Since striking out on his own from Thomas Keller’s acclaimed French Laundry in 2010, Corey Lee has crafted a unique, James Beard Award‐winning cuisine that seamlessly blends his South Korean heritage with his upbringing in the United States. Benu has gone on to receive three Michelin stars, four stars from The San Francisco Chronicle, and the AAA Five Diamond Award. 

Corey Lee’s career has spanned nearly 20 years of working at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the world, including a tenure as head chef at The French Laundry where his work was recognized with a James Beard Award. He opened his San Francisco restaurant, Benu in August 2010. 

The Phaidon-published cookbook Benu, is an archive documenting the restaurant’s food, inspirations, and people who make it possible. Benu is a tribute to the dining experience at the restaurant and is presented in the format of a 32-course tasting menu. 

In recognition of his work and influence, he also became a goodwill ambassador for the city of Seoul, South Korea, an honor given to leaders in various fields.

Classically trained chef Roy Choi is a culinary street revolutionary. He brings together the high and the low – deliciously, passionately, and socially. While his pedigree includes Le Bernardin and the Beverly Hilton, his fame rose with one amazing taco that tastes like L.A. – and nearly single-handedly created the gourmet food truck movement with his partners on the wings of Twitter.

Before hitting the streets with his popular food truck Kogi BBQ, Choi executed classical techniques in professional kitchens and banquet halls for twelve years in New York, San Francisco, Portland, and Lake Tahoe. Then came the Great Recession. Laid off, having lost everything, with a family to support, Choi had to get creative: He said yes to a friend who rented a truck and co-founded Kogi BBQ, which Newsweek later dubbed “the first viral eatery.” Choi was hailed as a pioneer, and the Kogi model has often been duplicated.

Building on his success (including television appearances and major buzz in local, national, and worldwide press), Choi provided yet another source of culinary revelation with his first sit-down restaurant, Chego in April 2010, now located in Chinatown, followed by A-Frame in 2010, and Sunny Spot just east of Venice Beach in 2011. His newest restaurant venture, featuring the tastes of Korea translated through an L.A. state of mind, opened at a new hotel, The Line, in L.A. in late 2013. Choi’s first book, L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food, was published in the Fall of 2013.