.substack.com/p/my-essential-la- restaurants. Let’s grab a meal at one of these spots soon!
Currently, Jiyoon has taken a small step back from pastry drops + local pop-ups to work on some new projects.
Keep up to date with all of the upcoming bakery announcements and Jiyoons work on Instagram (@by_jiyoon). You can also find a few of her recipes shared over on her Substack.