Corey Lee (chef) explained

Corey Lee (born 1977) is a Korean-American chef and restaurateur based in San Francisco. In 2014, his flagship restaurant, Benu, became the first in San Francisco to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide, making Lee the first Korean chef to garner that accolade.[1] [2] In 2019, Benu made its debut on The World's 50 Best Restaurants.[3] Lee is also a two-time James Beard Award winner, a former Food & Wine Best New Chef, and a Goodwill Ambassador to Seoul.[4] [5] [6]

Early life and career

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lee moved to the U.S. with his family in 1982. At age 17, he began his career in restaurants at Blue Ribbon Sushi in New York.[7] He then went on to work and stage at fine dining institutions such as Pied à Terre, The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, Lucas Carton, Guy Savoy, Daniel, and Lespinasse.[8] In 2001, he began what would be his nine-year working relationship with Thomas Keller at The French Laundry. During that time, he also spent a year opening Per Se in New York City, returning to The French Laundry as head chef.[9]

In 2010, Lee opened Benu in San Francisco and within 6 months was included in The New York Times list of "10 Restaurants Worth a Plane Ride".[10] Benu has maintained three stars from the Michelin Guide since 2014.[11] It has also won the AAA Five Diamond Award, 5 stars from the Forbes Travel Guide, and a James Beard Award for Best Wine Program.[12] [13] [14] Benu’s fixed menu incorporates ingredients and techniques from many different cuisines, including Korean and Cantonese.[15]

Media and events

Lee has presented at several international culinary events such as Madrid Fusion, Gastronomika, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Global Leaders Forum, and Seoul Gourmet.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] He has also given guest lectures at Harvard University and UCSF.[21] [22] His television appearances include Charlie Rose and Korean documentaries produced by KBS, Olive TV, Arirang, and TV Chosun.[23] [24] [25] [26] [27]

In 2015, he authored Benu–a collection of recipes and essays that explores the restaurant's food, influences, and collaborators–with forewords by Thomas Keller and David Chang, published by Phaidon and designed by Julia Hasting.[28]

Lee also acted as food consultant for the film Coming Home Again, directed by Wayne Wang and based on The New Yorker short story by Chang-Rae Lee.[29]

Other projects

Drawing on his training in traditional French cooking, Lee opened the bistro Monsieur Benjamin in 2014.[30] In 2016, he opened In Situ inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.[31] Its website describes it as an exhibition restaurant that “[brings] together a revolving collection of culinary influencers, innovators, and icons to make their contributions accessible for greater public engagement.”[32] Hailed as “America’s Most Original New Restaurant” by The New York Times, it earned one Michelin star and won the 2018 James Beard Award for Best Restaurant Design (76 Seats and Over).[33] [34] In November 2021, he opened SAN HO WON, a “Korean, charcoal BBQ restaurant located in the Mission District of San Francisco.”[35] It was named #1 Best New Restaurant in America by Robb Report and included in The New York Times 2022 list of their 50 favorite restaurants in America.[36] [37]

Awards and honors

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Repanich . Jeremy . 2023-07-24 . Here Are the 6 Restaurants With 3 Michelin Stars in California . 2024-02-16 . Robb Report . en-US.
  2. Web site: Park . Sukie . 샌프란시스코 베누 (Benu) 세프 겸 대표 코리 리 (Corey Lee) 프렌치 론 드리 퍼 세 '이어 미술 랭 3 스타 행진 . NY Culture Beat . 27 October 2014 . 11 December 2020.
  3. Web site: The World's 50 Best Restaurants 1-50 . The World's 50 Best Restaurants . William Reed Business Media.
  4. Web site: Barmann . Jay . Benu Chef Corey Lee Wins James Beard Award; SingleThread Wins For Restaurant Design . SFist . 2 May 2017 . 11 December 2020 .
  5. Web site: Best New Chefs 2012 . Food & Wine . Meredith Corporation Allrecipes Food Group . 11 December 2020.
  6. Web site: SFMOMA Partners with Chef Corey Lee to Create New Restaurant In Situ . SFMOMA . 11 December 2020.
  7. Web site: Baker . Abbe . The First Day We Got Our Michelin Stars: Benu's Corey Lee . Michelin Guide . 11 December 2020.
  8. Web site: BENU – "COREY CUISINE" . wpbstars.com - World's Best Places . 11 December 2020.
  9. Web site: Ulla . Gabe . Corey Lee on Benu, Thomas Keller, and the Indefinable . Eater . 15 November 2011 . Vox . 11 December 2020.
  10. News: Williams . Gisela . 10 Restaurants Worth a Plane Ride . The New York Times . 7 January 2011 .
  11. Web site: Dixler Canavan . Hillary . How Benu's Corey Lee Attained the 'Unattainable' Third Michelin Star . Eater San Francisco . 30 October 2014 . Vox . 11 December 2020.
  12. Web site: Benu . AAA . 11 December 2020.
  13. Web site: Benu . Forbes Travel Guide . 11 December 2020.
  14. Web site: JBF Editors . THE 2019 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNERS . James Beard Foundation . 11 December 2020.
  15. Web site: Menu . Benu . 11 December 2020.
  16. Web site: Bovino . Arthur . Madrid Fusión 2015 Day 2: Chinese Turducken, Violin Accompaniments, Corey Lee's Haenyo Inspiration, and the Roca Brothers' Documentary . The Daily Meal . 3 February 2015 . 11 December 2020.
  17. Web site: Corey Lee, el chef coreano que triunfa en San Francisco . España Gastronomia . Gastronomia . 11 December 2020.
  18. Web site: Kimchee, oyster, pork belly . Melbourne Food and Wine Festival . 11 December 2020.
  19. Web site: Lecture Theme : Creative Code . Global Leaders Forum . 11 December 2020.
  20. Web site: Corey Lee's whirlwind tour of Asia . Phaidon . 11 December 2020.
  21. Web site: 2017 Science and Cooking Lecture Series offers fresh perspectives on classic cuisine . Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences . President and Fellows of Harvard College . 11 December 2020.
  22. Web site: Bole . Kristen . Media Advisory: UCSF Hosts Chef Corey Lee in Science of Cooking Program . UCSF . 2 April 2012 . 11 December 2020.
  23. Web site: Corey Lee . Charlie Rose . 11 December 2020.
  24. Web site: 주방보조에서 스타 셰프가 된 청년, 이동민 . YouTube . 26 March 2017 . 16 December 2020.
  25. Web site: [그레이트셰프]코리 리의 요리가 시작되는 곳 ]. Olive . TVING . 16 December 2020.
  26. Web site: About dream it . Arirang TV . 16 December 2020.
  27. Web site: [TV조선 스페셜] 맛에 풍덩 빠지다…한식, 세계와 통하다 ]. TV Chosun . 31 July 2016 . 11 December 2020.
  28. Web site: Benu. Phaidon Bookstore. Phaidon. June 27, 2015.
  29. Web site: Coming Home Again (2020) . Outsider Pictures . 11 December 2020.
  30. Web site: Pape . Allie . Monsieur Benjamin, From Benu's Corey Lee, Touches Down in Hayes Valley . Eater San Francisco . 9 July 2014 . Vox . 11 December 2020.
  31. Web site: SFMOMA Partners with Chef Corey Lee to Create New Restaurant In Situ . SFMOMA . 11 December 2020.
  32. Web site: Visit . In Situ SFMOMA . 11 December 2020.
  33. News: Wells . Pete . This Is America's Most Original New Restaurant . The New York Times . 19 July 2016 .
  34. Web site: RESTAURANT DESIGN AWARD WINNER ARCHIVE . James Beard Foundation . 11 December 2020.
  35. Web site: About . 6 October 2022.
  36. Web site: Repanich . Jeremy . The 10 Best New Restaurants in America . Robb Report . 14 June 2022 . Penske Media Corporation . 6 October 2022.
  37. News: The Restaurant List 2022 . The New York Times . 19 September 2022 . 6 October 2022.
  38. Web site: Benu . Michelin Guide . 11 December 2020.
  39. Web site: Repanich . Jeremy . 2023-07-24 . Here Are the 6 Restaurants With 3 Michelin Stars in California . 2024-02-16 . Robb Report . en-US.
  40. Web site: In Situ . Michelin Guide . 11 December 2020.
  41. Web site: The Winners of the 2006 James Beard Foundation Awards . Star Chefs . 11 December 2020.
  42. Web site: James Beard Award Winners | James Beard Foundation.
  43. Web site: The 2019 James Beard Award Winners | James Beard Foundation .
  44. Web site: Best New Chefs 2012 . Food & Wine . Meredith Corporation Allrecipes Food Group . 11 December 2020.
  45. Web site: Addison . Bill . America's 38 Essential Restaurants . Eater . 13 November 2018 . Vox Media . 29 March 2019.
  46. Web site: Benu. 2020-12-16. 2019-07-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20190702094809/https://www.theworlds50best.com/The-List-2019/41-50/Benu.html. dead.
  47. Web site: Gordinier . Jeff . The 40 Most Important Restaurants of the Decade . Esquire . 27 December 2019 . Hearst Corporation . 13 January 2020.
  48. Web site: The Most Important Restaurants of the Decade.
  49. Web site: Kester . Jennifer . Forbes Travel Guide Unveils Its 2020 Star Award Winners . Forbes Travel Guide . 18 February 2020 . 20 February 2020.
  50. News: Michael Bauer . Benu, chef-owner Corey Lee rise to 4-star level . December 26, 2012 . San Francisco Chronicle.
  51. Web site: Benu: Press . 2020-12-16 . 2019-05-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190507140935/https://www.benusf.com/press . dead .