"Lee and Caldwell landed in Portland via Las Vegas and South Korea. Both were born in Seoul, and later met in Las Vegas. During their time there, Lee was a pastry chef at Joël Robuchon Las Vegas, while Caldwell worked at the Bellagio and Wynn-Las-Vegas, eventually opening Jinju Chocolates on South Rainbow Boulevard in 2011. By 2019, the couple planned for a move to Portland."
"Caldwell, a Master Chocolatier and award-winning pastry chef, and Lee's combined talents led to the opening of JinJu Patisserie on North Williams, in April 2019. Their opening menu included a wide selection of chocolates, cake slices, tarts, grain bowls, sandwiches, and drinks, Eater Portland reported at the time. In their time in Portland, the couple racked up accolades, earning a spot on Portland Monthly's Best New Restaurants list for 2019."
Kyurim "Q" Lee and Jin Caldwell will close JinJu Patisserie's current shop on Sunday, December 28 while they search for a new bakery space. The couple declined a near-miss seven-year lease on a state-of-the-art facility, citing a desire to remain boutique and flexible and to stay true to core values. Both were born in Seoul, met in Las Vegas, and worked at notable restaurants before opening Jinju Chocolates in 2011. They moved to Portland and opened JinJu Patisserie on North Williams in April 2019 with a menu of chocolates, pastries, sandwiches, and drinks. The bakery earned Portland Monthly's Best New Restaurants (2019) and James Beard Outstanding Bakery nominations in 2024 and 2025, winning in 2025. The couple is searching for a new space.
Read at Eater Portland
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