Celia Lee
NARO | New York
February 2023
Celia Lee has always been fascinated with the science behind pastry. Born in Korea, Lee started her pastry journey at a New Jersey bakery when she was just 14 years old, which led her to attend the French Pastry School in Chicago. After a move to New York City and a stage at
Jean Georges in 2013, Lee decided to focus more on pastry production. She began working at Milk Bar’s production kitchen, then moved on to Ladurée as chef de partie, where she stayed for the next three years. Wanting to develop her pastry skills even further, Lee decided to return to restaurants, joining the team at The Modern in 2016 as a pastry cook. Under the mentorship of Rising Stars alum Jiho Kim, Lee established a set of culinary standards which shaped her into the pastry chef she is today.
In 2020, with the pandemic in full swing and The Modern temporarily closed, Lee spent time baking at home, making custom cakes for her regulars at The Modern. In 2022, she was presented with the opportunity to join the two-Michelin-starred Korean restaurant, Atomix. Now, Lee serves as executive pastry chef of the Atomix team’s latest fine dining venture, NARO. There, she has found her voice, putting forward a creative Korean pastry menu that often incorporates roots and herbs that are traditionally used in Korean medicinal practices. Desserts like her green apple and bay leaf sorbet with mugwort crumble, or her Asian pear pavlova with omija punch are fresh, layered, and masterfully highlight staples of Korean cuisine.
