Edward Lee Biography
Edward Lee is an American Chef, Restaurateur, and Author who was born and brought up in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Currently, Lee owns numerous restaurants in Washington, D.C, Louisville, and Kentucky. He garnered the James Beard Humanitarian Award for his nonprofit organization, the LEE Initiative, in 2024 and several James Beard Foundation Award nominations, winning the award in 2019.
He has also made numerous television appearances on shows, including The Mind of a Chef, Iron Chef America, Top Chef, and Culinary Class Wars. Lee owns multiple restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky, and Washington, D.C.
10 Quick Facts About Edward Lee
Here is a list of 10 facts about Lee
- Name: Edward Lee
- Age: 52 Years Old
- Birthday: July 2
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m or 188 cm)
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Chef, Restaurateur, and Author
- Marital Status: Married
- Salary: Not Available
- Net Worth: $1 million – $5 million
Edward Lee Age
Lee is 52 years old, he was born on July 2, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He celebrates his birthday on July 2 every year. His birth sign is Cancer.
Edward Lee Height
Edward Lee stands at a height of 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m or 188 cm).
Edward Lee Weight
Lee has a moderate weight. His weight and other body measurements are publicly not available. We will update this section once the information is available.
Early Life and Education
Born on July 2, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York, United States, Edward started cooking at age 11 and credits his grandmother with first sparking his interest in food. He attended and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in literature from New York University.
Rise to Fame and Breakthrough Moment
- Lee moved to the city in 2002 and started performing at 610 Magnolia with former chef and owner Eddie Garber. He became the owner of 610 Magnolia barely a year after he transferred to the city.
- In 2010, Lee also emerged on Season 8 of Iron Chef America. The next year, in 2011, Lee was one of the “cheftestants” on season 9 of Top Chef.
Major Achievements and Contributions
- Lee has made multiple television appearances on shows, including Iron Chef America, Top Chef, The Mind of a Chef, and Culinary Class Wars. He also owns numerous restaurants in Washington, D.C., Louisville, and Kentucky, and has garnered several James Beard Foundation Award nominations.
- He went all in on Southern comfort food, incorporating Korean ingredients and flavors, which helped put him on the map. His career took off, and he went on to contest in Iron Chef America and Top Chef, win a James Beard Award along the way, and prepare a state dinner at the White House.
- As part of the LEE Initiative, Lee launched the McAtee Community Kitchen, a culinary internship program aimed at empowering and delivering a long-term career path for various groups of young adults in the restaurant industry.
Personal Life
Edward Lee Family, Parents
Lee was born and raised by his Korean parents in Brooklyn, New York, United States. Our efforts to find out more about his family came to no avail as no such information is publicly available. Thus, the identity of Edward’s parents is still unclear. We will update this section once this information is available.
Edward Lee Siblings
It is also not known if Lee has any siblings. We will update this section once this information is available.
Edward Lee Wife
Lee is currently married to his wife, Dianne Lee, who is from Kentucky. The couple together is blessed with one child, a daughter, Arden, who was born in 2013.
Edward Lee Children
Lee together with his wife Dianne are proud parents of one child, a daughter, Arden, who was born in 2013.
Edward Lee Net Worth
Edward Lee’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as a Chef, Restaurateur, and Author. Through his various sources of income, Edward has been able to accumulate good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Facts: Everything You Need to Know About Edward Lee
Here are some interesting facts you should know about Lee.
Edward Lee Bio.
- Full Names: Edward Lee
- Popular As: chef and author
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Chef, Restaurateur, and Author
- Nationality: Korean-American
- Race / Ethnicity: Korean-American
- Religion: Not Available
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 52 Years Old
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Date of Birth: July 2, 1972
- Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Birthday: July 2
Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: Not Available
- Height / How Tall?: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m or 188 cm)
- Weight: Moderate
- Eye Color: Black
- Hair Color: Dark Brown
- Chest Size: Not Available
Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Not Available
- Mother: Not Available
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Not Available
- Marital Status: Married
- Husband/Spouse: Married to Dianne Lee
- Dating/Girlfriend: Not Applicable
- Children: Arden
Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $1 million – $5 million
- Salary: Not Available
- Source of Income: Chef, Restaurateur, and Author
Edward Lee Restaurants
Lee opened his first restaurant in 1996, Clay, a small Korean restaurant in Manhattan’s Nolita neighbourhood that serves kalbi. Clay closed following the September 11 attacks. In Louisville, Lee has owned 610 Magnolia, a modern restaurant specializing in Southern cuisine, since the early 2000s. There, in 2007, Lee also opened a platform for special occasions called the Wine Studio.
However, Lee also opened Succotash, a restaurant combining Asian and Southern cuisine, the first location of which opened in National Harbor in 2015. Thereafter in 2017, he opened a second location for Succotash in Washington, D.C, and in 2020, Lee closed his Louisville restaurant, Milkwood, and shortly reopened it as McAtee Community Kitchen, named after David McAtee, which helped feed the West End, Shelby Park, and Russell neighborhoods in Louisville during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, Lee also opened Nami Modern Korean Steakhouse in Louisville, which was named of USA Today’s best restaurants of 2024. In November 2024, he opened a fine dining restaurant in Washington, D.C., called Shia, serving Korean American fusion cuisine. Shia is environmentally conscious through sustainable techniques such as designing menus and coasters from leftover paper, being plastic-free, and dehydrating waste.
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