Edward Lee has long been recognized in the United States through major cooking competitions, collaborations with Gordon Ramsay and work on a White House state dinner.
His recent appearance on My Little Old Boy — a popular SBS variety-talk show where celebrity guests share personal stories in a studio format built around humor, commentary and interviews — offered a look at how projects in Korea continue to steer the direction of his career.
On the program, he spoke about being appointed head chef for the APEC summit banquet in Gyeongju, a role he described as a rare chance to present Korean cuisine to leaders from around the world.
He said he structured the menu by pairing traditional dishes he considers complete and fully refined with more experimental interpretations designed to show the breadth of Korean cooking.
He also explained how Netflix’s “Black & White Chef” became a turning point. Producers initially approached him about joining as a judge before later asking him to compete instead, a shift he admitted left him slightly disappointed.
He said competing ultimately opened more doors than he expected, becoming a meaningful career pivot even if the show itself remains far less visible to American audiences compared with his earlier U.S. accomplishments.
