Kee Ling Tong, the chef chocolatier and owner of Kee's Chocolates, can be seen daily in her shop in Soho, making fresh chocolates by hand. If you haven't tried her Asian-style delicious chocolates yet, it's time to pay her a visit. The smell of the fresh chocolate in the inviting little shop is just one of the reasons why Kee's customers are coming back. I can only guess that the actual taste and the exotic flavors of her chocolates are exactly what people are looking for when they return to Kee's Chocolates Shop. Find out more about her key to success in the interview below.
CZ: Kee, tell our readers a little bit about the history of your chocolate shop.
Kee Ling Tong: About 16 years ago, I used to work in the finance industry, and then I've decided to switch careers. I never had a feel of different industries, versus an office job. So I went to the French Culinary Institute in New York, in their pastry program, for about six months. While in school, I realized I was not too inclined to continue a career in baking, but I decided to graduate anyway. I had an internship at Palladin, and by the time the internship was over, I’ve also graduated. After that, I gave myself two years to see if I like it or not. So in June of 2000 I graduated, and I went to work for a wedding cakes designer. I did it for about 5 months, and then I decided to get another job for the W hotel at Olives, with Todd English and Lincoln Carson who is a pastry chef there. I’ve worked for a couple of months, and while I enjoyed working there, it was still not something I really wanted for myself. After that, in summer of 2001 I moved out to France, and worked there for about 3 months. While there, I wanted to learn more about working with chocolate, but because it was summer time, they didn’t make any chocolate out there because it’s so hot out. They stop making chocolate in April, and the freeze all they’ve made so far and didn’t sell. After I came back I took some time to think of what I wanted to do with my future. That’s when I realized I love working with chocolate, and I spent six months practicing, by myself. I’ve tried all different flavors and textures, and had my friends taste it, and they liked it.
That’s when I started looking for a space to open a shop where to sell flowers and chocolate. And I’ve actually found this space in May 2002, exactly two years after I graduated. This is how it all came about. As far as flavors are concerned, when I’ve opened up I only had 10 flavors. Now I have over 36, and four of them are seasonal: yuzu, pineapple lychee, mango green tea, and other summer fruits.
CZ: What are the favorites here?
Kee Ling Tong: The favorites are crème brulee, passion fruit, and champagne. We’re also making balsamic chocolate, black sesame, thai chili, smoked salt, we’re doing everything our style.
CZ: Where do you get your inspiration from?
Kee Ling Tong: Being Asian myself, I grew up with these flavors. We don’t mix them in chocolate over there, but I’m being more inventive in that way. I’d rather stay clear from the traditional flavors, in order to make myself more unique, and come up with my personal vision on my chocolates. I’ve played with a new pear flavor recently, which is not on the menu yet, but we might include it as a seasonal one. People use to come in not only to taste our chocolates, but also to see how we make them, because everything is done on premises.
CZ: When you opened the shop here, did you feel that New York will become so big on chocolate?
Kee Ling Tong: No, it was not about intuition at all. But these days, people are more sophisticated—not that they weren’t before. But with chocolate, more and more people are realizing that there’s something else over there besides tasting. I think it has a little bit to do with the health benefits. Now people know that chocolate has antioxidants, and it lowers the high blood pressure.
CZ: Which is your favorite chocolate?
Kee Ling Tong: Passion fruit! It’s always been my favorite chocolate, since day one. Depending on the season, we make it here either with the fruit, or the fruit puree—which can be sometimes better than the fruit itself. We don’t put any preservatives in the chocolates we’re making here, and we make them daily. I don’t use butter also, because the chocolate itself has cocoa butter in it, and there’s also no sugar. I don’t add any sugar to the fillings. The percentage of cocoa is between 64 and 72. I believe that once you pass 74 %, the chocolate doesn’t taste as good anymore, it becomes bitter.
CZ: What do you think is the key to your success?
Kee Ling Tong: I believe that the key to the success of our chocolates is because they are fresh. Everyone has their own flavors and combinations, but the difference is that we’re making the chocolates every day, they are really fresh.
