In a culinary twist that few saw coming, Mark Lieuw has transformed his childhood passion for baking into a promising career in the world of artisanal chocolate.
Back in 2012, as he prepared for the medical school admission test, Lieuw’s mother suggested he explore pastry school, a nudge that changed his life path.
“It was just something I did as a kid,” he reflects, recalling his days of making crème brûlée.
To his surprise, once he enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu, his love for pastry-making flourished.
After earning his degree, he transitioned to high-end culinary establishments, earning experience at prestigious venues such as Eleven Madison Park in New York and Atelier Crenn and Saison in San Francisco.
Now, Lieuw is embarking on an independent venture with his chocolate pop-up, Stay Sweet, known for its stunning confections that play with daring flavors like shiitake mushroom caramel and Japanese brown rice.
Lieuw is part of a new generation of San Francisco chocolatiers, distinguished by their fine dining backgrounds and artistic visions, contributing to the rich chocolate legacy of the city.
Brands like Ghirardelli and Guittard have long been staples, while contemporary establishments such as Dandelion, Tcho, and Recchiuti continue to innovate in the chocolate realm.
“There’s such a history of chocolate in the city, whether you talk about Ghirardelli or Dandelion,” says Lieuw.
Shekoh Moossavi, another significant player in the San Francisco chocolate scene, echoes these sentiments.
After moving her business, Shekoh Confections, from Palo Alto to San Francisco earlier this year, she embraces the diverse opportunities the city offers for new perspectives in chocolate making.
“The way you make chocolate has everything to do with the person who makes it,” she states.
Moossavi’s journey also began in the sciences, specifically glaucoma research, before she was drawn to the culinary arts through her sister’s encouragement.
She found the creative potential of chocolate-making exhilarating, with no limits to her imagination.
Unlike the original maker-focused philosophies of companies like Dandelion and Tcho that emphasize cacao’s flavor complexities, this new wave of chocolatiers aims to express their unique identities through their creations.
With a background as a chef at Ritz-Carlton and experience running restaurants in the South Bay, Moossavi infuses her confections with Persian elements like rose and sour orange, sourcing high-quality local ingredients.
Lieuw, who began Stay Sweet in his parents’ garage in late 2024, seeks to create an authentically Bay Area product, reflecting his Cantonese roots and fond memories of family culinary traditions.
“I want this to be such an authentically Bay Area, San Francisco product that it can’t be replicated anywhere else,” he says.
Manufacturing chocolate in San Francisco presents challenges, including rising startup costs and intricate permitting processes inherent to the city.
Moreover, the surge in cocoa prices, which peaked in late 2024, compounded these difficulties due to adverse conditions in West Africa.
“I chose to start a chocolate business when chocolate pricing is the highest it’s ever been!” Lieuw laughs, acknowledging the risk involved.
Yet San Francisco’s wine and food culture presents numerous advantages, with consumers demonstrating a keen willingness to invest in premium, high-quality products.
Todd Masonis, the CEO of Dandelion Chocolate, illustrated this shift, noting how customers evolved from chocolate novices to knowledgeable connoisseurs in a matter of years.
“Our first year, people would come into our Valencia Street cafe for a hot chocolate and would be asking all kinds of questions. By year two, they were bringing their friends in and answering the questions for them,” he recalls.
Dandelion’s success is apparent as they expanded their locations and transitioned many operations online during the pandemic, effectively pivoting from a cafe-centric model.
However, the careful craftsmanship of chocolate production remains a demanding endeavor.
Michael Tabatabai, a former executive pastry chef at Tartine Bakery, launched his Moon Kids pop-up earlier this year but soon found it overwhelming to manage alone.
“I need to know my limitations, and being the sole production person… it led me to take a step back,” he admits, though holds optimism for the evolving chocolate landscape in San Francisco.
Similarly, Moossavi faced obstacles when she relocated, including significant upgrades to her new Third Street facility to comply with health codes and attract customers after leaving her previous Palo Alto location.
Despite the challenges, the vibrancy of San Francisco’s culinary scene continues to inspire her.
“San Francisco, with all of the problems that it has, inspires me,” she shares.
“Every morning, facing the east and the Bay, I reflect while having my tea as the sun rises, and I start making my chocolates. I love this place.”
image source from：sfstandard
