Meet Jiyoon Jang | Pastry Chef / Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jiyoon Jang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jiyoon, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
For me, the biggest risks I’ve taken in my life are the ones that have gotten me the closest to living the kind of life I really desire and feel fulfilled by. For instance with baking, I got into baking as a quarantine hobby: I hopped on that sourdough band wagon like a lot of people did and definitely contributed to the flour shortage during that time. I had no intentions to pursue this as a career, let alone start my own pastry business through it. But, baking as a hobby quickly turned into   passion where I found myself excited to learn and really hone in on the creative yet meticulous craft of baking. I was able to learn new techniques and skills in the kitchen while also being able to express my creativity through my food photography and content on Instagram. Taking a risk, especially when it’s new and unknown is terrifying. Even though I had no idea whether or not I would “succeed” (whatever that means to you individually) with a baking career in the long term, I knew this was a craft that I was willing to put in the work for. I knew this was a career path with long hours, intense work culture, low wage pay and physically taxing work: I knew I would regret my decision if I didn’t at least give myself the chance to try. This work still feels new and refreshing for me. The way it allows me to constantly learn and create is what drives the passion for me. It’s what made the risk worth taking.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I don’t have a “traditional” pastry background or training, which is honestly something I felt insecure about coming into this field. After being a self-taught home baker during the pandemic, I moved out to LA to get my first professional experience in a bakery. I worked at this bakery for 7 months doing high production and on top of learning foundational recipes, I really learned the skills of workflow, efficiency and organization. Simultaneously on my off days, I experimented with baking at home using flavors, textures and techniques that inspired me, and I continued to share that process through my photography and content on my IG. Although I don’t have traditional training or an extensive resume, I realized that my non-traditional perspective and experience is actually my biggest strength in allowing me to have a free-flowing and less restricted creative outlet. As I learned how to create through experimentation and testing, I started to create recipes that felt inspiring and authentic to me. For my work, I pull from feelings of nostalgia tied to my food and cultural memories growing up. A lot of my inspiration comes from my Korean background and culture but that’s also intertwined with my upbringing in American culture. My Korean-Americanism drives me to play around with mixed flavors, flavor combinations, textures and presentations that people may have not had or seen before. Creating in this way feels the most genuine to my experiences and I want to translate those emotions into the pastries that customers eat. I’m always thinking about the nostalgia attached to our food memories in my work. It allows me to create pastries with a different perspective and approach that feels like my main driving force right now. I’ve always felt that food is so powerful in bonding and connecting people. My favorite feedback to hear about my pastries is when someone shares with me that one of my pastries reminded them of a completely different food they had growing up. Being able to bond with someone who has a completely different background and experience in order to establish these cultural touch points and connections through food is really fulfilling.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Wow, questions like this feel particularly difficult to answer since the food scene in LA is so abundant and diverse. I’m one of those people that have categorized lists of food spots on my Google Maps. My answers will have definitely changed by the time this interview goes out but currently:

For breakfast, Courage Bagels is one of my favorite spots, especially on a weekend when everyone is buzzing waiting in line. The quality of the ingredients, the crisp-chewy balance of their bagels and the casual yet unique energy around the shop is hard to beat. If not Courage, then I would go get my favorite croissant and a coffee at Gjusta. Their croissant is so buttery yet the lightest flakiest croissant I’ve had yet. It’s perfectly balanced. If we were just going for a coffee in the morning or for an afternoon pick me up, I’d head to Maru in Arts District or any Verve location because their coffee plus outdoor seating areas are always spot on.

For lunch, it really would depend on what we’re craving. A casual burger to hit the spot: I’d bring them to Burgerlords or Burger Never Say Die. For Korean food, I love Hyesung Noodle House for kalguksu w/ their housemade knife cut noodles and rich broth on a cold day or Yuchun for nangmyeon and galbi on a hot day. Joy on York is also a really nice spot to get a variety of modern Taiwanese food for a comforting lunch.

For dinner: my favorite spots lately have been Osteria La Buca or Uovo for a low lit ambience with delicious Italian food and a glass of wine. I’d head to Night and Market Song for a more high energy environment with amazing food. Manuela, Otium or Kinn if we’re looking for a more elevated dining experience with quality food that never disappoints.

For drinks, it depends on what kind of night we want out. I love talking over a couple glasses of wine at Melody or Tabula Rasa. If we’re looking for something more casual but fun, getting beers and double-fried fries at Wurstkuche is the move. If I really want to have a good time though, I’d grab dinner and drinks at Hanchic for some Korean fusion comfort, head to a Korean bar for some soju and beer and then end the night at karaoke.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to shoutout this food community in LA. Never would I have thought that this tight-knit community of fellow bakers, chefs, pop-uppers and foodies would be as supportive as they have been for all of us small-business owners out here trying to share our craft. All the friends I’ve made and supporters I’ve met through this work have, without a doubt, contributed to the growth and recognition of my work. Y’all know who you are and I appreciate you so much.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/by_jiyoon/?hl=en