2020 JB LIFE! Magazine Spring Edition

Café
The most remarkable aspect
of Night Night, however, is not
the presentation, or even the
desserts themselves, which
are amazing; it is the young
woman behind it all. Kim Ji
Hye is the baker and owner
of Cafe Night Night, and
her story of perseverance in
pursuit of her passion is truly
inspiring. Having studied to
be a teacher, Kim realized
that education was not what
she really wanted to do with
her life. With only a week to
go until her recruitment test,
she agonized over what to do.
Despite her lack of experience,
Kim had always had a love
for bread and sweets, so she
believed baking would be
a more fulfilling career. She
decided then and there that
she would open a bakery cafe.
That same day she enrolled
in a baking class here in
Jeonju and then rented a
small studio where she
could practice. Starting
with croissants and scones,
she baked every day, slowly
becoming more proficient
and gaining confidence. She
also got a job working at a
cafe near Chonbukdae to
save money and learn the
German apple cake served with many mouth-watering treats that you'll
vanilla ice cream, rich, decadent find yourself struggling to choose from.
Mathilda chocolate cake, pumpkin I can almost guarantee you will wish
pie with homemade whipped you'd brought more friends along to
cream, and moist banana bread justify ordering at least another slice
topped with butter, sliced bananas, or three. Or if you prefer something
and caramel are just a few of the a little less sweet, you'll also find
plates piled high with savoury scones
and flaky croissants. In addition to a
number of regular menu items which
include brownies and a creme brûlée
tart, Night Night also offers seasonal
specials that make use of the fresh fruit
from local markets. In addition to the
taste and variety, the presentation is
absolutely stunning. It's no wonder the
cafe is often packed with people taking
selfies and snackshots for instagram
#카페나잇나잇.
practical aspects of the business. As
she continued to develop her skills,
she went on to take private classes in
Seoul, learning to make different cakes
and pies on weekends while continuing
to work through the week. She would
often have friends and family taste her
new creations, using their feedback
to perfect her recipes. She still recalls
the day she shared her new pumpkin
pie and all the positive reactions she
received. It was that moment she knew
it was time to open her business. After
five years of preparation, she was ready. On May 11th, 2018 Cafe Night Night
was officially open. Kim has been
Working with friends and family, they working hard ever since, doing what she
did all the renovations themselves, loves; baking seven days a week and
including hauling up all the materials sharing her passion with others. When
and tools with no elevator. According asked if she had any plans to expand
to Kim, this was by far the biggest the business, Kim said that she actually
challenge. It took them several weeks hopes to downsize one day, so that she
of hard work to get it all prepared, but can spend more time taking care of her
in the end she was beyond satisfied customers in a more intimate setting.
with the results.
Until then, we can all be happy that she
has realized her dream, and that she is
sharing it with all of us.
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