Born and raised in the Bronx, Pastry Chef Shaun Velez graduated from the French Culinary
Institute, now known as the International Culinary Center, in 2008. Following his studies, he
established his career in the award-winning kitchens of Chef Daniel Boulud, where he worked
closely with his mentor and James Beard Award-winning Pastry Chef Ghaya Oliveira at both
Boulud Sud and Restaurant DANIEL.
Before making his way back to New York, Shaun spent some time in Boston as the Executive
Pastry Chef at Deuxave, chef-owner Chris Coombs’ contemporary French restaurant. There, he
brought new skills, flavors and concepts to the restaurant’s pastry program and Boston’s overall
dessert scene.
In 2018, Shaun returned back to the Daniel Boulud family, this time as the Executive Pastry Chef
at Café Boulud. Two years later, Chef Daniel tapped Shaun for the executive pastry chef position
at his acclaimed restaurant, DANIEL. As Pastry Chef at DANIEL, Shaun continues to hone his craft
by employing innovative techniques to transform classic desserts into modern creations, working
on stunning constructions with the very best ingredients he can find.
