Here’s the story of Yongwoo Cho, the pâtissier at Solbam, who loves sharing the joy of desserts with others, just like giving a special gift.
When did you start cooking?
I remember cooking with my mom even before I turned ten. I always found cooking interesting, and I enjoyed giving my own input. If my mom did something one way, I’d suggest adding more of a certain ingredient and trying it differently. Cooking alongside her like that gradually sparked my interest.
When I entered middle school, I took a baking and pastry class. While I enjoyed the academics, I absolutely loved the hands-on practice, which led me to enroll in the Korea Culinary Science High School. At that time, I was torn between focusing more on cooking or pursuing baking and pastry, but I quickly found myself leaning toward pastry.
Why did you choose pastry?
I love sweet things! They always make me feel better. And I found that my personality fit better with baking and pastry. With cooking, you can make adjustments as you go, but pastry requires precise planning. You need to follow a good recipe meticulously, measure ingredients accurately, and control temperature and humidity. Even small variations can change the result, and that’s the appeal of pastry. I’ve always loved math as well, so that precision and exactness were what drew me further into pastry.
What kind of experience did you gain after that?
I majored in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management at university, but then COVID happened. With classes limited, I found myself with more free time, so I started working for a large coffee franchise. I joined their menu development team at headquarters, where I created desserts and baked goods to go with coffee, which was a rewarding hands-on experience. However, balancing work and studies wasn’t easy. After about a year of menu development, I started teaching pastry and baking. I taught certification courses at an academy and ran dessert-making classes for cafes, where I also created many new recipes.
How did you get connected with Solbam?
I still remember it clearly. It was April 2022. At the time, Solbam’s pastry chef had to take time off after catching COVID, so they urgently needed someone to fill in. That’s how I got introduced to Solbam and had my first opportunity to work there briefly. It was my first time working in a fine dining restaurant’s pastry team, and I was a bit worried about whether it might be too challenging, but I found the atmosphere great and really enjoyed the work. That’s when I thought, "After graduation, I’d love to work in a restaurant like this."
I went back to school to finish my degree, held a few pop-up events selling dessert courses, and experimented with plated desserts. As I received positive feedback and my desire to work in a top restaurant grew, I saw that Solbam was hiring for the pastry team, and I applied without hesitation.
It must be very different working in a dessert shop versus a fine dining restaurant’s pastry team.
I started with more mainstream menus, like cakes, sandwiches, and cookies that people can easily enjoy with a cup of coffee. When I was teaching baking, I focused more on figuring out “fail-proof” methods rather than striving for the ultimate dessert. That gave me a solid foundation and allowed me to pay attention to the basics, which has helped me create better desserts.
Even with seemingly simple items like financiers, different people approach them in slightly different ways, and by comparing and evaluating those methods, I’ve gradually developed my own standards for what makes a dessert truly great. Now that I’m in fine dining, there are so many small details that need to be perfected, and I’m always working to refine those “tiny details” based on my foundational skills.
What are your current goals?
As a member of the large Solbam team, my primary goal is to handle my responsibilities with a sense of accountability. Focusing on doing my job well is more important than thinking too far ahead into the future.
Aside from that, I have many personal ambitions. One of them is creating content in foreign languages. Since French is essential in the pastry world, I’ve been studying and practicing a lot to become fluent. I’m working on getting a French language certification, and I’m also practicing my English since it’s the basic tool for communicating with people internationally. Expanding my perspective and meeting more diverse people is what I’m aiming for.
Do you have any dreams you’d like to achieve at Solbam?
I believe that great, long-standing restaurants always have a signature dessert that everyone associates with them. I want to develop such a signature dessert while working with the Solbam team. I love using Korean ingredients, so I think my approach aligns well with Solbam’s philosophy. For example, I’m working on a dessert made from a unique variety of Korean rice, with a delicate sweetness that subtly shines through. It would be incredibly rewarding to create a dessert that reflects Solbam’s identity and philosophy, and when people taste it, they instantly say, “Ah, this is from Solbam!” I’ll work hard until that day comes.
Do you have a role model in life?
Yes and no. There are people who I admire and learn from in certain fields or moments, but I don’t want to label them as my “role model.” I feel that doing so might limit my own potential, as if I’m following in their footsteps too closely. I think it’s more important to stay focused on what I want to do and keep improving. Along the way, I can meet inspiring people, learn from them, and make their lessons my own.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’m still finding my way. While “pastry” remains my core focus, I believe it can connect to many different business fields. For example, this year I traveled to various places abroad and visited amazing pastry shops. From their interior designs to menu ideas, I gathered so much inspiration and took notes, reflecting on the business model for a shop I’d love to open someday. I also enjoy connecting with people, so I still find great joy in sharing knowledge with others.
When I think back to why I started baking, it was the happiness I felt when sharing delicious desserts with my friends. Seeing someone enjoy a dessert I made brings me joy, and that’s why I’ve continued in this field. I may not know exactly what I’ll be doing in the future, but I’m sure I’ll still be sharing the happiness of desserts with many people.
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