Wedding cake and nachos

While her staff is hawking nachos and chili dogs, Wonyee Tom spends

most of her time in the back of her small beachside concession stand

preparing cakes for Orange County brides and grooms.

Tom manages the Hilton Waterfront Beach Cabana, a small beach

concession stand that sells fast food at the front window as Tom

bakes masterpieces in the back.

The unassuming beach shack has long catered to weekend warriors,

serious surfers, cruiser riders and plenty of out-of-town tourists.

It still rents bikes and boards and sells bags of ice for coolers and

packs of firewood for the fire pits that dot Huntington Beach’s south

coast. But now, instead of just selling chicken fingers, the stand

hawks specialty fudge, homemade soft chocolate chip cookies and spicy

banana bread.

Tom, who grew up in New York, has served as head pastry chef at

ultra-gourmet eateries including New York’s Gotham Bar and Grill and

downtown Los Angeles’ Water Grill.

She landed the concession stand after working out a deal with

hotel owner Steve Bone.

“We’re pleased with how everything worked,” Bone said. “This has

been an interesting opportunity for both the hotel and Wonyee, and

we’re glad to see that she’s succeeding.”

Tom manages the crew of college kids who sell beach food in the

summer while also crafting specialty wedding cakes for ceremonies at

the hotel, as well as for her own clients.

“It was difficult at first because concessions are not my

background,” she said. “But I hired a really good crew to help me run

the place, giving me a chance to do my baking work.”

The new beachside location is a departure from her old six-day

work week at stressful five-star resorts and restaurant kitchens.

Besides creating wedding cakes and other pastries, Tom also makes

deserts for the Hilton’s Palm Court restaurant.

“The beach is an interesting place to work because it is so

temperamental,” said Tom, who lives just a few minutes away from her

concession stand. “I think we take a lot of it for granted. Before I

would only go to the beach six times a year, but now I’m there every

day.”

For brides, Tom makes tasting house calls and delivers her cakes

to the wedding location.

“The wedding cakes are whatever the client wants,” Tom said. “Most

of my recipes are inspired by food I liked to eat growing up. You

just have to tweak it so that it’s sophisticated but familiar. Foods

that our parents used to make -- that’s what people really respond

to.”