Junelle is the co-owner and pastry chef of Castle & Coal. She graduated the Culinary Management Program at George Brown College and developed her pastry skills working in Toronto’s various fine dining restaurants before going abroad to work and volunteer at Michelin restaurants around the world: Marcus Wareing in London, England, Eleven Madison Park, Per Se and Le Bernardin in New York, USA.
Inspired by memories from her childhood and career experiences, Junelle always dreamt of having her own pastry shop. She remembers her aunt taking her to cafes in the Philippines when she was younger where people not only ate delicious food, but also listened to live music and socialized with close friends and family. The nostalgic yet ecstatic feeling is what pushed her to create Castle & Coal.
The name Castle & Coal comes from the last names of Junelle and her husband: Casalan (Castle) and Colbert (Coal)
YeonJi's favourite dessert to make and why?
I love making financiers. My favourite desserts appear simple, but have wonderful textures and depth of flavour. They are a great showcase for good technique and ingredients.
YeonJi’s favourite hobbies
My favourite hobby is probably cooking savoury Korean food. Pastry and baking is my job, but cooking the food that reminds me of home is what brings me happiness in my own time.
I also enjoy running and taking long walks. My husband wishes my answer was playing golf with him, but I cannot say that is one of my favourites yet.
YeonJi’s favourite foods
Being from Korea, I love all varieties of seafood. I especially love crab. My favourite is raw, marinated crab served with warm rice.
Pastry skill or dessert Kathleen wants to learn
I feel like lamination in pastry is a skill you can spend a lifetime learning and refining. It is like making noodles; some people will spend their whole careers studying and mastering their technique.
YeonJi’s industry background
After moving to Canada, I started in the industry by doing the Baking and Pastry Arts program at George Brown College. After graduating, I wanted to develop a well-rounded skillset and range of experience, so I worked at a bakery (Blackbird), cafe and pastry shop (Neo Coffee Bar), and in French and Italian fine dining restaurants (Cafe Boulud, Buca).