Our Story

 

Hi everyone!

I am Chelsea, the self-taught baker behind Chiboo Bakery. Ever since my first bite of the elusive macaron in 2013, I made it my quest to master this temperamental, delicate French sweet, taking years of patience and technical practice. I went on to expand my knowledge by studying books on macarons and learning about complex flavor pairings. Macarons are super versatile and can come in a dazzling array of color and flavor possibilities.. making it so fun to both create and enjoy!

I was born and raised in a foodie family from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Every celebration starts with a table filled to the brim with delicious food, surrounded by loved ones and laughter. My family always believed that the best way to understand and celebrate a culture is through learning about the food! 2019-2020 (Pre-pandemic) for me was largely spent in Asia traveling, and I gathered my flavor inspiration from everything - the rustic, sweet shaved ice found on street markets of Phuket, Thailand; to dainty, perfect looking tarts from acclaimed pastry chefs in Hokkaido, Japan. I love fusion flavors, combined with the best premium ingredients and seasonal local specialties. I wanted to recreate these sweet adventures in my offerings.

After spending those years traveling, I moved halfway across the world right when the pandemic began in March 2020. I was feeling down from having no friends in this unfamiliar new environment, far from family and feeling "trapped" indoors. During those times, I turned to my source of comfort: Baking. Chiboo Bakery (formerly Yuzu Dreams) started out in a small kitchen in Reston, VA from the encouragement of family and friends. Since then, I have decided to focus on the bakery full-time and work out of a fully licensed kitchen in Herndon with big dreams for future expansion. There is more to come, and I can't wait to share - THANK YOU ALL for being a part of it!

 Frontier Kitchen Shared Ghost Kitchen Bakery