ISMism Dessert Founder | Chen Shilin

PRESENTER

Founder of ISM Desserts | Chen Shih-Lin

Chen Shih-Lin, the founder of ISM and the guest principal cellist of the Bend Voice Orchestra, turned to his favorite path of desserts at the age of 32. He studied cooking and baking in Canada and Japan, and from 2013 to 2014, he worked and studied at the renowned French pastry shop 16 District in Fukuoka, Japan, under the guidance of Japanese pastry master Takao Mibato.

At the end of 2015, "ISM" was founded in Tianmu, and Japanese chef Masajiro Komatsu was invited to join the blueprint of his dream, with the philosophy of not seeking to please the crowd, emphasizing the source of ingredients, and letting the ingredients speak for themselves.

Q & A

Q: How do you start your day?

Usually, I wake up around 4 o'clock to practice, then exercise, take a shower, and have a cup of coffee while thinking about today's to-do list.

Q: Where do you usually hang out the most?

If there are no other appointments, I basically stay at ISM.

Q: What is the restaurant you visit most often?

The "Lucky Small Roll Rice Noodles" next door is quite good, the soup is very fresh and sweet, and the small rolls are also very fresh. Additionally, I take foreign friends or friends from other places to "Fang's Small Restaurant" when they come to visit me. It's very suitable for gatherings, with freshly made soup dumplings and pork fried rice, which can be considered the Din Tai Fung of Tianmu (hahaha).

Q: What is your entertainment after work?

Clear my mind (laugh) I need to think too much at work, so after work, I hope to be in a state of emptiness to let my soul rest.

Q: How did you adjust your mindset when you started learning from scratch in Japan at the age of 32?

In a completely different professional field, and experiencing some culture shock when I first arrived in Japan, I have been constantly telling myself over the past two years: "You are great! You are brave!" After all, starting from scratch in my thirties, I believe most people would not step out of their comfort zone. Although music and desserts are different fields, the mindset is the same for me; whether it is auditory or gustatory, building expertise takes time.

Q: What advice do you have for those who want to start a business?

"Don't be afraid of the heat in the kitchen" We are not walking on a railway track, but rather building our own track, and we don't know which direction it will go. In this era, there will be more bottlenecks in entrepreneurship, and it may take more effort to achieve results that may not meet expectations. In terms of mindset, focus on what can be done now, and strive to find ways to survive and get closer to the goal a little bit; sometimes taking a step back is not a bad thing.

Q: What is a book you recently read? What insights or thoughts did you have after finishing it?

"The Aesthetics of Work" is written by Jiang Zhencheng. Chef Jiang is a workaholic, and I greatly admire his sense of aesthetics. In a busy and tense work environment, he has found a sense of ritual in life. His imagination about work and how to lead a team is expressed very clearly in the book. I am convinced by him and want to give it a try. As for myself in leading a team, I am still searching for the right direction.

Q: What do you think is the most interesting place in Taiwan or what attracts you to it?

Because I am not a foreigner, I may not be able to express the things that attract me, but every time I perform abroad, I miss the beauty of Taiwan. For me, Taiwan is home, with familiar language and friends. As a person from the south, my feelings for this land are even deeper. The most interesting part of traveling is exploration; there is no need to specifically look for restaurants or attractions. Walking down the street, casually entering a restaurant or discovering an interesting little shop around the corner, are all surprises found at unexpected moments.

Q: What do you look forward to the most when staying at a hotel?

Quiet and clean, I have stayed in no less than 200 hotels during my touring career. Later, I realized that accommodation is a tranquil and comfortable space to rest after a busy schedule.

Q: What is your impression of the hotels under Taipei Inn?

Before the pandemic, I was unable to fly out in the sunshine and warmth. I stayed at the Dandy Hotel Da-An branch, and although it does not directly face Da-An Forest Park, the room felt very comfortable. There was also a personalized card upon check-in; these small details made me feel very warm.