If you’ve spent any time on Netflix lately, you probably recognize the silver hair and the insanely calm demeanor of Chef Edward Lee. The guy is basically the "cool older brother" of the culinary world. But honestly, most people only know him from that one viral show, which is a bit of a shame because his screen history is actually pretty deep and honestly kind of wild.
He didn't just wake up as a Netflix superstar.
He’s been grinding on camera for over a decade. From the sweaty kitchens of Top Chef to the high-stakes drama in Seoul, edward lee chef movies and tv shows have become a sort of blueprint for how a chef can stay relevant without losing their soul to the "celebrity" machine.
The Netflix Explosion: Culinary Class Wars and Beyond
Let’s be real. We have to start with Culinary Class Wars. It changed everything for him.
Before that show dropped in 2024, Lee was a "chef’s chef." He was respected in Louisville and D.C., and food nerds knew him from PBS. But then Netflix put him in a room with 99 other chefs in South Korea, and the internet lost its mind. He wasn't even the winner—he was the runner-up—but he became the "people’s champion."
✨ Don't miss: Cuba Gooding Jr OJ: Why the Performance Everyone Hated Was Actually Genius
Watching a 50-something-year-old Korean-American man struggle with his mother tongue while absolutely demolishing younger chefs with a "tofu pasta" dish? That’s peak television.
It’s now 2026, and the momentum hasn't stopped. If you're looking for him now, he’s basically a permanent fixture on Korean TV. He just wrapped up Edward Lee's Country Cook on tvN, where he basically took his Kentucky soul to the Korean countryside. He’s also been popping up in Chef & My Fridge (the 2025 revival) and even had a cameo in the second season of Culinary Class Wars because, let's face it, the show felt a little empty without his "Kyun" energy.
The "Old School" Reality Era
Long before he was a Korean superstar, Lee was just a guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the Bravo meat grinder.
- Top Chef: Texas (Season 9): This was his first big break. He finished fifth. It was a brutal season—lots of outdoor cooking in the Texas heat—but he stood out because he was doing things with bourbon and kimchi that nobody else was touching back then.
- Iron Chef America: He took on Jose Garces in 2010. He won. It’s one of those "if you know, you know" episodes of Iron Chef because he walked into Kitchen Stadium as an underdog and basically out-techniqued a titan.
- MasterChef: People forget he was a guest judge on Season 7. Seeing him standing next to Gordon Ramsay is hilarious because their vibes are polar opposites. Ramsay is a volcano; Lee is a slow-burning ember.
The Mind of a Chef: Where the Art Happens
If you want to actually understand why this guy is famous, skip the competition shows for a second and go watch Season 3 of The Mind of a Chef on PBS (it’s usually on YouTube or Amazon now).
🔗 Read more: Greatest Rock and Roll Singers of All Time: Why the Legends Still Own the Mic
This is arguably his best work.
The show is narrated by Anthony Bourdain, and it’s much more poetic than your typical "30 minutes to cook a mystery basket" nonsense. He travels to Argentina to cook with Francis Mallmann. He goes back to his roots in Brooklyn. He explains how a kid from New York ended up obsessed with Kentucky bourbon.
It’s less about "who's the best cook" and more about "why do we even cook?" It’s the show that really cemented his identity as a storyteller, not just a line cook with a fancy apron.
Does he actually have any movies?
Sorta. Not in the "Hollywood blockbuster" sense. You won't see him in a Marvel movie (at least not yet).
💡 You might also like: Ted Nugent State of Shock: Why This 1979 Album Divides Fans Today
However, he did a documentary called Bourbontucky in 2014. If you like whiskey, it’s a must-watch. He’s also been featured in several food-centric documentaries like The Next Thing You Eat (2021) on Hulu, where he talks about the future of restaurants.
The "movie" vibes usually come from his guest appearances. He hasn't done a scripted role in something like The Bear yet—though fans have been begging for it—but honestly, his real life is dramatic enough.
Where to find him in 2026
If you’re trying to keep up with the latest edward lee chef movies and tv shows, here is the current "watch list" for this year:
- Edward Lee's Country Cook (tvN/Global Streaming): A four-part series where he explores rural Korean ingredients.
- Ed and Ryu: Mad About Seafood: A new 2026 project focusing on sustainable fishing and coastal cooking.
- Culinary Class Wars Season 2: Look for his guest appearance/mentor role.
- You Quiz on the Block: His interview episode is a classic if you want to see his "human" side.
The transition from a Kentucky chef to a global icon has been fascinating to watch. He’s managed to bridge the gap between "Western" reality TV and "Eastern" variety shows in a way that feels incredibly authentic. He isn't playing a character. He’s just a guy who really, really likes tofu and bourbon.
What to Do Next
If you want to see the best of Edward Lee without sitting through 15 hours of reality TV drama, start with The Mind of a Chef (Season 3). It’s the most "human" look at his career. After that, go to Netflix and watch the Semi-Finals of Culinary Class Wars (specifically the "Infinite Tofu Challenge"). It is arguably the greatest hour of cooking television ever recorded. Finally, if you're in D.C. or Louisville, skip the screen entirely and go eat at Shia or 610 Magnolia. Watching him on a screen is great, but eating his food is the actual point.