A MODERN
BIOGRAPHY ARCHIVE
THE COLLECTION / FoodARCHIVE № 132
1972 —   CHEF / AUTHOR

EDWARDLEE

Lee KyunJul 2, 1972United States

What happened at what age?
Where were they at your age?

From the year he turned 14, he worked part-time in restaurants, learning to wait tables, wash dishes and cook. In 1994, he left publishing and went into the restaurant business. He says he never attended a culinary school or worked under a famous chef.

In 1998, the year he turned 26, he opened a Korean fusion restaurant in Lower Manhattan, New York. It was recognized enough to be featured in The New York Times and Vogue. In 2001, he closed the restaurant after the 9/11 attacks and wandered across the country with the money left from selling it. In 2002, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky, and began working at 610 Magnolia.

In 2010, he won Iron Chef America season 8. Yeoseong Donga writes that he became known to the public from this win. In 2011, he placed fifth on Top Chef: Texas. In 2013, he published his first cookbook, Smoke and Pickles. In 2014, he appeared on The Mind of a Chef season 3.

In 2017, he founded The Lee Initiative, a nonprofit that supports women, Black chefs and others. In 2019, he won the James Beard Award in the cookbook category for Buttermilk Graffiti. Around 2020, he provided millions of free meals to people who lost their jobs to COVID-19. In 2023, he was a guest chef at the White House state dinner marking 70 years of the Korea-U.S. alliance.

The breakthrough yearThe year he turned 52, he appeared on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars as a White Spoon chef and finished as runner-up. He says he took part because he wanted to find his identity, whether American or Korean.

In 2025, he toured the Korean countryside in tvN’s Edward Lee’s Country Cook and received the Stepping Stone Award at the Korea Image Awards. The same year, Korean editions of Buttermilk Graffiti and Bourbon Land came out. In October, he headed the official welcome dinner of the Gyeongju APEC summit.

In 2026, he received the Civil Merit Medal for his APEC work, and Ed and Ryu: Mad About Seafood, made with the actor Ryu Soo-young, won the grand prize at the New Media Content Awards.

Edward Lee (born Jul 2, 1972) opened his own restaurant in Lower Manhattan, New York, in 1998, the year he turned 26, and became known in Korea as the runner-up on Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars on Oct 8, 2024, the year he turned 52. In 2025, the year he turned 53, he headed the official welcome dinner of the Gyeongju APEC summit.

Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.

Full timeline · 25 records1986 — 2026   ＋
AGE / YEAR

  1. 14 · 1986
    Early years

    Starts working part-time in restaurants

    Born in Seoul, he emigrated to the U.S. at age one and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He says that from age 14 he worked in restaurants and did everything from waiting tables to washing dishes to cooking. He grew up eating Korean food made by his grandmother while his parents were busy.

    Source 01 · Nongmin Sinmun (Korean) · Special interview with the head of the APEC dinner · opens in a new tabSource 02 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with the guest chef for the state dinner · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Yeoseong Donga (Korean) · Who is the guest chef for the state dinner? · opens in a new tabSource 20 · Wikipedia (Korean) · Edward Lee · opens in a new tab The articles say only that it began at 14, with no year. His birth date is from Wikipedia and was not confirmed in news reports, and the record is placed in 1986 on that basis.
  2. 22 · 1994
    Start in cooking

    Leaves publishing for the restaurant business

    After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science and New York University’s English department, he took a job at a publishing house and quit because it did not suit him. He says he never attended a famous culinary school or worked under a famous chef.

    Source 04 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Press meeting with his mother · opens in a new tab The article says only that he went into the restaurant business professionally from 22. The record is placed in 1994 based on his 1972 birth year.
  3. 26 · 1998
    Debut

    Opens a Korean fusion restaurant in Lower Manhattan, New York

    After teaching himself to cook by moving between New York restaurants rather than going to culinary school, he opened a restaurant of his own. It was recognized enough to be featured in The New York Times and Vogue.

    Source 02 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with the guest chef for the state dinner · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Yeoseong Donga (Korean) · Who is the guest chef for the state dinner? · opens in a new tab JoongAng Ilbo gives his age at the time as 25. By the year-based age this site uses, it was the year he turned 26.
  4. 29 · 2001
    Closure

    Closes his restaurant after the 9/11 attacks

    The victims included acquaintances and regulars. He recalls selling the restaurant and renting a car with the money he had left to wander across the country.

    Source 02 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with the guest chef for the state dinner · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Yeoseong Donga (Korean) · Who is the guest chef for the state dinner? · opens in a new tabSource 05 · Asia Economy (Korean) · The year 2001 that changed his life · opens in a new tab
  5. 30 · 2002
    Restaurant

    Starts at 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky

    He says he went to see the Kentucky Derby, was drawn to the place, settled in Kentucky and learned Southern cooking. The restaurant has been his base ever since.

    Source 02 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with the guest chef for the state dinner · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Yeoseong Donga (Korean) · Who is the guest chef for the state dinner? · opens in a new tabSource 21 · English Wikipedia · Edward Lee (chef) · opens in a new tab His settling in Kentucky and 610 Magnolia were confirmed by news articles. The year of the move, 2002, and becoming its owner a little over a year later are from English Wikipedia and were not confirmed in Korean articles. Asia Economy mistakenly calls Louisville a place in Texas.
  6. 38 · 2010
  7. 39 · 2011
  8. 41 · 2013
    Book

    Publishes his first cookbook, Smoke and Pickles

    It contains dishes that combine Korean ingredients such as kimchi, gochujang and doenjang with Southern smoking techniques and bourbon. In the U.S., the Washington Post and others named it a best cookbook of the year.

    Source 10 · Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Smoke & Pickles in Korean translation · opens in a new tabSource 21 · English Wikipedia · Edward Lee (chef) · opens in a new tab The 2013 publication is from English Wikipedia. Seoul Economic Daily says only that it was his first cookbook, with no year.
  9. 42 · 2014
  10. 45 · 2017
  11. 47 · 2019
    Award

    Wins the James Beard Award for Buttermilk Graffiti in the cookbook category

    Cosmopolitan calls the award the Nobel Prize of the restaurant world.

    Source 07 · Cosmopolitan Korea (Korean) · Edward Lee TMI 4 · opens in a new tab JoongAng Ilbo calls the same prize the Oscar of the culinary world and says he was nominated six times for outstanding chef, and Yeoseong Donga says he has won the James Beard Award four times. The number of wins differs by outlet.
  12. 48 · 2020
  13. 51 · 2023
    Dinner

    Guest chef at the White House state dinner

    At the state dinner marking 70 years of the Korea-U.S. alliance, he and First Lady Jill Biden, White House executive chef Cris Comerford and others served a crab cake with gochujang vinaigrette, braised short ribs and an ice cream dessert dusted with doenjang caramel. He says he made and tasted more than a dozen dishes with Jill Biden before choosing three.

    Source 02 · JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with the guest chef for the state dinner · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Yeoseong Donga (Korean) · Who is the guest chef for the state dinner? · opens in a new tab
  14. 52 · 2024
  15. 52 · 2024
  16. 53 · 2025
  17. 53 · 2025
  18. 53 · 2025
  19. 53 · 2025
  20. 53 · 2025
  21. 53 · 2025
    Key moment

    Heads the official welcome dinner of the 2025 Gyeongju APEC summit

    He was in charge of the menu for the dinner attended by about 400 people, including leaders and their spouses from member and invited economies and heads of international organizations. It began with a crab salad with sweet persimmon and pine nut sauce and ended with a baked pine nut pie and a doenjang caramel injeolmi dessert.

    Source 16 · Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Official APEC welcome dinner · opens in a new tabSource 18 · JTBC (Korean) · Civil Merit Medal · opens in a new tab
  22. 53 · 2025
  23. 54 · 2026
  24. 54 · 2026
    Award

    Ed and Ryu: Mad About Seafood wins the grand prize at the 2026 New Media Content Awards

    The program, made with the actor Ryu Soo-young, shows Korean seafood across four seasons. It was produced by Studio Janchi and aired on KBS 2TV and the BBC Earth Asia channel, among others.

    Source 19 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 2026 New Media Content Awards · opens in a new tab The date follows the article’s statement that the ceremony was held at COEX on the 14th. The same article gives the announcement date as the 18th even though the article itself is dated Sept. 16, so the two do not match.

END OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1986–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.

02 / QUICK ANSWERS

Q & AFrequently asked

How old was Edward Lee when he debuted?
In 1998, the year he turned 26, he opened a Korean fusion restaurant in Lower Manhattan, New York. JoongAng Ilbo gives his age then as 25, while this site counts by year-based age.
How old was Edward Lee when he became famous?
In Korea, from his runner-up finish on Culinary Class Wars in 2024, the year he turned 52. JTBC describes him as a chef who made his name as the runner-up of Culinary Class Wars season 1. In the U.S., Yeoseong Donga writes that it was from winning Iron Chef America in 2010, the year he turned 38.
Where was Edward Lee born?
Nongmin Sinmun writes that he was born in Seoul in 1972, emigrated to the U.S. at age one and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. JoongAng Ilbo says he was born in Brooklyn, and Yeoseong Donga calls him a second-generation immigrant from Brooklyn, so the accounts of his birthplace differ by outlet.
When did Edward Lee take charge of the APEC dinner?
On Oct 31, 2025, the year he turned 53, he headed the official welcome dinner of the Gyeongju APEC summit. For this he received the Civil Merit Medal on Jan 19, 2026, the year he turned 54.
How old is Edward Lee?
Born in 1972, he turns 54 in 2026 (54 as of Sep 21, 2026). His birth date is from Wikipedia and was not confirmed in news reports.
04 / ABOUT THE ARCHIVE

A LIFE,
IN CHAPTERS.

What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.

COLLECTION132Edward Lee / EDWARD LEE

Food · United States
Jul 2, 1972 —

Sources and method21 SOURCES   ＋

Ages are counted from the birth year 1972: the year of the event minus 1972, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.

  1. Nongmin Sinmun (Korean) · Special interview with the head of the APEC dinner ↗Jan. 1, 2026. Born in Seoul in 1972 and emigrated to the U.S. at age one; grew up in Brooklyn, New York; graduated from New York University with a degree in English literature
  2. JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Interview with the guest chef for the state dinner ↗Apr. 27, 2023. Worked part-time in restaurants from age 14; opened in Manhattan in 1998 at 25; closed after 9/11 in 2001; settled in Kentucky after seeing the Kentucky Derby; six James Beard Foundation nominations for outstanding chef; three dishes on the state dinner menu
  3. Yeoseong Donga (Korean) · Who is the guest chef for the state dinner? ↗Restaurant work from 14; opened in Lower Manhattan in 1998 after graduating from NYU and closed in 2001; 610 Magnolia in Louisville; says he became known to the public from winning Iron Chef America in 2010; says he has won four James Beard awards
  4. JoongAng Ilbo (Korean) · Press meeting with his mother ↗Jan. 20, 2025. Bronx High School of Science and NYU English department; went into the restaurant business at 22 after leaving publishing; founded The Lee Initiative in 2017; runs 610 Magnolia, Nami and Succotash; won Iron Chef America season 8
  5. Asia Economy (Korean) · The year 2001 that changed his life ↗His recollection of losing friends and regulars on 9/11, selling the restaurant and wandering across the continent; millions of free meals during COVID-19 and the Lee Initiative. Mistakenly describes Louisville as in Texas
  6. Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Appearance on The Dave Chang Show ↗Oct. 9, 2024. His account on a podcast after the runner-up finish of why he took part, and his remarks on the 100-chef field
  7. Cosmopolitan Korea (Korean) · Edward Lee TMI 4 ↗How THE LEE INITIATIVE began, three books, and the 2019 James Beard Award for Buttermilk Graffiti in the cookbook category
  8. Sports Today (Korean) · Culinary Class Wars finale ↗Episodes 11 and 12 released Oct. 8, 2024; the final’s theme was a dish bearing one’s own name; a tteokbokki dessert and a Korean melon, minari and makgeolli dish; a 300 million won prize
  9. Ilgan Sports (Korean) · Culinary Class Wars release confirmed ↗Aug. 20, 2024: release date of Sept. 17 confirmed and teaser released. Judges Paik Jong-won and Sung Anh
  10. Seoul Economic Daily (Korean) · Smoke & Pickles in Korean translation ↗Dec. 19, 2024. Korean edition of his first cookbook, named a best cookbook of the year by the Washington Post and others; appearance on JTBC’s Please Take Care of My Refrigerator season 2
  11. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 21st Korea Image Awards ↗Received the Stepping Stone Award on Jan. 15, 2025 at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas
  12. Star Today (Korean) · Edward Lee’s Country Cook premieres ↗First aired on tvN on Feb. 14, 2025 at 8:40 p.m., with his daughter, Byun Yo-han, Ko Ah-sung and Shin Si-ah
  13. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Buttermilk Graffiti published ↗Apr. 17, 2025. Korean edition of his James Beard Award-winning book, from Wisdomhouse
  14. Edaily (Korean) · Capella Singapore gala dinner ↗Announced July 21, 2025. First introduced as official ambassador of Capella Heoninmaeul, with a gala dinner in early August
  15. Korea Economic Daily (Korean) · Bourbon Land ↗Sept. 5, 2025. Wisdomhouse, 292 pages. The article does not give the publication date
  16. Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Official APEC welcome dinner ↗Oct. 31, 2025 at 6 p.m., about 400 invited, hosted by Cha Eun-woo, menu prepared by Edward Lee
  17. Hankook Ilbo (Korean) · Handwritten letter one year after the broadcast ↗Three pages of a handwritten Korean letter posted on social media on Dec. 20, 2025. His Iron Chef America season 8 win and his record as head chef of the APEC dinner
  18. JTBC (Korean) · Civil Merit Medal ↗Presentation ceremony at Seohui Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 19, 2026; the APEC dinner menu; describes him as having made his name as the runner-up on Culinary Class Wars
  19. Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · 2026 New Media Content Awards ↗Ed and Ryu: Mad About Seafood (Korean title Ed & Ryu: Yeoldu Bada) won the grand prize at a ceremony at COEX. Produced by Studio Janchi and aired on KBS 2TV and the BBC Earth Asia channel
  20. Wikipedia (Korean) · Edward Lee ↗Basis for his birth date (July 2, 1972), fifth place on Top Chef: Texas (2011), episodes 1-8 of The Mind of a Chef season 3 (2014) and the win in episode 28 of Iron Chef America season 8 (2010)
  21. English Wikipedia · Edward Lee (chef) ↗Basis for his move to Louisville in 2002 to work at 610 Magnolia and becoming its owner a little over a year later, and for the 2013 publication of Smoke and Pickles

Fact-checked: 2026.09.21 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.