Corey Lee

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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Park |first1=Sukie |title=샌프란시스코 베누 (Benu) 세프 겸 대표 코리 리 (Corey Lee) 프렌치 론 드리 퍼 세 '이어 미술 랭 3 스타 행진 |url=http://www.nyculturebeat.com/?mid=People&document_srl=3140504 |website=NY Culture Beat |date=27 October 2014 |publisher=NY Culture Beat |access-date=11 December 2020}}</ref> In 2019, Benu made its debut on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Lee is also a two-time James Beard Award winner, a former Food & Wine Best New Chef, and a Goodwill Ambassador to Seoul. 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. 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. 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. 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". Benu has maintained three stars from the Michelin Guide since 2014. 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. Benu’s fixed menu incorporates ingredients and techniques from many different cuisines, including Korean and Cantonese. 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. He has also given guest lectures at Harvard University and UCSF. His television appearances include Charlie Rose and Korean documentaries produced by KBS, Olive TV, Arirang, and TV Chosun. 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.