bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

sponsorType

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The Korea Times

By Pyo Kyung-min
For Korean-American star chef Edward Lee, visiting Korea feels like living a new life.
“I’m 52, and at my age, most individuals don’t have the chance for another life,” Lee said. “To have this opportunity to visit Korea and meet new people has completely changed my life.
“I feel young again. I feel like a child. There’s already a lot I know about Korean culture, but experiencing it here is entirely different.”

From finishing as a runner-up in Netflix’s hit cooking competition Culinary Class Wars to being recognised on Korean streets by fans eager to snap a selfie with him, the chef’s journey in Korea felt like wonder after wonder.
This rediscovery extended to his mother, Lee Soon-ja, who accompanied her son on his current trip to Korea. She described witnessing her son’s success in their homeland as “simply surreal”.
“Coming to Korea with my son’s sudden invitation and then seeing people recognise him on the streets and attending events like this all feel like walking on air,” she said.
Lee and his mother visited Korea in line with the Korea Image Awards on 15 January, where the chef received the Stepping Stone Bridge Award for promoting Korea’s reputation to the global audience.
While the trip itself is not rare for the chef – he frequently visits Korea for television appearances, including the ongoing Netflix cooking competition Chef & My Fridge and the coming tvN series Edward Lee’s Country Cook – this trip marked the first in a decade that he travelled with his mother.


The chef spoke fondly of how their bond deepened as he grew older.
“When I was a child, our family was far from wealthy. My mother worked early mornings and returned home late at night,” he recalled. “We didn’t spend much time together, but growing up as an adult, I understood why she wasn’t home.”
Food eventually became the bridge that brought them closer.
“We got closer when I became an adult. We used food as a way to communicate. It became a very important way for us to talk,” Lee said.
For the chef, cooking is obviously more than just sustenance – it’s a medium for storytelling.
“Every chef has a different approach, and there’s no right or wrong. That’s what makes cuisine beautiful – everyone has a unique perspective. For me, since I majored in literature, food is always a story,” he said.
My generation – children of Korean immigrants – have pursued our own dreams while appreciating Korean culture and bringing creativity to it
Edward Lee
“I don’t cook just to make delicious food. Food is my paint. When I have something to say, I can’t paint or play an instrument. Food is my means to talk because I’m a chef and cooking is the only thing I’m good at.
“You can cook to make money or for your family, but I think some chefs cook because they have something to say.”
Lee’s deep appreciation for storytelling in food is part of why he loves Korean cuisine. To him, it embodies an entire history.
“Korean food starts with jang (traditional fermented sauces), which have such an ancient history. The flavours come from generations. Eating and making Korean food feels like you’re tasting history. It’s delicious, and fermented food makes you crave more, but it also makes you think about the past,” he said.
“Traditional food from different nations isn’t just a trend, and to think about how it has fed a nation for generations just feels so amazing.”
Korean food is gaining global popularity, and Lee offers a fresh perspective on the phenomenon, drawing from his experiences in the US.

“When I was a young chef in restaurant kitchens, chefs my age hung out after work late at night, but there was usually nothing to eat. In New York’s Koreatown, places were open 24 hours.
“My American friends and I would go there and eat kimchi, galbi (grilled ribs) and seolleongtang (ox bone soup). We were all young back then and now we all have our own restaurants. That influence was crucial,” he said.
“Additionally, my generation – children of Korean immigrants – have pursued our own dreams while appreciating Korean culture and bringing creativity to it. Over the past 10 to 12 years, that appreciation skyrocketed.”
Despite his desire to connect with his roots, Lee doesn’t consider himself a traditional Korean chef.

“At the end of the day, I’m an American chef. When I cook, I focus on expanding Korean ingredients. I do make certain dishes like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) and jjajangmyeon (black bean noodles), but I don’t call myself a hansik (Korean food) chef.
“I want to credit the chefs dedicated to traditional Korean cuisine – they are the masters. I’m someone who wants to be creative.”
Although there is great demand from Korean fans eager to taste his creations, Lee’s respect for Korean cuisine has kept him from opening a restaurant in Korea – for now.
“I don’t want to open a restaurant and then just leave. I don’t want to disappoint Korean people. If I open one, it will be when I can fully commit my time and energy. Maybe in a couple of years,” he said.
Read the full story at The Korea Times.


Netflix star Korean-American chef Edward Lee on Korean food’s roots, bonding with his mum

The enduring appeal of this 46-year-old Hong Kong restaurant’s signature congee

Why, for British-Chinese author exploring Chinese food and identity, community is No 1

Your Hong Kong weekend drinks guide for January 23-25

Food and Drinks

Korean-American chef Edward Lee in Washington. Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images

Korean-American star chef Edward Lee, one of the stars of Culinary Class Wars on Netflix, has not opened a restaurant in South Korea yet. He explains why, and reflects on how his life has changed. Photo: Facebook/Chef Edward Lee

Chef Edward Lee competes in Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, which premiered in September 2024. Photo: courtesy of Netflix

Lee (centre) with White House executive chef Cris Comerford (right) and White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison present dishes to be served at a state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, Kim Keon-hee, in April 2023, in Washington, DC. Photo: Getty Images via AFP

Lee wants to open a restaurant in Korea, but says he is not ready yet. Photo: Facebook/Chef Edward Lee

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Korean-American Lee, a star of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars and Chef & My Fridge, on a life-changing visit to South Korea with his mother


Korean-American Lee, a star of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars and Chef & My Fridge, on a life-changing visit to South Korea with his mother.
