Celebrate 2025 AAPI Month
Learn Asian Culinary Arts in Seattle at One-Of-Its-Kind Cooking School
The only culinary school in the United States with all women AAPI chefs celebrates diversity this AAPI month with slew of new classes
SEATTLE – April 25th, 2025 – For the first time, anyone can learn to cook authentic homestyle meals with chefs from 6 Asian countries in one place. Asian culinary school Dash of Soy, the only cooking school in the United States owned and run by women AAPI chefs, today announced a slew of new cooking classes in celebration of diversity this AAPI month, which kicks off on May 1st. Dash of Soy chefs share a commitment to authenticity and cultural representation, with each chef bringing their own cultural heritage to life through authentic dishes. Started in 2019 in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood, Dash of Soy makes it easy for anyone to learn to cook iconic and authentic Asian homestyle dishes. Seattleites, tourists, and local organizations including Microsoft, Brighton Jones, and Washington Athletic Club are among the many students who have come to Dash of Soy. To sign up for a class, visit www.dashofsoy.com.
This AAPI month, Dash of Soy students can select from a wide variety of classes including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. These include:
Craft restaurant-quality ramen with all its trimmings from Chef Mikiko Yang in the Tokyo-style Shoyu Ramen class.
Create a flavorful Bibimbap and Banchan, the deliciously seasoned side dishes that are the soul of bibimbap, from Chef Jee Hye Kang. (Vegetarian class)
Recreate the bold flavors of iconic Gujarati chaat in the Indian Vegan Street Foods class from Chef Vandana Shah. (Vegan class)
Debone chicken wings and stuff them with homemade Lao sausage with Chef Soy Dara in Street Foods of Laos. (Gluten-free class)
Create sweet and savory treats inspired by the cherry blossom tree with Seattle's one-and-only Sakura-Themed Afternoon Tea with Chef Winnie Au.
Create the 8-course Chinese Feast using iconic Cantonese cooking techniques such as wok stir-frying and steaming with Dash of Soy Founder and Chef Elaine Sher, while experiencing the benefits of Chinese food therapy, where food is treated as both nourishment and medicine.
Seattleites are finding diversity, equity, and inclusivity under attack, with Seattle’s big pride events being underfunded this year, and nearly 2 in 5 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) residents being victim of an anti-Asian incident in the last 12 months, according to The Asian American Foundation’s September 2024 report. Dash of Soy makes it easy to tap into the rich history and diverse culinary talent already present in Seattle. Dash of Soy chefs hail from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, India, China, Laos, and Thailand. They impart time-tested homestyle recipes to diligent home cooks and share the stories behind each dish’s cultural and personal significance. By preparing a dish true to its cultural heritage, home cooks can connect with a culture they feel an affinity with or had previously only experienced through travel.
To make learning effective and enjoyable, Dash of Soy offers small group classes in a home setting for a maximum of 6 students so that every student gets hands-on time, experience with cooking every step of the recipe, a familiar home kitchen setup, as well as direct coaching and feedback from the chef. For home cooks who get overwhelmed trying to decipher the labels and brands in an Asian grocery store – a time-consuming and error prone task when you don’t know the language – Dash of Soy also offers market tours to educate students on how to identify and select the right ingredients for different types of recipes.
“When you learn to cook a dish from a chef who is from that culture, you are learning not just the recipe, but also the stories behind that dish. Many of our students say our classes remind them of the cooking classes they love to take when they travel. They get to immerse in the culture, listen to the language, and gain a deeper appreciation of the food they already love. Learning how to recreate the dishes is like taking home a part of that culture,” said Dash of Soy Founder and Chef Elaine Sher.
“The Thai curry class was a Christmas gift to my wife. Elaine is an excellent host and Soy, her colleague, is a great chef and excellent at explaining and demonstrating techniques and the use of ingredients as well as sharing some of the history of SE Asia which I especially enjoyed. Our small group got along very well and were able to chop, peel and cook three different curries which we then all enjoyed eating together. I would definitely take classes from them again.” - David Carlson, Seattle, USA
“I arranged the dumpling and mochi classes for our remote work socials via Elaine at Dash of Soy. These classes were exceptional, delicious food and brilliant hosting. I cannot recommend Elaine highly enough, we will definitely use her again :)” - Nadia Stones from BeZero Carbon, England, UK
“My daughter celebrated her 16th Birthday at Dash of Soy with the Make Your Own Udon class. Chief Mikiko was a wonderful teacher, providing instruction and telling us about the history of udon and its components. We made the noodles from scratch, kneading the dough using our feet, which the kids (and adults) enjoyed. Even though there were several different dietary restrictions (gluten-free, vegetarian, and pescatarian), Chief Mikiko had substitutions which were super tasty. Lots of fun and highly recommended!” - Amanda Hosch, Seattle, USA
