Chef Edward Lee Shares Insights on the Challenges of 'Culinary Class Wars'
Oct 09, 2024
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Edward Lee appeared on the podcast 'Dave Chang Show', where he shared insights about his experience. He initially declined several offers to join 'Culinary Class Wars', believing it was a program meant for energetic young chefs. However, he ultimately decided to participate in order to explore his true identity and connect with chefs in Korea.
He mentioned the challenges of filming, saying, “The filming was incredibly tough. I didn’t film everything at once; there were times when I had to travel back and forth to the United States. Sometimes, I would fly for 20 hours and then drive for a few hours as soon as I arrived in Korea. It was physically demanding. While in Korea, I stayed in a hotel, but there were no cooking utensils available, so I had to buy some portable tools and simulate cooking.”
Chef Edward Lee particularly praised the show's authenticity, stating, “I’ve participated in various cooking contests, but I’ve never encountered a scale like this. There was no manipulation; Koreans are very honest. You can’t bring your cell phone onto the set, and even when you have your phone, you must cover the camera lens with a sticker. I jokingly told the chef next to me, ‘Let’s take a picture without the sticker,’ but he looked disgusted and said, ‘No, I can’t.’ It was a lighthearted moment; everyone was really nice.”
However, he did express some frustration regarding Chef Ahn Sung-jae, one of the judges, calling the experience “really cruel.”
Despite the challenges, Chef Edward Lee is determined to embrace new culinary experiences and vowed never to replicate his previous dishes. “It’s meaningless to enter a competition if you only do what you usually do. The various challenges I faced while searching for my identity were the biggest reasons I participated in the competition,” he explained.
In the end, Chef Edward Lee finished as the runner-up in 'Culinary Class Wars' after a fierce competition against the Napoli Matfia.
Reporter Baek Ji-eun, silk781220@sportschosun.com , photo = Yonhap News
silk781220@sportschosun.com
