These colorful little balls of joy came from New York to sweeten Seoul

Food & Travel

Published: 03 May. 2023, 14:19 Updated: 03 May. 2023, 18:37

These colorful little balls of joy came from New York to sweeten Seoul

Twenty-four bonbons are offered at Stick With Me Sweets' Seoul store, which opened in April in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Glossy chocolate hemispheres with splashy colors are a dime a dozen these days, but the bonbons at Seoul’s newest candy shop, Stick With Me Sweets, are raising the bar for local candies with style that won't outshine substance.

One of New York City’s most recognizable candy shops, Stick With Me Sweets was founded in 2014 by Korean-American chocolatier Susanna Yoon, and last month, it opened its second-ever store in Apgujeong-dong, an upscale neighborhood in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

Hand-painted sophisticated designs containing components of the bonbons and scenes from nature cover the whisper-thin chocolate exteriors. A pleasantly snappy bite reveals dainty confections infused with ingredients like lime, matcha or sesame seed as well as more classic sea salt caramel or gianduja hazelnut fillings.

The most impressive element, however, is the chocolates’ particular warm, jovial essence. The taste, look and packaging combined is almost a given delight at any day. And that is exactly what Stick With Me’s Yoon strives for her sweets to be.

“You are absolutely welcome to come to the store and get just one bonbon. Maybe on a bad day, you can just have this one bite, and if it makes that person happy, well, that's the reason why we are here!” Yoon told the Korea JoongAng Daily during an interview in April. A single bonbon is 3,800 won ($3). A box of 6 is 31,000 won, 12 is 56,000 won, 24 is 98,000 won and 54 is 210,000 won.

“We believe in the power of love and connection,” she continued. “The name 'Stick With Me' represents our mission of creating handcrafted chocolates that inspire people to share and say 'Stick with me!' with the special people in their lives.”

Susanna Yoon, Stick With Me Sweets' owner and chief chocolatier, talks to the Korea JoongAng Daily on April 20 at an office in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Yoon was visibly excited and slightly nervous to be back in Korea after 15 years to realize her long-awaited dream of opening Stick With Me Sweets in her birth country.

“It feels like a homecoming, allowing me to rediscover and connect with my heritage in a truly meaningful way,” she said, adding that so much of her bonbons are inspired by her Korean grandmother who lived with her in the States.

“She cooked not just for our family but also for the entire community, and I remember the joy that she would bring other people with her food. That really resonated with me.”

After training at the International Culinary Center in Soho, New York, Yoon has also worked in restaurants including Michelin-starred fine dining Per Se, where she was a chocolatier.

Below are more excerpts from the interview with Yoon.

A box of 24 bonbons is sold at Stick With Me Sweets in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [SCREEN CAPTURE/STICK WITH ME SWEETS KOREA]

Q. How did you come to open a second branch in Korea?

A. Korea has a special place in my heart as my family has deep roots here. I'm also excited to engage with Korea by sharing something sweet and introducing them to a new chocolate experience from New York City!

We had planned to open our shop before Covid-19 hit, and it took us about three years of planning to finally open our shop in Korea. I still can't believe that we have actually opened, and I am still trying to let it all sink in.

How is the Korean shop different from the one in New York?

Of the 24 chocolates offered at our Korean shop, I wanted to bring a taste of New York to Korea by choosing to include flavors New York Cheesecake and Pecan Pie. Currently, we are in the process of creating a perfect bonbon that is inspired by the city of Seoul. Please stay tuned for updates!

These chocolates are a feast for the eyes. How do you go about designing and crafting them?

Each chocolate is handmade with a range of techniques, including hand-painting, shelling, piping and sealing.

When creating our designs, each chocolate bonbon is first conceptualized in the mind's eye and then refined through a series of trial-and-error, before being brought to life. We draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including the unique ingredients we use, and the serendipitous combinations of colors found in nature or our surroundings. Every brushstroke is a unique expression of our craft, demonstrating subtle variations in pressure, length, color intensity and character. No two chocolate bonbon pieces are exactly alike.

A pleasantly snappy bite reveals dainty confections infused with ingredients like lime, matcha or sesame seed as well as more classic sea salt caramel or gianduja hazelnut fillings. [SCREEN CAPTURE/STICK WITH ME SWEETS KOREA]

When and how did your love for chocolates begin?

I grew up in a small town outside of Seattle, WA., with my family, and was always captivated by my grandmother's cooking. She was a home cook and basically the nurturer of the family. I think just watching her prepare the food with such love and care for the family really sparked an interest in me to go into this industry because I feel like, as chefs, we are also nurturing other people with food. She would make colorful tteok (rice cakes at home, and then she would go to church and give them to everyone. I just remember the joy that she would bring other people, and that resonated with me.

After she passed away, I wanted to do something that reminded me of my grandmother, which is why I followed in her footsteps and became a cook myself.

What inspired you to open your own chocolate shop?

In 2013, I developed the concept for Stick With Me Sweets while working in fine-dining restaurants. My inspiration comes from extraordinary and intricate desserts found in Michelin-starred restaurants. My mission was to make these more accessible. To achieve this, I transformed delicious desserts into an assortment of beautifully handcrafted chocolate bonbons that are bite-sized, easily transportable, and safe to ship.

Back when the store opened in 2014, our bonbons were pretty foreign to most people as many would come into the store and ask, “What are these?”

It has been eight years since Stick With Me opened in New York. At this point as a chef, what is your focus?

I am always looking to change something. Thicker or looser, sweeter or saltier — it drives the employees crazy. But because our taste evolves with time, I believe that our recipes, even the ones that we perfected in the past, should change. We are also always coming up with new flavors for different seasons and holidays. We are working on summer flavors right now, which are often bright and citrusy.

While we are constantly evolving, our mission has remained consistent: to create a unique and unforgettable gift that conveys the message of "stick with me!" Our handcrafted chocolates provide a sweet and memorable way to express love and appreciation for the special people and moments in life. We believe in the power of love and connection, and our chocolates are the perfect way to share that message with someone special.