EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is predicated on an interview Daniel Dae Kim carried out with Corey Lee for Ok-Everything, a NCS Original Series hosted by Kim exploring the worldwide impression of South Korean tradition.
Long before he grew to become the primary Korean chef to earn three Michelin stars, Corey Lee grew up in a New Jersey suburb the place Korean food was scarce. Gochujang paste wasn’t a family staple, and kimchi wasn’t a stylish topping in hip city eateries.
“If you asked me 10 years ago, I would never think that I’d be serving kimchi at a fine dining restaurant,” says Lee.
It’s a distinct panorama at the moment, although. The Hallyu or Korean wave, has swept the globe, from Ok-pop to Ok-beauty, and Korean delicacies has soared in recognition, with exports like kimchi hitting an all-time high last year, and abroad shops of Korean food firms increasing nearly 25% since 2020.
Lee, 48, began his profession in kitchens targeted on French culinary methods, however has gravitated again to his Korean heritage over the previous 15 years: first with the East Asian-inspired modern restaurant Benu, which earned him these three Michelin stars in 2015; and extra just lately, with a smart-casual, Michelin-awarded Korean barbecue joint in San Francisco, a Korean concept restaurant in a Singaporean automotive manufacturing unit, and a collaboration with one among South Korea’s hottest kimchi model to create gourmet kimchi merchandise.
In pictures: The artistic delicacies of Corey Lee
Born in Seoul in 1977, Lee moved together with his household to the US when he was 5, rising up in New York and later, Tenafly, New Jersey. Raised by Korean mother and father within the US, Lee didn’t develop up watching cooking exhibits or with desires of being a chef.
That all modified in 1995. Fresh out of highschool and ready to start out faculty, Lee took a summer time job at Blue Ribbon Brasserie in New York. Once contained in the kitchen, Lee “fell in love with it right away”: the depth, the creativity, the bodily calls for, and the sense of goal shared by everybody within the room.
The job was presupposed to final a summer time. Instead, it altered the trajectory of his life.
“I was hooked from day one,” Lee recollects.
That determination wasn’t common together with his mother and father. Lee’s mom, like many Korean mother and father of her era, strongly opposed the thought of her son working in a kitchen.
It would take worldwide recognition — and protection in a Korean newspaper about Lee’s accolades — before his mom lastly accepted that cooking may very well be a “real profession.”
Working underneath cooks educated in French cooking methods, Lee immersed himself in studying this traditional culinary fashion, transferring to London and dealing in a few of its most demanding kitchens before becoming a member of Thomas Keller’s group at The French Laundry in 2001. There, he rose via the ranks to change into head chef, and helmed the kitchen when it was awarded three Michelin stars in 2007.
What stayed with him was not simply approach, however Keller’s strategy to weaving private reminiscence into his menu.
“He (Keller) was able to reflect his upbringing, his Florida roots, his humble childhood — the kind of low-brow food that we don’t associate typically with fine dining, like mac and cheese — and really celebrate them,” says Lee.
When Lee left to open Benu — his modern Asian, San Francisco restaurant — in 2010, he mirrored Keller’s strategy, drawing on his Korean heritage to “celebrate the things that were dear to me in the kind of food that I grew up with.”
“Living as a Korean family in the US, food was such a big part of what we talked about; we tried to recreate Korean cuisine in America,” Lee recollects.
His mom’s gentle and clear residence cooking fashion, in addition to his grandmother’s strict Buddhist weight-reduction plan — which favors fragrant herbs, fermented merchandise and wealthy broths to create umami flavors, moderately than “pungent” spices like onion and garlic — has been a significant affect on his strategy to balancing seasoning in his dishes.
Benu’s menu combines influences from East Asia — quintessential Chinese elements like 1,000-year-old eggs and Jinhua ham; Japanese sake and wasabi; Korean perilla (a kind of mint leaf) and fermented chili — with French nice eating methods and recent California produce.
San Francisco food critic Michael Bauer, who reviewed the restaurant shortly after opening, described its ever-changing 12-course tasting menu (then priced at $160, now upward of $425) as an expertise full of “complex” flavors and “unfamiliar ingredients and cutting-edge techniques.”
Within six months of its opening, The New York Times listed Benu as one among 10 restaurants worth a plane ride, and in 2012, the restaurant obtained two stars within the San Francisco Michelin Guide, before being promoted to 3 in 2015, which it’s held yearly since.
Lee is one among a number of pioneering cooks who helped to push Korean delicacies from area of interest to mainstream within the US.
In 2008, Roy Choi’s Kogi BBQ food truck “brought Korean food to people in such a different way,” with its Korean-style tacos, says Lee.
“That was revolutionary,” Lee recollects. “That really stands out as a moment where I stopped and thought, ‘Oh wow, something’s changed.’”
Kkomak muchim (seasoned cockle salad): Small cockles, a kind of clam, are blanched and tossed in a spicy-sour sauce. This dish is commonly described as a “taste of the sea,” by locals, and Beolgyo’s tidal flats in Boseong County, South Jeolla province, present some of Korea’s most prized cockles.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1334″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Hongeo muchim (seasoned fermented skate): A dish made by mixing fermented skate fish with radish, garlic and chili. Known for its daring aroma and intense savory umami taste, hongeo is a delicacy in Jeolla Province.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1335″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Gim jaban bokkeum (stir-fried seaweed flakes): A pantry staple with advanced umami (savory) flavors. Dried seaweed is stir-fried with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil till crispy and savory.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1067″ width=”1600″ loading=’lazy’/>
Ueong jorim (braised burdock root): Burdock root is simmered in soy sauce, mirin (Japanese rice wine) and sugar till tender and shiny. The crunchy, candy and salty dish can be flavored with sesame or perilla oil, garlic and sugar.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Gulbi jorim or gulbi gui (braised or grilled dried yellow croaker fish): Gulbi is a prized Jeolla delicacy, typically gifted throughout holidays. Whether braised in soy-based broth or grilled, it embodies the area’s love for seafood. Its robust, salty taste means it’s sometimes eaten in small bites alongside plain rice, plus different banchan like pickled and recent vegetable dishes.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Musaengchae (spicy radish salad): Thinly sliced radish is combined with chili powder, vinegar and garlic for a tangy facet dish. While it would possibly appear to be kimchi, musaengchae will not be fermented, and is eaten recent.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Maneuljjong muchim (seasoned garlic scapes): Garlic scapes, the curled inexperienced shoots that develop out of garlic bulbs, are tossed with crisp radish slivers, chili powder, vinegar and garlic. With a chili chew, it cuts via heavier flavors in dishes like Korean barbecue or hearty stews.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Gat kimchi (mustard leaf kimchi): Originating from Yeosu, South Jeolla, this pungent kimchi is made with mustard greens and recognized for its spicy, peppery chew and tangy end. The coastal local weather of Yeosu contributes to the greens’ distinctive taste, making this kimchi a regional standout.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Ojingeochae muchim (spicy dried squid salad): Shredded dried squid is combined with a candy and spicy sauce, together with gochujang, a Korean fermented crimson chili paste. Because the squid is dried, it has an extended shelf-life and was traditionally a sensible pantry food; at the moment, it’s generally loved as a snack throughout Korea.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Cheongpomuk muchim (seasoned mung bean jelly): Made from mung bean starch, this jelly is sliced and combined with cucumbers, onions and tangy soy-vinegar dressing. In conventional Korean drugs, mung beans are acknowledged for having cooling and detoxifying results on the physique, making this a well-liked dish particularly in heat climate.” class=”image__dam-img image__dam-img–loading” onload=’this.classList.remove(‘image__dam-img–loading’)’ onerror=”imageLoadError(this)” height=”1333″ width=”2000″ loading=’lazy’/>
Korean food is greater than kimchi. Discover 10 lesser-known traditional facet dishes
At the identical time as Lee’s Benu was scooping up awards, Hooni Kim’s New York-based Danji grew to become the primary Korean restaurant globally to win a Michelin star; adopted by Jungsik New York a yr later, which grew to become the first Korean restaurant to realize three stars in 2024.
With his newest ventures, Lee is now exploring tips on how to translate nice eating methods past elite eateries.
“I’m really interested in taking what I’ve learned over decades and being able to reach more people,” he says.
Keeping costs down means a extra informal service fashion, and fewer luxurious elements — however that doesn’t imply the dish growth course of, culinary methods, or ingredient high quality is any much less rigorous, Lee provides.
At Na Oh, some elements come from its in-house hydroponic good farm, the place robots harvest leafy greens like kale and Swiss chard which might be integrated into its seasonal set menu.
Each meal features a principal dish and quite a lot of sides, referred to as “banchan,” representing a contemporary tackle Korean traditions.
Priced at 78 Singapore {dollars} ($62), Lee believes it permits diners to “experience something that has been prepared with as much intention and as much care as a fine dining restaurant, but in a much more accessible and affordable way.”
This three-Michelin-starred chef opened a restaurant in a Singapore automotive manufacturing unit
With Korean food’s recognition hovering worldwide, Lee hopes his extra approachable ideas can provide an elevated and strange perspective on the delicacies.
“I think people are a lot more adventurous now. People are a lot more aware of how other cultures eat, and they want to try it,” says Lee.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The NCS Original Series, Ok-Everything, hosted by Kim will launch on NCS International and stream on HBO Max this spring.