Dai Shi · Pastry Chef & Founder, BakeLab

Craft in Every Layer

CIA-trained, MICHELIN-proven. From New York to the Heartland — each creation is built with precision, curiosity, and a fierce love of the craft.

Learn More

Scroll

Meet the Chef

Dai Shi

Executive Pastry Chef, Founder of BakeLab, and culinary mentor — bringing CIA training and Michelin experience to the Midwest.

CIACulinary Institute of America

DanielMichelin 2-Star NYC

$1.8M+Annual Revenue

Education

Culinary Institute of America

Baking & Pastry Arts, Hyde Park, NY

Parkland College

Associate Degree in Marketing, Champaign, IL

Expertise

Laminated DoughsFrench PastryModern EntremetsKitchen SystemsTeam LeadershipWholesale Ops

Experience

2025 – Present

Food & Beverage Consultant / Mentor

ChefLab Food Business Incubator, Urbana, IL

2021 – Present

Co-Founder / Executive Pastry Chef

BakeLab & BakeLab Patisserie, Champaign-Urbana, IL

2017 – 2018

Pastry Chef

Restaurant Daniel (2-Star MICHELIN), New York, NY

Advanced Training (2023-2025)

Emmanuel Forcone — Modern French PastriesJoaquin Soriano — Boutique French Pastries & CakesJulien Perrinet — Afternoon Tea & Mignardise PastryChristophe Morel — Chocolate, Praline & ConfectioneryJean-François Arnaud, MOF — Cakes & Travel CakesSebastien Chevallier, MOF — Artisanal Sourdough & BreadJordi Bordas — Recipe Formulation with the B•Concept MethodAlice Chow — Wedding Cake Master ClassMaggie Austin — Wedding Cake Design Master Class