In 2014, his flagship restaurant, Benu, became the first in San Francisco to receive three Stars from the Michelin Guide, making Lee the first Korean chef to garner that accolade.
[7] He then went on to work and stage at fine dining institutions such as Pied à Terre, The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, Lucas Carton, Guy Savoy, Daniel, and Lespinasse.
[16] Lee has presented at several international culinary events such as Madrid Fusion, Gastronomika, Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Global Leaders Forum, and Seoul Gourmet.
[24][25][26][27][28] In 2015, he authored Benu–a collection of recipes and essays that explores the restaurant's food, influences, and collaborators–with forewords by Thomas Keller and David Chang, published by Phaidon and designed by Julia Hasting.
[31] Its website described it as an exhibition restaurant that "[brings] together a revolving collection of culinary influencers, innovators, and icons to make their contributions accessible for greater public engagement.