His idea of authentic French cuisine
has revolved around deep-fried pork cutlets, and hamburg steaks doused with
sweet gravy, topped with a fried egg. From the moment chef Lee decided to go
study abroad, he had only one destination in mind – France. He would go on to
study at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu
Paris.
Wanting to learn the ins and outs of
classic French cuisine outside of school, he apprenticed for six months at the
then-two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Michel Rostang. At the end of his
internship, he realized that modern French cuisine was the genre he wanted to
pursue. Through a referral, he landed an apprenticeship at Le Chateaubriand by
Iñaki Aizpitarte, a chef he greatly admired. Not long after, Aizpitarte made
him an offer he could not refuse – to join the team at his newly-opening
restaurant and wine bar Le Dauphin.
Lee returned to Korea in 2013 armed with his new-found knowledge, skills and plenty of ideas. His restaurant, Zero Complex, opened to mixed reviews in July 2014 in Seoraemaeul. He became the youngest chef helming a Michelin-Starred Restaurant in Seoul in 2017.