Jack Lee (chef) facts for kids

Jack Lee (whose Vietnamese name is Lý Vinh Viễn) is a famous American chef. He lives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. People in Vietnam often call him the đầu bếp Hollywood (the Hollywood chef) or đầu bếp của ngôi sao (chef to the stars). This is because he used to cook for many famous Hollywood celebrities in the United States.

When he was in America, he was the main chef for the Echelon Club. This group helped high-profile people in Hollywood with charity work. He also worked as a banquet chef at the famous Hotel Bel-Air.

Jack Lee has been on many TV shows in both Vietnam and the United States. These include Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off and Cutthroat Kitchen. He is currently a judge on Junior MasterChef Vietnam. He also appears on Vietnam’s version of My Mom Cooks Better Than Yours. Jack Lee helps promote Netspace Culinary Academy in Vietnam. He is also a goodwill ambassador for K.O.T.O., a charity that teaches cooking skills to street children in Vietnam. In 2018, a big Vietnamese magazine named him Chef of the Year.

Jack Lee's Early Life

Jack Lee was born in 1970 in Cho Lon, which is the Chinatown part of Ho Chi Minh City. His family was Chinese and had moved to Vietnam. When he was 10 years old, his family had to leave Vietnam as refugees. They became part of the "Vietnamese boat people" who traveled by sea to find a new home. Eventually, they settled in California, USA.

When Jack was young, he learned English by watching a popular TV show called Three’s Company. He really liked the character Jack Tripper, who was a chef on the show. Jack Lee often says that this TV show made him want to become a chef. It also inspired him to choose his English name, Jack.

Jack Lee's Cooking Career

Jack Lee studied cooking at the California School of Culinary Art. This school is part of the Le Cordon Bleu Program. While he was a student, he volunteered at the Hotel Bel-Air. He worked hard and eventually became a paid trainee chef. Later, he became the Banquet Chef.

At the Hotel Bel-Air, he learned French-Californian cooking styles. During this time, he started to mix the flavors and cooking methods from his childhood with fancy Western dishes. This new style of cooking, called fusion cuisine, became the base for his future work.

After managing the Hotel Bel-Air’s cooking programs, he cooked for many celebrity events. One famous event was the Oscar Party for the movie Million Dollar Baby. After this, he started his own catering company called Chinoise Cuisine. His company continued to cook for big events like the Oscars and Golden Globes. They also catered for private parties and special events for celebrities.

Unique Tasting Collections

Jack Lee was inspired by the detailed way dishes were presented at the Hotel Bel-Air. He started to see gourmet cooking as a form of art. He then created special "tasting collections." These were shown at invitation-only events. Each dish was presented like an artist would show off their artwork.

The Famous $100 Egg Roll

Jack Lee often cooked very expensive dishes for celebrities. For example, some hamburgers cost $5,000! To show that Asian cooking could also be very fancy, he created a gourmet version of a simple Vietnamese snack. He called it the "$100 Egg Roll."

The first $100 Egg Roll was announced in 2011. At first, some people criticized him for using shark fin in the recipe. Jack Lee quickly apologized and changed his recipe. The new version included Maine lobster tail and Alaskan king crab instead. The egg roll was topped with fancy Sevruga caviar and real gold leaf. It was served with a special dipping sauce made from fresh raspberries and a type of wine called Sauvignon Blanc. These special egg rolls were usually served with expensive Dom Perignon champagne.