Richard Lee
Saison | San Francisco
november 2022
At seventeen years old, Richard Lee began his career working in pastry at Kuleto's Italian Restaurant in San Francisco. He quickly learned that pastry was not his forte, but when he switched to working on the line, he found his calling. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in 2009, Lee spent the next several years working in Michelin-starred kitchens from coast-to-coast, including three years as chef de partie at One Market Restaurant in San Francisco under Rising Stars alum Chef Mark Dommen and five years as sous chef at Eleven Madison Park in New York City. In 2018, Lee was promoted to chef de cuisine of EMP’s Summer House and Winter House traveling pop-up, but less than a year later, was ready to move on from the Make It Nice team and take on a new challenge.
In 2019, he accepted the executive sous chef position at Saison under Chef Laurent Gras. Now as chef de cuisine, Lee has combined his concise, intentional cooking style with Saison’s open fire philosophy. He has also worked towards making the restaurant industry more accessible by creating a positive, welcoming work environment and advocating for higher pay for his team. He doesn’t want his staff, or restaurant workers in general, to think they have to choose between following their dreams and making ends meet. Under his guidance, Lee is determined for Saison to become a platform for young talent to grow; to move forward and change the industry for the better. Lee is pushing the two Michelin star program to new heights–and gunning for that third star.
2022 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
