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‘Weird’ to world class: Edward Lee’s mother gives insight into chef’s childhood

Published: 20 Jan. 2025, 00:00 Updated: 20 Jan. 2025, 12:57

LEE JIAN
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Chef Edward Lee [CICI]

Edward Lee is a full-time chef in the United States, but he also wears many other hats.

The Korean American restauranteur has competed in cooking shows, like “Iron Chef America” (2005-2018) and “Culinary Class Wars” (2024), hosted an Emmy-winning series and authored three best-selling books. He also founded the Lee Initiative, promoting diversity in the restaurant industry. Above all, he is a devoted father and husband.

More recently, Lee's newfound fame in Korea has him attending awards ceremonies, commercial shoots, press conferences and television sets for numerous shows.

“I like staying busy and hate being bored. I get that from her, I think,” Lee said, pointing to his mother Lee Soon-ja sitting next to him during the press conference on Thursday at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, southern Seoul.

Edward Lee, second from right, and his mother Lee Soon-ja, to the left of Lee, speak to the press at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [CICI]

The day before, he received an award at the Korea Image Awards, hosted by the nonprofit Corea Image Communication Institute, for elevating Korea’s image on the world stage.

His 85-year-old mother joined Lee on stage as he received the award.

“Edward just said, ‘Come to Korea with me, everything is paid for.’ Now I’m here, and everyone wants a picture with Edward, and I just feel like I am walking on air!” she said.

Chef Edward Lee's mother Lee Soon-ja speaks to the press at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [CICI]

When asked where Lee gets his culinary talents from, she said she didn’t know. She was busy working and didn’t have time to cook. But she recalled a telling episode about her son when he was around 10, who, at the time, was starting to discover his passion for cooking.

“My husband and I were eating, and it was just the two of us, so it was a simple meal, probably with just kimchi and rice. And when Edward came home, he saw us and scoffed, then made something quickly from the kitchen, folded the napkin into a triangle and placed it on his lap. I thought to myself, ‘What a weird kid!’”

She didn’t claim much credit for her son’s achievements. As a parent, “there wasn’t anything that I especially focused on, but I never said ‘no’ to him. And he was a smart kid. I am not very smart, though I am capable. His father is smart.”

Edward Lee speaks to the press at Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday. [CICI]

The chef, however, thought differently. To this day, he channels his mother’s work ethic and sense of responsibility that he witnessed growing up. But as a young boy, he didn’t fully understand his mother’s sacrifices.

"I didn’t have a close relationship with my mother growing up,” he said. “Our family wasn't well off when I was young, and my mother would leave the house to work early in the day and come back late at night. As an adult and a chef now, I have much more to talk about with her, including food. Food is what we use to talk and connect.”

Food, for Edward Lee, has always been the means of expression and connecting with others.

“Every chef has a different approach to food. One is not better than the other. But I am a literature major and love telling stories, and for me, food is a way of telling a story. Flavor comes second. That’s just my attitude.”

The recent trip was the first time that Lee had traveled to Korea with his mother, marking another step in his journey, both professionally as a chef and personally as a Korean American navigating between identities.

“I’m 52, and for my whole life, I wanted to be Korean,” he said. “At my age, most people don’t get a chance to have another life. So, having this opportunity to learn, discover and meet new people has changed me forever. In many ways, I feel young again.”

BY LEE JIAN [[email protected]]