About Us

Miette means, "little crumb" in French. This name was chosen while giving cooking classes at the restaurant Tartine in the West Village. Since Tartine means "slice of bread" we thought it an appropriate name for the school! 

Paul Vandewoude-Head Chef and Owner has been a professional chef for 35 years. He was born and educated in Belgium and started his cooking career at the tender age of 13 by becoming an apprentice to an established chef in Belgium. He eventually received his degree in culinary arts from the Durbuy Cooking School in Durbuy, Belgium. After his military service (chef on a battleship that traveled throughout the Middle East: now that's cooking in small quarters!) he worked in several top restaurants in his native country. He came to New York to assist with the opening of a Belgian restaurant, and stayed on to become executive chef at the original Le Zinc Restaurant in Tribeca, then executive chef in the charming and popular restaurants Tartine and Titou in the West Village. He began giving cooking classes on Monday nights at Tartine and, after several years, opened his own cooking school.

Sui Lon Chan-Guest Chef and Caterer was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan after her parents immigrated from Hong Kong in the early 1960s. Sui Lon's interest in food was apparent at 5 years old when she helped her mom make rice, dumplings, and other Chinese specialties. While growing up in a home where her parents ate only Chinese food, it was the diverse cultures in her neighborhood that allowed Sui Lon’s curiosity in food and cultures to grow. Her neighbors were Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Spanish, Jewish, Italian, Persian, and Indian. At New York Restaurant School, Sui Lon studied Classic French Cuisine and graduated first in her class in 1992. Upon graduating, she went on to work in the restaurant industry, later starting her own catering business.

Rati Lohtia – Guest Chef and Indian Food Instructor grew up in India with a cooking teacher for a mother, and developed a fervent
passion for food at an early age. She has traveled the world, absorbing ideas and translating them into new and exciting dishes. Her repertoire includes original recipes that capture the tremendous offerings from all over India and blend them seamlessly with dishes popular in the West. From the deceivingly simple Samosas
to the seemingly elaborate but effortless Chicken Tikka Masala, her recipes are lip-smackingly delicious and guaranteed to work. Her goal as an instructor is to demystify Indian cooking, offer simple tricks that anyone can learn, and ensure that Indian food is enjoyable for all. She has spent over a decade parlaying her passion into teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education and at Miette. She recently conducted an Indian Street Food Workshop at the James Beard House, and was featured in the 2011 Cooking Channel TV campaign.

Robbi King - Pastry Chef
Originally from the beaches of Southern California, Robbi King developed an intense curiosity for food at a very early age. With a diverse family and social background, she grew to understand food as the greatest form of communication. Her appreciation for fresh and seasonal ingredients stems from her upbringing in California where orange groves laced the vista and every other plot of land was marked with strawberry fields or avocado orchards.  A graduate of The French Culinary Institute, Robbi incorporates classical techniques with a modern and sincere approach to pastry. When she’s not spending time with her first passion, her young son Parker, Robbi can usually be found in the kitchen, catering parties and functions for clients, or at a local market thinking of her next tasty treat. When she’s not busy baking or proofing, Robbi enjoys hours and hours of sifting through international cookbooks and spending quiet time with her family.