
Star chef of ‘Culinary Class Wars’ embraces his busiest moment yet

For Korean-American chef Edward Lee, being the runner-up on Netflix’s hit cooking competition show “Culinary Class Wars” was yet another defining moment in his illustrious career.
Now, he says, he’s living his long-harbored dream of exploring Korea more deeply, rediscovering himself and reconnecting with his Korean heritage in recent months.
Based in Washington, D.C., Lee now travels to Korea almost every month. His visits are packed with interviews, endorsements, collaborations with brands and hotels, and television appearances. Recently, he joined JTBC’s popular cooking talk show “Chef & My Fridge” and a new tvN reality show “Edward Lee’s Country Cook” is set to premiere next month.

Despite his hectic schedule, Lee says he’s enjoying the fast pace, adding that he hates being bored.
“I’m 52 and at my age, most people don’t get a chance to have another life,” said Lee during an interview with a group of reporters at the InterContinental Seoul Parnas on Thursday.
Lee was in Seoul last week to receive an award at the Korea Image Awards, an annual event hosted by Corea Image Communication Institute to recognize the country’s most distinguished cultural ambassadors.
“To have this opportunity to learn and discover (Korea) and to meet new people — this opportunity has changed my life forever. In many ways, I feel young again — like a young child coming to this country, so it’s very special to me.”

Behind story of ‘Culinary Class Wars’
Well before “Culinary Class Wars,” Lee was already a celebrated chef in the US, making television appearances on shows including “The Mind of a Chef” (Season three) in 2012, “Top Chef” (Season nine) in 2011 and “Iron Chef America” (Season eight) in 2010.
In 2023, he was chosen as the guest chef for the White House state dinner during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit.
Through “Culinary Class Wars,” Lee gained particular attention for his innovative use of Korean ingredients. His standout moment came during the Endless Cooking Hell round, where contestants were challenged to create multiple dishes using tofu as the key ingredient. Lee impressed both the judges and the audience with his creative and varied approach, which highlighted his ability to reinterpret traditional flavors in unexpected ways.

“When I make food I always try and see how (Korean) ingredients can be more global,” said Lee. “The only rule I have for myself for cooking is to keep pushing myself and to keep challenging myself. I don’t want to be a chef that makes the same food every day for the rest of my life. I want to grow and change as a person and I want my food to reflect that.”
The experience of participating in “Culinary Class Wars” was, as Lee described, bigger than anything he’d ever done before. He noted the difference between American and Korean competition shows.
“In American competitions, it can get a little bit mean because winning is everything. But on the Korean show, even though it’s a competition, people didn’t lose their politeness. There were many instances where, I think, chefs made choices that weren’t always about winning but about being good human beings. I think that’s one of the reasons the show is so successful,” Lee said.

Literature major’s decade-old cookbook published in Korean
In a separate press conference held online in January, Lee reflected on the release of the Korean translation of his debut cookbook “Smoke and Pickles,” a work that blends recipes with essays.
Originally published in 2013, the book carries deep personal significance for Lee.
“It’s a very emotional moment to see the cover of my book with my name written in Korean,” said Lee. “I didn’t cook a lot of Korean food back then, but the flavors as you can see from the book and the recipes have always been influenced by my childhood. I think it’s really important to understand my journey is to start with this book.”
“Smoke and Pickles” weaves stories of Lee’s childhood and family memories of Korean food in the US. Wisdom House, the Korean publisher of the book, is set to translate and release two more of Lee’s cookbooks — “Buttermilk Graffiti” and “Bourbon Land.”
For Lee, cooking is more than creating delicious dishes — it’s about storytelling.
“The most important thing for a chef is to tell a story through food. That story should be the story of your life. It’s not easy but it is something I aspire to do every day — not to just make delicious food but to tell my story.”
Lee, who majored in literature, added writing is his other artistic outlet. He said he wrote the first book very late at night after work.
“I think that with anything if you are passionate and you love something, you will just find the time to do it. Even though I have a busy schedule I just make sure that I find time for it.”
“Writing is a completely different form of expression,” he said. “I can sit in front of my computer for hours, and sometimes I come up with nothing. It challenges a different part of my brain, but I love it because, when I’m writing or reading, time seems to stop.”

Aiming for zero-plastic restaurant
Lee owns multiple restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C. He garnered several James Beard Foundation Award nominations, winning the award in 2019 and the James Beard Humanitarian Award for his nonprofit organization, the LEE Initiative, in 2024.
His latest venture Shia, a fine dining restaurant in Washington, D.C., showcases Lee’s commitment to innovation and sustainability. Specializing in Korean-American fusion cuisine, Shia’s non-profit initiatives aim to provide viable zero-emission, zero-plastic and zero-waste solutions in the hospitality industry.
“I believe restaurants can be a solution to the problem of waste. We use way too much plastic and I think that restaurants can find ways to be more sustainable and help to find solutions instead of just being part of the problem,” said Lee.
Asked about the possibility of opening a restaurant in Korea, Lee expressed cautious optimism.
“I don’t want to open a restaurant in Korea and then leave. I will only open a restaurant (in Korea) if I have the time to be here and make sure it’s perfect. Otherwise, it would be unfair to the Korean people,” said Lee.
“If I open a Korean restaurant, it will be because I have the time, energy, and I can commit to it. That’s not right now — in the coming years, maybe.”
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