Jennifer Yee
Bakers Bench | Los Angeles
April 2024
When Jennifer Yee told her parents she wanted to go to culinary school, they said no. So, she doubled down and did it anyway, graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone’s baking and pastry program. In New York City, she worked at Gilt and then at Jean Georges under Pastry Chef Joe Murphy, where her dedication to the industry was enshrined and her love of pastry was fostered. After three years in New York, Yee moved to the Bay Area to work at Craftsmen and Wolves. She then headed to Bouchon Bakery for a six-month stint, where she learned to bake bread from Baker Emily O’Toole before moving to The French Laundry. Under Pastry Chef Elwyn Boyles, Yee learned to foster teamwork and to conceptualize and execute dishes with dynamic textures, colors, and flavors.
After working every station, she returned to Los Angeles and joined the team at Konbi. During her time there, the pandemic struck, but Yee found a way to make the most of the situation. She used the time—and space—to mix, laminate, proof, and bake pastries, gaining confidence, experimenting with recipes, and learning the nuances of baking. Since graduating culinary school, Yee always knew she wanted to own a bakery, and in 2021, with some help from her once reluctant parents, opened Bakers Bench as a kiosk at Far East Plaza in Chinatown. The vegan bakery is nimble, but packs a powerful punch, with pastries like her coffee cake with white sesame and roasted apricot. More of her creative baked goods are on the way at her new brick-and-mortar, which is set to open spring 2024.
