“I really loved the job as a banker, but the first thing I checked every morning in the newspaper is not the stock market section but the restaurant section,” said Chika Tillman, founder and head pastry chef of ChikaLicious Dessert Bar.
In the late 90s, when Tillman was working amid the hustle and bustle of Wall Street, in a suit and heels, she would attend the evening classes at French Culinary Institute after work. Having helped out in the kitchen at home at an age as early as six years old, Tillman has had a passion for European cuisine since she was a baby, regardless of the fact that she grew up in a traditional Japanese family in Tokyo.
Not long later, she started to set foot in the fine-dining industry in New York. From joining the Gramercy Tavern in 1994 to working at the Ritz Carlton, Tillman was finally living the life where she could talk about food as much as she wanted – the dream she kept holding onto when she quit her job as a banker.
From the fine-dining experience, not only did Tillman learn more about cooking with a professional team, but also, she noticed something else. “For most fine-dining places, you already spend $300 before the dessert course,” Tillman said. “So why not having a pizza or ramen and going to a different place for dessert?”
In 2003, with a vision of providing a four-star yet affordable dessert experience, Tillman opened ChikaLicious Dessert Bar with her husband, Don Tillman, in East Village. With no waiters, this 20-seat eatery that is built around an open kitchen enables Tillman to work right in front of the guests and to serve them directly. Influenced by her fine-dining experience, Tillman created a 3-course prix fixe menu with wine pairing, which starts with a two-bite tiny tasting portion and onto a comfortable and nostalgic piece.
“If I am making something that uses strawberries, I want people to think about a time when they had fresh strawberries,” Tillman said.
Finally, it ends with a more sugary piece to satisfy the brain.
“Because I don’t put much sugar in the first two pieces, so I want people to have something sweeter in the end so that they have a feeling of ‘Oh, I ate the dessert,’” said Tillman as she presented the most popular “Fromage Blanc Island Cheesecake.”
On top of a plate of ice, this white snowball is more like a milk pudding than a cake. Covered with fresh cream, it not only looks different from the traditional cheesecake, but also has a unique taste. As smooth as mousse, yet as rich as cheese, the cake will melt in your mouth after the first bite, but leaves a satisfying creamy consistency. The menu is changed every day by Tillman, with inspiration from food, color and picture, but “Fromage Blanc Island Cheesecake” is the only exception because of popular demand.
When asked what is the ideal job if she stops being a pastry chef, “A cashier at the liquor store!” Tillman said without hesitation. “So that I can get a discount for champagne! You know how much I love champagne,” Tillman said with excitement, just like a kid who finds her favorite toy, as she decorated a freshly-baked cake with blueberries.
