From his first encounter with Daniel, Raphael was determined to continue his education throughout France in order to prepare for a future journey to NewYork City and the pastry kitchen at DANIEL.

Raphael began cooking at the early age of 15 in Lyon, starting his apprenticeship on the
savory side rather than pastry. After two years he chose to specialize, turning to the trade his
grandfather had practiced. He began his career as a pastry cook at Guy Lassausaie cake shop
and restaurant in 1997 with an apprenticeship that set him on the road to attaining the
proper balance of flavors and texture.

After working as a pasty cook throughout Lyon under chefs including Serge Lassausaie and Phillipe Gauvreau, Raphael traveled to the South of France in March 2002 to the Relais & Château La Chevre d'Or near Nice. Under talented young chef Jean Marc Delacourt, a“Meilleur Ouvrier de France”, Raphael gained a significant appreciation for traditional French pastries, with a specific interest in the warm-citrus summer flavors of the Côte d'Azur. From there, Raphael traveled North to Gordes and then to London, accepting a position as pastry chef de partie at The Sketch under Pierre Gagnaire in August 2003. In just under a year he again crossed paths with
Boulud who offered him the position at DANIEL he had been working towards since his early days in Lyon. Raphael arrived in New York in Fall 2004, accepting a position as DANIEL pastry sous chef, which he held for three years as he developed the skills necessary for promotion to head pastry chef at Café Boulud, a promotion he earned in Fall 2007. In June 2008, Chef Raphael Haasz was recognized by Pastryscoop.com for his outstanding spring dessert menu, receiving the Golden Scoop award for Outstanding Dessert.