About Us
The Story of Jhirmali’s Cheesecake
People who have tasted Jhirmali’s Cheesecake describe the experience as “melt in your mouth delicious.” Jhirmali’s Cheesecake is such a satisfying dessert experience that your taste buds will scream for more!
Jhirmali’s origins are rooted in a tradition that began almost 50 years ago with the Gill family of Seattle, WA. The Gills are a large family with seven brothers and sisters. That’s a lot of birthdays to celebrate throughout the year, with a cake for every child or grandchild. Mr. Charles Gill Sr. was the dessert maker of the family. He loved to make birthday cakes for his large family, and he loved to bake for the holidays.
Mr. Gill’s cakes became famous in Seattle’s Madrona neighborhood. Mr. Gill would take a two week vacation every year at Christmas for baking all kinds of goodies, and the house would fill with the irresistible aromas of vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and other secret ingredients. A visit to the Gill house during this season was a highlight for many friends and family members! To this day, fabulous desserts are a cherished feature of the Gill family tradition, and no holiday feast is complete without them.
The first cake he developed was the German Chocolate cake. This was followed by the Hundred Dollar chocolate cake, a six-layer creation that caused chocolate lovers to turn cartwheels. His final secret recipe would become Jhirmali’s Cheesecake, a creamy delicious creation fully covered in a wonderful crust.
A friend of the family commented after sampling the cheesecake that it was better than anything he had tasted from any bakery. This gave Mr. Gill’s son, Oral, an epiphany. This cheesecake was the perfect product to bring to the masses, and Jhirmali’s was born.
Over the years Oral Gill has perfected his father’s cheesecake recipe. Since then many Seattleites have had the pleasure of savoring the remarkable taste of a Jhirmali’s Cheesecake. Oral went on to create cheesecakes in different flavors. Jhirmali’s currently offers more than ten different kinds of cheesecake. Have fun picking your favorite! He also added the German Chocolate cake and carrot cake to the flavor list, which are both now available in a GLUTEN FREE version.
Starting in the mid 1980s, Jhirmali’s Gourmet Desserts has been featured at numerous restaurants and culinary fairs including the Indulge restaurant trade show, the Seattle Style restaurant in Edmonds, the International House restaurant in Lynnwood, Elliott’s on the Waterfront in Seattle and a several restaurants in the Northgate and Mountlake Terrace neighborhood.
Chefs, restaurant owners and the general public have all praised the high quality taste of Jhirmali’s Cheesecake, truly “A Little Slice of Heaven.”
In 2017, Oral and his wife Laura moved to Waldport, a beautiful little town on the central Oregon coast. In 2018, Oral started up the cake business again, selling his cheesecakes, carrot cakes and German Chocolate cakes at the Waldport Wednesday Market. The response has been overwhelmingly positive! People love the the cheesecakes, and have told us they are unlike anything they have ever tried before. The carrot cakes and German Chocolate cakes are also a huge hit. Currently, Jhirmali’s is preparing for the 2024 market season, which runs from May through September. We look forward to seeing you there!
