Edward Lee is a

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

-born celebrity chef, author and restauranteur. He has made numerous television appearances on shows including ''

The Mind of a Chef ''The Mind of a Chef'' is a non-fiction television series on PBS narrated and executive produced by Anthony Bourdain, and combines travel, cooking, history, and science. Each season follows a different chef, or pair of chefs, and examines their be ...

'' on and ''

Top Chef ''Top Chef'' is an American reality competition television series which premiered on Bravo on March 8, 2006. The show features chefs competing against each other in culinary challenges. The contestants are judged by a panel of professional chef ...

'' as well as a judge on

Gordon Ramsay Gordon James Ramsay (; born ) is a British chef, restaurateur, television personality and writer. His restaurant group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, was founded in 1997 and has been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall; it currently holds a tot ...

's Culinary Genius. He is a nine-time

James Beard James Andrews Beard (May 5, 1903 – January 23, 1985) was an American chef, cookbook author, teacher and television personality. He pioneered television cooking shows, taught at The James Beard Cooking School in New York City and Seaside, ...

Award nominee, owns multiple restaurants throughout the United States and the Caribbean, and is the author of two award winning books Buttermilk Graffiti and Smoke and Pickles.

Early life and career

Lee was born on July 2, 1972 and raised in Brooklyn to Korean parents. Lee began cooking at the age of 11 and credits his grandmother with first sparking his interest in food. Before college he was in a traveling circus. After graduating

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

with a degree in literature from

NYU New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, Lee began cooking professionally at the age of 22. He traveled to France and toured the US to learn more about different ingredients, cuisines and cooking methods. It was on a trip to the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

in 2001 that he fell in love with Louisville and

Southern cooking The cuisine of the Southern United States encompasses diverse food traditions of several regions, including Tidewater, Appalachian, Lowcountry, Cajun, Creole, and Floribbean cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have sprea ...

. He moved to the city in 2002 and began working at 610 Magnolia with former chef/owner Eddie Garber. Lee now owns 610 Magnolia along with four other restaurants; Milkwood (closed 2020) and Whiskey Dry in Louisville, and two locations of Succotash, in Washington, D.C. and National Harbor. In 2007, Lee opened a venue for special events called The Wine Studio@610 Magnolia. In 2011, he was one of the 'cheftestants' on season 9 of ''Top Chef''. He won two elimination challenges, and finished fifth in the competition. He was also the host chef featured in the third season of ''

''. In 2014, Lee partnered with YouthBuild and IDEAS 40203 to create a culinary training program based in the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville. The program trains youth who may not be able to afford expensive culinary schools with skills in all aspects of the restaurant industry. In 2015, Lee's young chef trainees launched a pop-up diner called Smoke & Soul. Lee has been nominated four times by the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef: Southeast in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2013, he published a cookbook, ''Smoke and Pickles.'' The book received positive reviews from food journalists and other chefs including

David Chang David Chang (Korean: ; born August 5, 1977) is an American restaurateur, author, podcaster, and television personality. He is the founder of the Momofuku restaurant group. In 2009, Momofuku Ko was awarded two Michelin stars, which the restaur ...

and

Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...

. In 2017, Lee was the chef judge for the American adaptation of Culinary Genius. In 2017, Lee founded The LEE Initiative. The LEE (Let’s Empower Employment) Initiative identifies issues surrounding diversity in the restaurant industry and creates solutions to help the restaurant community grow. The initiative includes two programs: Smoke and Soul and Women Chefs in Kentucky.

Cuisine

Edward Lee's approach to cooking frequently blends the flavors of his Korean heritage and culinary traditions and ingredients of the southern United States including

sorghum ''Sorghum'' () is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the grass family (Poaceae). Some of these species are grown as cereals for human consumption and some in pastures for animals. One species is grown for grain, while many othe ...

, ham and

bourbon Bourbon may refer to: Food and drink * Bourbon whiskey, an American whiskey made using a corn-based mash * Bourbon barrel aged beer, a type of beer aged in bourbon barrels * Bourbon biscuit, a chocolate sandwich biscuit * A beer produced by Bras ...

. In ''The Mind of a Chef'', Lee said he believes that food that grows in the same latitude often blends well together, even if the locations are thousands of miles apart.

Personal life

Lee is married to Kentucky native Dianne Durcholz (Lee). The couple welcomed a baby girl, Arden, in 2013.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Edward Living people American television chefs American male chefs Asian American chefs Date of birth missing (living people) Top Chef contestants People from Brooklyn American people of Korean descent American restaurateurs Businesspeople from Louisville, Kentucky Year of birth missing (living people) Chefs from Kentucky