Tiya Singh Gandhi - Representing Le Bernardin At The James Beard Foundation

NEW YORK CITY — Precision, Tiya Singh Gandhi believes, is learned long before it is displayed. She emphasizes repeatedly one idea: discipline first, recognition later.

Her formal training began at the Culinary Institute of America, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Baking and Pastry Arts. The program, known for its technical rigor, emphasizes repetition, structure, and mastery of classical foundations before creative expression. Gandhi credits that environment with shaping her professional instincts.

“You’re taught to respect process,” she said. “If you skip steps, it shows on the plate.”

That respect for process carried her into the pastry kitchens of the three-Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, where she rose to the position of Lead Pastry Cook. In a restaurant internationally recognized for its refinement and consistency, dessert execution is measured not only by flavor, but by balance, restraint, and repeatability.

At Le Bernardin, standards are exact. Timing is synchronized. Adjustments are subtle. Gandhi described the environment as one where small detail carry significant weight. “In that kind of kitchen, you learn that excellence isn’t dramatic,” she noted. “It’s controlled.”

That control was tested in a different context when she was selected to accompany her Executive Pastry Chef to a collaborative dinner hosted by the James Beard Foundation. The Foundation’s programming is widely regarded within the industry as a national forum for culinary expression, drawing chefs whose work represents the upper tier of American dining.

For the event — “Navidad Boricua: The Puerto Rican Holiday Table” — Gandhi was the only pastry team member chosen to represent the restaurant. The dinner focused on interpreting Puerto Rican holiday traditions within a contemporary fine-dining framework.

Events of this scale introduce unpredictability. Kitchens are temporary. Equipment varies. Service is condensed. Yet the expectation remains identical to that of a Michelin-starred dining room.

“You adapt quickly,” Gandhi explained. “But the standard doesn’t lower. That’s non-negotiable.”

Her role involved contributing to dessert elements that balanced cultural authenticity with the polished aesthetic associated with Le Bernardin. She described the process as one of listening first — understanding the tradition before shaping its presentation.

Those familiar with high-level kitchens note that representation at national culinary gatherings reflects institutional confidence. In elite environments, such trust is accumulated over time through reliability, composure, and technical accuracy.

Gandhi’s career path reflects that steady progression: formal academic training, advancement within one of the country’s most distinguished restaurants, and participation in nationally visible collaborations. Each stage, she suggests, builds on the previous one.

When asked how she measures growth, her answer was understated. “If the work improves, that’s enough.”

There is little theatricality in the way she speaks about her profession. Instead, her focus remains on repetition, refinement, and responsibility — qualities that underpin both culinary education and Michelin-star service.

In an industry where prestige often captures attention, Gandhi’s trajectory appears grounded in consistency. From the classrooms of the Culinary Institute of America to the disciplined pace of Le Bernardin’s pastry kitchen, and onto the stage of a James Beard Foundation collaboration, her path has followed a clear throughline: training translated into trust.

And in professional kitchens, trust is currency.