Rendez-vous with
Eunji Lee, Executive Pastry Chef
at Jungsik NYC
Rendez-vous with
Eunji Lee is the Executive Pastry Chef at Michelin-2-star restaurant Jungsik in NYC. I first tasted her pastries a year ago when I went to Jungsik for dinner. I found them remarkable, inventive and sublime! That night, my husband had the Citrus, a flower meringue filled with Calamansi cream and I had the NY-Seoul, her interpretation of the French Paris-Brest. Both desserts were so amazing that we ordered a third one, which was her famous Truffle Cone, a chocolate waffle cone filled with truffle ice cream and topped with black truffle and fleur de sel.
A few days ago, Eunji Lee welcomed me to Jungsik. We talked about her story and how she fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a Pastry Chef. I was then lucky enough to watch her make some of her beautiful creations, including her Instafamous Baby Banana!
What was your path and did somebody inspire you in that path?
When I was 14 years old in Korea, I really loved to cook and bake for my friends and family.
One day, I saw a TV program about the life of a pastry chef and I fell in love with this amazing job!
I started to visit pastry shops and taste all their cakes, and began to make sweets at home more often. Being a pastry chef became my dream!
I talked to my parents about it but they weren’t satisfied because they wanted me to keep studying.
It took some time to make them understand that becoming a pastry chef was my dream...
At the age of 19, with my parents' blessing, I moved to Rouen in Normandy France, where I studied at INBP (Institut National de la Boulangerie Patisserie). After that, I moved to Strasbourg to work at a bakery called Au Pain de Mon Grand-Père for a year. I wanted to learn pastry so I moved to Paris and went to Ecole Ferrandi. After graduating, I worked for three years at Michelin-starred French-Asian restaurant Ze Kitchen Galerie with William Ledeuil. I then moved to Le Meurice to work with Cédric Grolet at the hotel’s Michelin-3-star restaurant. After 4 years at Le Meurice and 10 years in France, I was offered the role of Pastry Chef at Jungsik in NYC which I accepted.
Who do you consider to be your mentors and what did they teach you?
Chef William Ledeuil from Ze Kitchen Galerie taught me how to use savory ingredients and also taught me about new ingredients such as different parts of the citrus family and herbs. He was like a father to me and always ready with advice. Chef Cédric Grolet taught me pastry skills as well as visual, artistic and organization skills. He even taught me how to manage a team. We still talk together and he still gives me advice as my mentor.
Chef Ho Young Kim who previously was the Executive Chef at Jungsik was also a significant mentor for me. We arrived here at the same time and as we have the same passion for food, we shared lot of ideas and experiences all the time for the development of the menu. With his discerning palate, he also gave me some advice for my creations. He is like a brother to me and it was a pure happiness to work together at Jungsik.
A few days ago, Eunji Lee welcomed me to Jungsik. We talked about her story and how she fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a Pastry Chef. I was then lucky enough to watch her make some of her beautiful creations, including her Instafamous Baby Banana!
What was your path and did somebody inspire you in that path?
When I was 14 years old in Korea, I really loved to cook and bake for my friends and family.
One day, I saw a TV program about the life of a pastry chef and I fell in love with this amazing job!
I started to visit pastry shops and taste all their cakes, and began to make sweets at home more often. Being a pastry chef became my dream!
I talked to my parents about it but they weren’t satisfied because they wanted me to keep studying.
It took some time to make them understand that becoming a pastry chef was my dream...
At the age of 19, with my parents' blessing, I moved to Rouen in Normandy France, where I studied at INBP (Institut National de la Boulangerie Patisserie). After that, I moved to Strasbourg to work at a bakery called Au Pain de Mon Grand-Père for a year. I wanted to learn pastry so I moved to Paris and went to Ecole Ferrandi. After graduating, I worked for three years at Michelin-starred French-Asian restaurant Ze Kitchen Galerie with William Ledeuil. I then moved to Le Meurice to work with Cédric Grolet at the hotel’s Michelin-3-star restaurant. After 4 years at Le Meurice and 10 years in France, I was offered the role of Pastry Chef at Jungsik in NYC which I accepted.
Who do you consider to be your mentors and what did they teach you?
Chef William Ledeuil from Ze Kitchen Galerie taught me how to use savory ingredients and also taught me about new ingredients such as different parts of the citrus family and herbs. He was like a father to me and always ready with advice. Chef Cédric Grolet taught me pastry skills as well as visual, artistic and organization skills. He even taught me how to manage a team. We still talk together and he still gives me advice as my mentor.
Chef Ho Young Kim who previously was the Executive Chef at Jungsik was also a significant mentor for me. We arrived here at the same time and as we have the same passion for food, we shared lot of ideas and experiences all the time for the development of the menu. With his discerning palate, he also gave me some advice for my creations. He is like a brother to me and it was a pure happiness to work together at Jungsik.
Omija Pre-dessert
How long have you been working at Jungsik? How do you combine your Korean heritage and the techniques you learnt in France?
I’ve been working at Jungsik for three and a half years.
I try to combine Korean ingredients with classical French techniques while incorporating NY ingredients and adapting to American tastes. For example, my NY-Seoul is a reinterpretation of the French Paris-Brest. I’ve replaced the classical choux pastry with brown rice choux topped with pecan praline and have incorporated typically American vanilla ice cream, caramel and cookie dough.
You make desserts for the guests who dine at the restaurant but the guests also have the possibility to come for a full dessert tasting at the bar. Can you tell me more about that?
We started the dessert tasting menu in 2017. I wanted to show more of my desserts to people and thanks to Jungsik, the team and the guests who loved my desserts, I was able to do that. It is a five-course dessert tasting menu which is available nightly at the restaurant’s bar.
What is a good pastry for you?
A good pastry for me tastes good and is well-balanced. I like to use ingredients when they are at peak season. This is when they taste best.
For me, taste is more important than how it looks.
I like both chocolate and fruit desserts but I prefer fruit desserts as I find them more refreshing.
I’ve been working at Jungsik for three and a half years.
I try to combine Korean ingredients with classical French techniques while incorporating NY ingredients and adapting to American tastes. For example, my NY-Seoul is a reinterpretation of the French Paris-Brest. I’ve replaced the classical choux pastry with brown rice choux topped with pecan praline and have incorporated typically American vanilla ice cream, caramel and cookie dough.
You make desserts for the guests who dine at the restaurant but the guests also have the possibility to come for a full dessert tasting at the bar. Can you tell me more about that?
We started the dessert tasting menu in 2017. I wanted to show more of my desserts to people and thanks to Jungsik, the team and the guests who loved my desserts, I was able to do that. It is a five-course dessert tasting menu which is available nightly at the restaurant’s bar.
What is a good pastry for you?
A good pastry for me tastes good and is well-balanced. I like to use ingredients when they are at peak season. This is when they taste best.
For me, taste is more important than how it looks.
I like both chocolate and fruit desserts but I prefer fruit desserts as I find them more refreshing.
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! I find inspiration in TV programs, cookbooks, social media, magazines,
museums, design shops, farmers markets, Korean markets, and other restaurants.
How do you source your ingredients?
I go to the farmers’ markets for seasonal ingredients. I also go to the Korean market and sometimes I use special Korean vendors to import artisanal ingredients.
We also work with a special herb vendor. If I’m looking for something specific in terms of look or taste, they find it for me.
The pastry world has changed a lot in the last 10 years. How would you describe this change and how do you explain it?
In the last 10 years, the pastry world has become more diverse. I think this is mostly because of the influence of social media and networking. Visual has also become more important and with 3D printing, we can design silicon molds which make the desserts look very impressive and unique. I also think people are more open to new ingredients. For example in Asia, pistachio wasn't a common nut but now they are trying it because of European chefs introducing it over there.
What do you like best about your job?
I love the fact that I can make people happy with pretty and delicious sweets. That is the best part of my job!
When I see people's positive reaction, it makes me very happy. It motivates me to push myself to create more desserts.
I want to bring emotions in people’s lives through my desserts!
~Nathalie ~ July 12, 2019
Wild Strawberry Tart
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Baby Banana
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Jungsik
2 Harrison Street New York, NY 10013 (212) 219-0900 www.jungsik.com Monday-Thursday 5:30pm-10:30pm Friday-Saturday 5:00pm-10:30pm Sunday 5:00pm-10:00pm Dessert Tasting available daily after 6pm at the Bar and Counter. Reservations strongly recommended |
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