Business Spotlight: Pinklady Cheese Tart
Jean Lim, owner of Pinklady Cheese Tart
Pinklady Cheese Tart
11 Mott St
We’re excited to spotlight Pinklady Cheese Tart! Owner Jean Lim’s inspiration behind her dessert shop arose when she visited Japan and Malaysia and saw how popular cheese tart desserts were. However, these delightful treats weren’t readily available in NYC. Jean got to work learning the craft by watching YouTube videos by a Japanese chef. She opened Pinklady Cheese Tart in May 2020 and has been serving Chinatown ever since.
Blog by Courtney Adams, Photos by Donny Tsang
Open the door to Pinklady Cheese Tart, and let me tell you, you’ll always know you made the right move. The aroma of Pinklady is so heavenly that it’s hard to quantify. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve lit candles in my apartment to replicate the feeling I got with that first inhale walking into the store. But, with Pinklady, no replication is needed. It didn’t take me long to realize that everything about the place, from the tasty cheese tarts to owner Jean Lim’s dynamism, is as real as it gets.
An avid traveler, it was Jean’s wanderlust that brought her to the inspiration behind Pinklady. After spending months traveling throughout Japan and Malaysia, her culinary and business curiosities were piqued when she saw how popular cheese tart desserts were in both places. Jean realized that while the tasty treats (best described as a hybrid between a custard and cheesecake, but please, just go try Pinklady immediately to see for yourself) were endlessly popular in Japan and Malaysia, they weren’t in New York City. And therein, Jean realized, was her small business niche dream-come-true.
“I knew I wanted to be in an Asian community, especially selling a Japanese product. Having a great community is important--it’s the foundation of having happier people.”
Jean dove right in, immersing herself in an effort to make excellent cheese tarts. “I learned from a Japanese chef online by watching her videos. I’d watch YouTube videos. However I could learn to make them. Google is my best friend,” she modestly stated, as though to explain her talent away. But, I know what she may be too humble to realize--the food she makes and the recipes she creates may be honed by her admittedly prolific YouTube watching. But, no amount of Google searching can transform a person into something they are not. To create the cheese tarts and treats Jean does requires an intangible, inherent skill. Give me a paint brush, and I can probably learn how to most effectively hold it, but I can’t Google how to be Picasso.
With her travels ending and her cheese tart making abilities honed, Jean hit the ground running looking for a storefront. She knew she didn’t want to look further than Chinatown; and, she was excited to bring her baked novelties to the neighborhood she calls home. “I knew I wanted to be in an Asian community, especially selling a Japanese product. Having a great community is important--it’s the foundation of having happier people,” Jean wisely reflected. “And, I wanted to contribute to that feeling myself.”
“The people are my favorite aspect of Chinatown. If there’s ever any help that I need, they’ll offer. Other business owners, my neighbors, they’ll often come in and ask if I need anything, and invite me to let them know if I ever do.”
Jean opened the doors to Pinklady Cheese Tart in May of 2020, undoubtedly an uncertain time. Despite opening during the pandemic, like her work ethic, she charged forward. “Opening during that time was a blessing in disguise,” Jean recalls. “We were actually able to be open during the pandemic, so we had people willing to come in and try our products.” Tell me you’re resilient without telling me you’re resilient, right? And it was times like these she was reminded about why she chose to open her business in Chinatown. “The people are my favorite aspect of Chinatown. If there’s ever any help that I need, they’ll offer. Other business owners, my neighbors, they’ll often come in and ask if I need anything, and invite me to let them know if I ever do,” Jean shared with palpable gratitude. “We treat each other like family.”
This familial warmth is something Jean is passionate about creating at Pinklady Cheese Tart, too. “My favorite part of my work is chatting with my crew members. It’s so good to have a harmonious environment so people feel inspired when they work. I’ve had supervisors in the past who have been harsh or too strict; and, sometimes, I wouldn’t want to come into work or would lack motivation. I don’t want to make my staff feel this way.” Indeed, even during our conversation, Jean was still completely present with her staff member on shift, both assisting with orders or providing recommendations to customers.
“Anything you can think of, you can do. If you really love what you do, you’ll definitely be able to accomplish what you’ve always dreamed about, but don’t be afraid to get advice from experienced people, from mentors.”
With Jean, one could actually take notes on how to be an effective manager. “Right before I opened my business, I worked at a bubble tea shop to learn how to make a product under a strict timeline so I could be a better manager.” At this point, I couldn’t hide how impressed I was with her. Perhaps sensing this, she simply added, “I needed to learn how things were done because I had never worked in a restaurant before!” While something just tells me Jean is a perfectionist, she also doesn’t make decisions in a vacuum. “I like to create new things through trial and error; and, I like it when my crew tries my experiments,” Jean shared. “Every time we try something new, I welcome my crew members to share opinions.” And speaking of opinions, when asked about her favorite flavors of her cheese tarts, Jean hesitated, but conceded, “I do love the lemon cheese tart. But, I am in the kitchen and try cheese tarts every single day. I try not to have favorites because I fear I would only want to sell that one thing! I feel like all of my flavors, too, need to taste equally as good,” she shared matter-of-factly. “I try not to look at it through a lens of what my favorites are to keep all of them to the same standard.”
Yes, Jean is a boss--which is why there’s something particularly heartwarming about how she happened upon the name of her shop. See, with someone like Jean, I expect everything to be so precise and exacting, that it’s definitely a fun surprise to learn how Pinklady Cheese Tart came to be. “I knew I wanted the word ‘lady’ in my business name, and what can I say? I like the color pink,” Jean shared with a smile. “But, the name came to me in a dream. I wanted a special name for people to remember. Having the word, ‘lady’ in my business name adds a touch of elegance, and since I am a woman-owned business, it really fits.” I couldn’t help but think how I couldn’t love Jean’s story more if I wanted to--amazing desserts plus a little touch of mysticism?! Sign me up. “I don’t remember details of my dreams, but I did remember waking up once just knowing the name ‘lady’ had to be in my name.”
I don’t think Jean realized how summative it all was. Just knowing something on such an instinctual level is such an empowering feeling. And empowered people empower others, which is exactly what Jean does. Case in point? “I am willing to make and sell things that are different and that you don’t typically see in Chinatown--even different for New York City. My products are unique products,” Jean shared. There’s something so obviously inspiring about such a sense of self-actualization. But, Jean also understands the reality that such novelty brings. “The downside is that some people may not know what cheese tarts are. It’s not obvious, like a bagel place or donut shop. So, I’ve had to market more.”
“It's just so satisfying to see people happy trying my food.”
And that sense of community that drew Jean to Chinatown is one she’s extremely grateful for in these instances. “When I started, I was excited to open and wasn’t thinking about this marketing component. So, I’d say getting my food out there has been my biggest challenge. And, Welcome to Chinatown has really helped me to promote through their Instagram.” A Longevity Fund recipient, Jean added with palpable gratitude, “We used the grant for rent, utilities, and raw materials--our day to day needs.” And, while she shared she’s only been open for three years, “I’ve seen more and more foot traffic including out-of-state tourists and tours. In the past, I received a lot of take-out orders, but am definitely seeing more in-store orders lately.” Meeting such day-to-day needs has been essential to seeing such an evolution in such a brief amount of time. And, I surely speak for many when I say this is a need I’m grateful has been met.
When asked about what advice she’d impart to other small business owners, she readily shared, “Take that first step! Get out of your comfort zone. Think outside of the box; and, don’t be afraid to do what you’re passionate about.” Jean is a case in point of what can become when one follows their dreams. While she can share, with confidence, that her biggest accomplishment has unquestionably been “opening my business, essentially out of thin air--out of inspiration and a dream Anything you can think of, you can do. If you really love what you do, you’ll definitely be able to accomplish what you’ve always dreamed about, but don’t be afraid to get advice from experienced people, from mentors. My friend is another small business owner, and she’s a great resource. We’re sounding boards for each other; and, we learn from each other, be it how to get supplies, training staff, sourcing materials--you name it, anything.”
At this point, I realized that the increased tourism and foot traffic Jean has observed isn’t the result of chance. It’s the result of business owners like Jean, dedicated to the community and doing whatever it takes to create an incredible product to share with it. “It's just so satisfying to see people happy trying my food,” Jean shared wistfully. Happiness is generally tough to quantify. Try a Pinklady cheese tart, though. When you’re inevitably sad you’ve taken your last bite, you’ve not only just discovered a quantifiable barometer of happiness, you’ll be the result of Jean Lim’s dream come true.
You can visit Jean at Pinklady Cheese Tart at 11 Mott St in Manhattan Chinatown!
Chinatown establishments like Pinklady Cheese Tart are what makes the spirit of our neighborhood. We need your support now more than ever to keep that spirit alive. Together, we can preserve Chinatown businesses and ensure Chinatown will always be open for business. To support Chinatown organizations like Pinklady Cheese Tart, donate to the Longevity Fund here:
Photos by Donny Tsang
