
Edward Lee’s career defies easy categorisation. A champion on Iron Chef America, a guest chef at White House state dinners and a star of Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, he’s built a career that spans a variety of roles. As chef-owner of 610 Magnolia and Nami Modern Korean Steakhouse in Louisville, Kentucky, and, most recently, Shia, a non-profit fine dining restaurant in Washington DC, Lee merges culinary innovation with cultural storytelling. He’s a James Beard Award-winning author, with books—Smoke & Pickles, Buttermilk Graffiti and Bourbon Land—that explore the connections between food, identity and heritage, underscoring his dual talents as a chef and storyteller.
Lee was born and raised in Brooklyn to Korean immigrant parents, and had a childhood steeped in the traditions of a homeland he had never seen. “My parents moved here in 1971 and I was born in 1972,” he says. “As an immigrant family, you lose so much when you leave your homeland—language, rituals, history. But the one thing we held onto was food.”
Food was the anchor in Lee’s household, a daily ritual of Korean home cooking that tied him to his roots. His parents, alongside his grandmother, who lived with the family, played central roles in this preservation. “I didn’t grow up in Korea and only visited for the first time when I was 16 but, through food, I had a Korean upbringing,” he says. “It gave me a foundation to understand Asian flavours in a natural way. I’m so grateful for that.”
His fascination with food began early. “I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to cook,” he says. “Other kids were collecting baseball cards or comic books. I’d go to laundromats with my mum where people would leave magazines, and I would go through them and collect all the food magazines to bring home. I read them cover to cover.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In

SEVENTH HEAVEN
Antarctica, the so-called last continent, is a distant destination to which even the highest-resolution photos fail to do justice, with a famously violent sea-crossing before you arrive. Fortunately, there are now alternative ways to get there

The Beauty Edit
The latest drops that deserve a spot on your vanity

Heart of Art
Tatler speaks to Carlo Giordanetti, the man behind some of Swatch’s most recognisable collaborations, about how the quirky Swiss watch brand weaves narratives through design and tells stories that resonate with people across generations

Perfect Muse
Dolce & Gabbana Beauty's global brand ambassador Mun Ka Young stuns in this exclusive editorial image showcasing one of 2025's top make-up trends: a dark, moody and glamorous aesthetic. Here's how to achieve the look

WHEN SPARKS FLY
From his humble beginnings washing dishes at a pizza joint, Dave Pynt's rise to becoming a world-class chef, renowned for bringing wood-fire cooking to the Asian palate, is nothing short of inspiring. This is his story at the helm of Burnt Ends, the Tatler Best Singapore Restaurant of the Year 2025, and he is already working on his next chapter

Bevond Horizons
Embodying the carefree spirit of summer, the Hermès spring-summer 2025 menswear collection marries coastal elegance with transformative versatility, blending luxurious fabrics and timeless silhouettes for the modern man

A TASTE OF THE UNKNOWN
Asia's most exciting food cities aren't where you think. These under-the-radar destinations are cooking up the region's next great gastronomic moments

Close Ties
Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska, the new executive director of Asia-Europe Foundation, discusses how the organisation continues to foster cooperation between the two regions

Queens of Hearts
Singapore's bar industry is undoubtedly high stakes, and these are the female bartenders and bar owners dominating it. Here are their come-up stories

Blood Lines
Afflicted with debilitating period cramps, Tan Peck Ying co-founded menstrual health company Blood to develop heat pads for pain relief and corn sanitary pads as well as foster real and “uncute” conversations about periods