Ms. Yuyoung Lee, CEO of Atelier Romantique
Diplôme de Pâtisserie 2012
What made you learn Pastry at Le Cordon Bleu-Sookmyung Academy?
When my child started to go to daycare center, I thought of how I would like to spend this spare time I got for the first time from parenting, and I wanted to do something new like taking pastry classes. I searched for a place where they offered professional teaching on a regular schedule, since I already had a certain age, had a child and a house to take care of. I applied for the Pastry Diploma Program at Le Cordon Bleu that fitted best my needs.
What did you do before joining the Academy?
I was a full-time mother. Perhaps because of that I was more cautious, and the idea of starting something new was vague to me. After giving some thought, I realized I liked making things with my hands since I was young, and after my marriage, I also enjoyed cooking at home. So, I thought it would be nice to be able to make dessert like I cook, and that’s how I started learning Pastry.
What do you do now?
I am running the pastry and baking studio “Atelier Romantique”. At the Atelier Romantique, we offer from private baking classes to corporate-associated classes, and we take custom orders for various French biscuits, cakes, and tarts.
What was the most memorable activity at Le Cordon Bleu?
I appreciated very much the fact that we could experience a class before taking the courses. In 2011, when I was thinking whether to enter Le Cordon Bleu, I learned that we could audit a class. Experiencing a class helped me decide that this was the place I wanted to be. There is an employee at the Atelier Romantique and we first met as an instructor and a student. We had worked together for a long time since, and I recommended to this person the Bakery Diploma Program at Le Cordon Bleu. After booking an auditing class and visiting the academy, this employee also decided to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu. Now having received the Bakery Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, she has opened an amazing bakery shop. Looking back, recommending Le Cordon Bleu as an alumna, and marching towards our dream along with a fellow alumnus is what I find most memorable from Le Cordon Bleu.
As an instructor who gives classes, what is the most important thing for you when you prepare your course?
Based on what I have learned thoroughly on food hygiene from the Chef at my first pastry lesson at Le Cordon Bleu, I emphasize to my students from the very beginning of the class, whether they plan to open their own business or make their own products, the importance of hygiene. A clean and ordered cooking environment and the taste of freshly made desserts are directly linked to customers’ trust, and I think it is something that we can never emphasize too much.
Where do you get your inspirations to develop new menus?
I believe that the devotion, care, and warmth of rice prepared by a mother, and the sincerity visible in the expressions of people enjoying a dessert, although invisible to the eye, can be sensed by others. I create my menus on the motif of a home-made dessert filled with love, hoping they will deliver the warm comforts that I once received.
Which is the best dessert for you? And why?
I consider Mont Blanc, the traditional French dessert, to be the best. I appreciate flavors that are expressed through faithfulness of processes to the principles and that come from the freshness of ingredients. In making Mont Blanc, it is fundamental to select fresh and good ingredients. Also, the Mont Blanc is a dessert that expresses the baker’s original intention.
What are your future goals and plan?
Next year I am planning to open a branch of Atelier Romantique in Vancouver, Canada. As a big curve in my life, I have decided to immigrate to Canada, and my biggest goal now is to make my first Atelier Romantique in Canada settle successfully. With that first store, I would like to expand my business to other regions of Canada and grow as a Pâtissier from Korea. In both Korea and Canada, I will strive to create happy moments to everyone who visits Atelier Romantique.
Would you like to say something to future students who are considering to start the courses?
We say that opportunity comes only to those who are prepared. Starting something means you are already halfway to the finish line. When I was in your place, I was concerned that I had just given birth and had a child to raise; I wondered if I’d be able to operate a class after learning pastry? Will my efforts and time invested be meaningful? I also questioned myself a lot. What I can tell you is that if you trust yourself and muster up some courage to start, at least you will have the power not to let a chance pass by you. Trust yourself and go for it.
