Edward Lee

Events

Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Shelves
Perfectly Paired Dinners (formerly Restaurant Dine-Arounds)
Perfectly Paired Dinners
Restaurant:610 Magnolia
Address:Louisville, KY

Chef Edward Lee’s story – and his food – could only happen in America. One part Southern soul, one part Asian spice and one part New York attitude, Lee is a Korean-American who grew up in Brooklyn, trained in classical French kitchens, and has spent the better part of a decade cooking in Louisville, Kentucky.

Lee’s passion for food is only surpassed by his sense of adventure; it is, after all, what took him to Louisville from a successful career in New York City. In 2001, on a cross-country road trip, Lee wound up in Louisville during Derby Week, the busiest dining week of the year. On a tip from a friend, he sought out the eccentric chef of a local gem called 610 Magnolia, finagling an invitation to work in the kitchen for the week. Impressed with Lee’s passion and skill, the chef offered him the restaurant less than a year later, and his Southern adventures began. The rest is history.

Chef Lee’s idiosyncratic culinary style draws inspiration from his Asian heritage, his classical training, and his adoptive hometown while also celebrating the best ingredients from local farms. But far from relegating him to the realm of the outsider, Lee’s patchwork cuisine has attracted attention and acclaim. A James Beard finalist for Best Chef: Southeast in 2011, he has been featured in Gourmet and Esquire magazines, defeated Iron Chef Jose Garces on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, and appeared on the CBS Early Show, preparing an eclectic three-course meal for a family of four for under $40.

Lee continues to seek out adventure, whether fishing bare-handed in a Kentucky creek, hunting for venison, working in a slaughterhouse or dropping in on a friend’s restaurant to cook for a few days. He approaches his professional and culinary life with candor, humor, and – most importantly – the same spirit of adventure that was the original impetus for his success.