Edward Lee (chef) facts for kids
Lee in 2018
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| Born | July 2, 1972 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
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| Cooking style | New American Southern Korean |
| Education | New York University (BA) |
| Spouse |
Dianne Durcholz Lee
(m. 2010) |
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Current restaurant(s)
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Award(s) won
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
이균
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|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | I Gyun |
| McCune–Reischauer | I Kyun |
Edward Lee was born on July 2, 1972. His Korean name is Lee Kyun (Hangul: 이균). He is a famous American chef, author, and restaurant owner. You might have seen him on TV shows like The Mind of a Chef or Iron Chef America.
Chef Lee owns several restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky and Washington, D.C.. He has won many important awards, including the James Beard Foundation Award for his book Buttermilk Graffiti in 2019. In 2024, he also won the James Beard Humanitarian Award for his charity, the LEE Initiative.
Contents
Early Life and Cooking Start
Edward Lee was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were from Korea. He started cooking when he was 11 years old. He says his grandmother first made him interested in food.
He went to New York University and earned a degree in literature. He did very well in his studies.
Chef Edward Lee's Career
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Chef Lee began cooking professionally when he was 22. He worked at a French Moroccan restaurant in New York City. He also cooked in France for a summer. After that, he spent five years learning about Korean cuisine and other Asian foods.
In 2001, he visited Louisville, Kentucky. He loved the city and Southern cooking. He moved there in 2002 and started working at a restaurant called 610 Magnolia. A year later, he became the owner of 610 Magnolia.
TV Appearances
Chef Lee has been on many TV cooking shows:
- In 2010, he appeared on Iron Chef America.
- In 2011, he was a contestant on Top Chef. He won two challenges and finished fifth.
- He hosted the third season of The Mind of a Chef. He was even nominated for an Emmy Award for it!
- In 2017, he was a judge on Culinary Genius.
- In 2024, he competed on the Korean cooking show Culinary Class Wars on Netflix. He finished as the runner-up.
- In December 2024, he was on Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.
Books and Community Work
In 2013, Chef Lee wrote a cookbook called Smoke and Pickles. Other famous chefs like Anthony Bourdain liked it a lot.
He also cares about helping young people. In 2014, he started a cooking program in Louisville. It teaches young people about the restaurant business. This helps those who might not be able to go to expensive cooking schools. In 2015, the students even opened their own pop-up diner!
The LEE Initiative
In 2017, Chef Lee started the LEE Initiative. LEE stands for "Let's Empower Employment." This group helps make the restaurant world more fair and diverse.
One of their programs is Smoke and Soul, which helps train young chefs. Another is Women Chefs in Kentucky. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the LEE Initiative created a program to help restaurant workers who lost their jobs. In 2024, the LEE Initiative won a special James Beard Humanitarian Award for their amazing work.
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In 2023, Chef Lee was chosen as a special guest chef. He cooked at a big dinner at the White House. This dinner was for the President of South Korea.
In 2024, he released his third book, Bourbon Land. It has recipes using bourbon and tells its history. In January 2025, he received an award for sharing Korean culture with the world.
Chef Lee's Cooking Style
Edward Lee's cooking often mixes flavors from his Korean background. He combines them with ingredients from the southern United States. These ingredients include things like sorghum, ham, and bourbon.
He believes that foods grown in similar climates often taste good together. This is true even if the places are thousands of miles apart.
Personal Life
Edward Lee is married to Dianne Durcholz Lee. She is from Kentucky. They have one daughter.
Restaurants
Chef Lee has owned several restaurants over the years.
- His first restaurant was Clay in New York City, opened in 1996. It served Korean food.
- In Louisville, Kentucky, he has owned 610 Magnolia since the early 2000s. It serves modern Southern food.
- He also owns Succotash, which mixes Southern and Asian flavors. He opened locations in National Harbor, Maryland (2015) and Washington, D.C. (2017).
- In 2020, he briefly turned his Louisville restaurant, Milkwood, into McAtee Community Kitchen. This kitchen helped feed people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2023, he opened Nami Modern Korean Steakhouse in Louisville. It was named one of USA Today's best restaurants in 2024.
- In November 2024, he opened Shia in Washington, D.C. This restaurant serves Korean American fusion food. It also uses sustainable practices, like being plastic-free.
Current Restaurants
- Shia (Washington, D.C.)
- 610 Magnolia (Louisville, KY)
- Succotash Prime (Washington, D.C.)
- Succotash Prime (National Harbor, MD)
- Nami Modern Korean Steakhouse (Louisville, KY)
Selected TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Iron Chef America | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Top Chef: Texas | Himself | 14 episodes |
| 2014 | The Mind of a Chef | Himself | 7 Episodes |
| 2017 | Culinary Genius | Judge | 15 Episodes |
| 2019 | Top Chef: Kentucky | Guest judge | 1 Episode |
| 2021 | The Next Thing You Eat | Himself | Episode: "Restaurants: A Reckoning" |
| 2024 | Culinary Class Wars | Himself | 12 episodes |
Awards and Honors
James Beard Foundation Awards
- 2019: Best Book of the Year in Writing
- 2024: Humanitarian of the Year (awarded to LEE Initiative)
Daytime Emmy Awards
- 2015: Nomination for Outstanding Culinary Host for The Mind of a Chef
Other Awards
- 2019: IACP Award for Literary Food Writing, Finalist
- 2021: Muhammad Ali Kentucky Humanitarian Award
- 2025: Stepping Stone Award (for spreading Korean culture)
