Corey Lee is the Korean-American chef behind Benu in San Francisco, the first restaurant in the city to receive three Michelin stars. Born in Seoul in 1977 and raised in New York’s Tri-State area, he trained for nine years under Thomas Keller at The French Laundry before opening Benu in 2010.
Benu has held three Michelin stars continuously since 2014, and Lee is now one of the most influential voices in the wave of Korean-American fine dining that includes Junghyun Park in New York and Mingoo Kang in Seoul.
TL;DR
- Korean-American chef born in Seoul in 1977, moved to the US in 1982
- Nine-year tenure at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry, head chef 2005-2010
- Opened Benu in San Francisco in 2010, three Michelin stars since 2014
- Also opened In Situ at SFMOMA (one Michelin star) and San Ho Won Korean barbecue in 2021
- Two-time James Beard Award winner, goodwill ambassador to Seoul
Corey Lee key facts
| Born | 1977, Seoul, South Korea |
| Nationality | Korean-American |
| Main restaurants | Benu, San Ho Won (San Francisco) |
| Michelin stars | Three stars at Benu since 2014 |
| Style | Contemporary Asian, Korean-influenced, French technique |
| Notable awards | Two James Beard Awards, AAA Five Diamond, Forbes 5 Stars |
| Book | Benu (Phaidon, 2015) |
Early life and training of Corey Lee
Lee was born in Seoul in 1977 and moved to the United States with his family in 1982, settling in the New York Tri-State area. His mother’s cooking was his main connection to Korean heritage through childhood, a relationship that would later surface in his own menu as an adult chef.
At 17 he took a summer job at Blue Ribbon Sushi in New York that turned into a career decision. He was largely self-taught through his early years, reading and working his way up rather than going through a formal culinary school. In 1997 he moved to London to work in kitchens including the Savoy Hotel and Pied à Terre, then Pierre Koffmann at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant. From London he went to Paris, staging at Lucas Carton under Alain Senderens and working at Guy Savoy.
Back in New York he worked at Daniel under Daniel Boulud and Lespinasse. In 2001 he joined Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, beginning what became a nine-year working relationship that would define his technical foundation. He helped open Per Se in New York in 2004, then returned to The French Laundry as head chef and led the kitchen when it received three Michelin stars in 2007. He stayed until 2010.
Corey Lee career timeline
- 1982: Family emigrates from Seoul to the US, settling in New York Tri-State area
- Age 17: First kitchen job at Blue Ribbon Sushi, New York
- 1997: Moves to London, works at the Savoy Hotel, Pied à Terre, Marco Pierre White
- Late 1990s: Paris stints at Lucas Carton (Alain Senderens) and Guy Savoy
- Back to New York: Daniel, Lespinasse
- 2001: Joins Thomas Keller at The French Laundry
- 2004: Spends a year in New York opening Per Se
- 2005-2010: Head chef at The French Laundry
- 2007: The French Laundry awarded three Michelin stars under his leadership
- 2010: Opens Benu in San Francisco’s SoMa; earns two Michelin stars within first year
- 2014: Benu awarded three Michelin stars, first in San Francisco to hold three
- 2015: Publishes Benu cookbook with Phaidon
- 2016: Opens In Situ inside San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
- 2019: In Situ earns one Michelin star; Benu debuts on World’s 50 Best
- 2021: Opens San Ho Won Korean barbecue in San Francisco’s Mission District
- 2024: Benu celebrates ten consecutive years of three Michelin stars
Corey Lee signature style
Benu’s 12-course tasting menu reinterprets East Asian ingredients (especially Korean) through the precision of French technique and the structural discipline Lee learned at The French Laundry. Pine needles, Asian pear, preserved persimmon, thousand-year quail egg and ultra-fresh seafood cycle through a menu that changes constantly while keeping a recognisable signature.
Lee has described his evolution as a shift from novelty-driven cooking in Benu’s early years toward mastery in the current phase. Early Benu prioritised dishes guests had never encountered before. Current Benu prioritises dishes that have been cooked so many times and refined so carefully that they can be served again and again without losing intensity. He calls this the difference between developing a new dish and mastering one.
The Korean component sits at the structural level rather than the decorative level. When Benu opened in 2010, Korean fine dining was not yet an established genre in the US. Lee was one of the first chefs to argue that Korean flavours, fermentation techniques and ingredient logic could sit at the centre of a three-star tasting menu, not as a garnish or a theme.
Notable dishes at Benu
The thousand-year-old quail egg has been a recurring opening bite since Benu opened. The lobster coral xiao long bao (a tissue-thin soup dumpling filled with lobster meat and lobster consommé) is the technical set-piece most associated with the restaurant, a Cantonese format executed with French-level precision. The Korean-style dumpling filled with pheasant and served with ten-year-aged soy sauce, preserved green plum kimchi and cold squash soaked in pheasant stock is the clearest current example of his mature style: one plate pulling on Korean pantry, French stock work and East Asian preservation techniques in a single coherent bite. Alaskan goose barnacles with seaweed oil and fermented chilli dipping sauce represents the other end of his style, deliberately unfamiliar ingredients chosen to reset the diner’s expectations.
Awards and recognition
- Two-time James Beard Award winner (Best Chef: West and Best Wine Program at Benu)
- Benu: three Michelin stars continuously since 2014
- Benu: AAA Five Diamond Award, Forbes Travel Guide 5 Stars
- In Situ: one Michelin star (2019); James Beard Award for Best Restaurant Design 2018
- American Express Icon Award from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
- Goodwill Ambassador for Seoul
- Benu ranked on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants (debut 2019)
Corey Lee impact on Asian fine dining in America
Lee belongs to the small group of chefs who moved Korean cuisine from niche to mainstream in the US fine-dining scene. When Benu opened in 2010, Korean food in America was largely defined by casual barbecue and the Kogi food truck moment. Benu made the case that Korean flavours belonged at the centre of a three-star tasting menu, and by the mid-2010s that case had become the working assumption for a generation of Korean-American chefs.
His lineage is technically French but his influence is Korean-American. The nine years under Alain Passard-era haute cuisine (through his stages at Guy Savoy and Lucas Carton) and then at The French Laundry gave him the technical platform. What he built on top of that platform is what now sits alongside the work of Junghyun Park at Atomix in New York and Mingoo Kang at Mingles in Seoul.
The 2015 Benu cookbook, published by Phaidon with forewords by Thomas Keller and David Chang, is the most substantive written record of this shift. It functions as both a recipe archive and a position paper on what contemporary Asian-American fine dining can be when taken seriously.
Corey Lee FAQ
How many Michelin stars does Corey Lee have?
Three Michelin stars at Benu in San Francisco, held continuously since 2014. In Situ at SFMOMA received one Michelin star in 2019. He was the first Korean-born chef to earn three Michelin stars in the United States.
Where is Corey Lee from?
He was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1977 and emigrated to the US with his family in 1982, growing up in the New York Tri-State area.
Who did Corey Lee train under?
Thomas Keller was his primary mentor, through a nine-year relationship at The French Laundry and Per Se (2001-2010). Before that he worked under Pierre Koffmann, Marco Pierre White, Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton, Guy Savoy, Daniel Boulud and at Lespinasse.
What restaurants does Corey Lee run?
Benu (three Michelin stars) and San Ho Won (Korean barbecue, opened 2021) in San Francisco. In Situ at SFMOMA opened in 2016 but has since closed.
What does “Benu” mean?
Benu is derived from the Egyptian word for “phoenix”, a reference to rebirth and self-reinvention. Lee chose the name when he opened the restaurant in 2010 to mark the beginning of his own chapter after leaving Thomas Keller’s kitchen.
What is next for Corey Lee
Benu celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2025 and Lee has signalled that he intends to take a break before working on the next chapter of the restaurant. Recent projects include a collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group on a smart-farm restaurant concept and a partnership with one of South Korea’s largest kimchi producers on a gourmet product line. His restaurant group’s official site (benusf.com) is the most reliable source for current news.
