Dash of Soy is a Seattle-based culinary school founded by Elaine Sher in 2019. Since then, the school has evolved into a platform for an all-women, all-Asian team of chefs who share a commitment to authenticity and cultural representation. Each chef brings her own cultural heritage to life through authentic dishes: Asian Bakery, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Lao, and Thai. Dash of Soy Culinary School specializes in simple, delicious, and healthy home-cooking inspired by our childhood and family traditions.

Meet our chefs

Dash of Soy is an all-women, all-Asian team of chefs, each bringing the dishes she grew up with to the table. Behind every class is a person — her family recipes, her travels, her reasons for teaching. Meet the chefs you'll cook alongside.

Chef Mikiko Yang — Japanese

Mikiko teaches Japanese home cooking the way it's made in her family’s kitchen — ramen from scratch, hand-formed sushi, udon, okonomiyaki, katsu curry, even vegan oden. A mother of two teenagers and a cultural ambassador for Japan, she treats every class as a way to share not just technique but also the culture behind it.

Chef Winnie Au — Asian Bakery

An award-winning pastry chef, Winnie has taught in both Hong Kong and the US. She specializes in Asian cuisines and pastry arts, with international qualifications in cake decoration and handcrafts earned across the U.S., Canada, and Hong Kong. Her classes turn delicate chiffon cakes and bold Asian flavors into edible works of art.

Chef Soy Dara — Lao & Thai

Born in a refugee camp in northern Thailand to a Lao family, Soy resettled in the US at age four and stayed connected to her roots by cooking for community gatherings and Lao Buddhist Temple events. She loves food for the way it brings people together. A full-time chef and Kids Programming Coordinator at The Pantry, she teaches the Lao and Thai feasts she grew up cooking.

Chef Jee Hye Kang — Korean

Jee Hye grew up in Seoul, South Korea, with fond memories of mountain day trips and family picnics. Her career has centered on building community through food — including her work at the Ballard Food Bank, which shaped her belief in food's power to nourish body and mind. She also teaches at The Pantry, and brings Korean home cooking to life from street snacks to a full banchan spread.

Chef Vandana Shah — Indian

A proud native of Amdavad, Gujarat, Vandana finds joy in creating vegan Indian dishes for her wide circle of friends and family around Seattle. She specializes in transforming non-vegan Indian classics into vegan delights and uses sourdough to craft authentic Indian savory snacks. A certified Iyengar Yoga teacher as well, she brings warmth and patience to every class.

Chef Cindy Yuong — Asian Bakery

Founder of Sweet Dream Bakes, Cindy is a Seattle pastry chef and artist who pairs technical training with an artist's eye, designing classes that feel calm, approachable, and a little bit magic. Cindy trained at the highly regarded Culinary Institute of America, and sought specialized baking training in Asia.

Chef & Founder Elaine Sher — Chinese

After 20 years in technology marketing, Elaine left the corporate world in 2017 to travel solo, later returning to Seattle to pursue a simpler, more fulfilling life. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she has lived in Canada and the US for over 30 years and traveled to more than 50 countries. Growing up with authentic Chinese and pan-Asian cuisine, she's fluent in both Asian and North American ingredients and flavors. Elaine has been a guest instructor at The Pantry, PCC Markets, and Book Larder — and beyond teaching, she's an artist who enjoys drawing step-by-step recipes for the dishes she teaches.

What makes Dash of Soy special?

Dash of Soy cooking classes are truly one-of-a-kind — always hands-on, always small-group, with a maximum of 6 students in-person. Every class is designed to bring classic Asian flavors into your everyday cooking, taught by an all-women, all-Asian team of chefs who each share the dishes they grew up with. We're proud to call the historic, industrial-chic Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle home — so come for the cooking class, and stay to explore one of the city's most distinctive, lesser-known corners. And we also give back: Dash of Soy donates regularly to charities founded by or serving BIPOC, women, and LGBTQIA+ communities.