Eric Lee - Cooking Expert | Grokker

Chef Eric Lee

Personal Mission

Incorporating world travel as inspiration to tweak classic recipes into new and exciting dishes.

Unique Specialty

Food and wine pairing, and cuisine desserts.

Other Passions

Traveling to satisfy my hunger for new foods, and photographing everything along the way.

Website

Eric's Website

Expertise

Chef Eric Lee began his culinary journey at home. Every Chinese banquet and every holiday meal was a grand affair with multiple courses and multiple desserts. This love for eating led him to the Culinary Institute of America after graduating from UCLA. Upon graduation, Eric became a sous chef at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, California, where he met Rene Chazotte, a Master Sommelier who sent him down the path to the Wine Country. Chef Eric was the sous chef for Cindy Pawlcyn at the Buckeye Roadhouse, where he truly learned the importance of hard work and attention to detail. Eric then moved on to create his own catering company for photo and video shoots in San Francisco. His passion for teaching led him to the Napa Valley Cooking School, where he was able to teach the next generation of students on how to become successful professional chefs. While in the heart of the Wine Country, Chef Lee was bitten by the wine bug, and pursued a position as a winery chef, landing him in Healdsburg as the Chef for Simi Winery. There, he was able to create a multitude of wine-centric programs for the industry and the public. He also appeared on numerous television shows while promoting the brand. This led him to his stint on the Food Network as a finalist on The Next Food Network Star Season 8. From there, Eric has moved on to his next culinary challenge as the Executive Chef for Sonoma State University where all of his passion, knowledge, and experience have come together to create new food memories for the next generation of Foodies.