[Herald Economy = Reporter Park Byung-guk] “Wow — it’s Edward Lee!”On the 20th, the Seoul City Hall cafeteria on basement level 2 became the place to be. A line formed at 11 a.m., well before the 11:30 lunch service. It started at the cafeteria door, passed the gym, wound around the elevators and stretched on — easily 200–300 meters (about 660–985 feet).
Inside, a familiar face was dishing up meals: Chef Edward Lee, who was the runner-up on season 1 of the Netflix series Black & White Chefs: Culinary Class War. Employees gasped, took out their phones and snapped photos as he served.
The buzz was about Seoul City’s special staff meal — Lee supplied the recipes and personally served the food. The city runs a special menu once a month as an employee benefit.
Lee’s menu included pork ribs with a whiskey-mustard sauce, roasted vegetables like asparagus and bell peppers, jalapeño cucumber pickles, and mulled wine. He also elevated the usual salad by swapping in tofu noodles instead of plain mixed greens. One employee posted on the internal board: “I went without thinking and Edward Lee served my meal. That savory flavor — I love it. Is anyone willing to share the ingredients? It can’t just be butter. Even a guess would help.”
Seoul City said it reached out to several chefs — including ones from Black & White Chefs — but scheduling and budget made it hard to secure appearances. Edward Lee, the last chef they contacted, gladly accepted because he already serves as a Seoul city ambassador.
Lee served for 15 minutes starting at noon on the 20th, then sat down with eight employees to talk about Korean food. A total of 1,821 staffers enjoyed his menu that day — a sharp rise from the roughly 1,200 who usually eat there. Lee said, “I’m happy the employees enjoyed it. I’d love to come back if I get the chance.”Edward Lee was born in Seoul and moved to the United States with his family at age one. He first gained attention by winning the U.S. cooking competition Iron Chef in 2010 and surged in popularity again after finishing runner-up on Black & White Chefs in 2024. In May 2025, Seoul City named him a goodwill ambassador, praising his efforts to globalize Korean cuisine through TV appearances and cookbooks, and his advocacy for marginalized groups — including work to advance the rights of women and Black chefs.{vi17}
