Yu Chocolatier
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chocolate / Pâtisserie |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Taipei, Taiwan |
Key people | Yu-Hsuan Cheng (Chinese: 鄭畬軒 Founder and head chef[1] |
| Products | Chocolate, bonbons, cakes, seasonal specialties |
| Website | yuchocolatier |
Yu Chocolatier (Chinese: 畬室; pinyin: Yú Shì), also styled Yu Chocolatier • 畬室, is a Taiwanese chocolatier and pâtisserie based in Taipei. Founded by Yu-Hsuan Cheng (鄭畬軒), the business produces chocolate and pastry items using techniques influenced by French confectionery. The company has also incorporated Taiwanese ingredients in some of its products.
Cheng began learning chocolate-making around 2007 at the age of 19. He was initially primarily self-taught, until he travelled to Paris to study at the École Grégoire-Ferrandi, and later intern at the three-Michelin-star restaurant Pavillon Ledoyen and the chocolate and pastry shop Jacques Genin.[2] After returning to Taiwan, he opened Yu Chocolatier in Taipei in 2015.[3] In interviews, Cheng described his approach to chocolate as driven by passion and a desire to express creativity. He has also described the essential quality of a chocolatier as persistence rather than talent.[4]
Yu Chocolatier produces chocolate using French techniques and at times with Taiwanese ingredients.[5] Examples of items the company has sold include frozen chocolate mooncakes for Moon Festival and limited time brand collaborations such as a Lunar New Year gift box made with Lexus.[6] The chocolatier is among the few in Taiwan that have gained attention outside the country.[7]
Yu Chocolatier first entered the International Chocolate Awards (ICA) in 2016, winning one silver and one bronze in the Americas and Asia-Pacific divisions. Later that year, Yu Chocolatier became the first Taiwanese chocolate brand invited to the Salon du Chocolat in Paris.[8] In 2022, the company was selected by The World's 50 Best Restaurants "50 Next" Award in the category "Gamechanging Producers",[9] and in 2025 Yu Chocolatier received the highest vote count in the inaugural 500甜 awards.[10] In 2022, Cheng attended the Amour du Chocolat and the Salon du Chocolat Japan, where the magazine 500 Times described their chocolate-filled confections made with Taiwanese wild ginger as receiving "high praise".[11]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).