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Hasung Lee (Korean: 이하성) is a South Korean chef and restaurateur. Under the name “Culinary Monster,” he was the runner-up in the second season of the Netflix series Culinary Class Wars.[1]

Education

Lee attended university in South Korea, studying hotel culinary arts, and moved to the United States to study at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA).[2]

Career

After graduating, Lee returned to South Korea due to economic troubles in America, after which he ran a food truck in Hwanghak-dong, Seoul with his friends.[1] He then worked at Gramercy Tavern in New York City, Geranium in Copenhagen, and The French Laundry. He also co-founded Atomix, which later earned two Michelin stars.[1]

In 2025, Lee was named the inaugural Nanro Next Fellow by Nanro Academy, an organization intending to promote Korean cuisine around the world.[2] The same year, he participated in Culinary Class Wars season two as a Black Spoon. He reached the finals and lost to White Spoon chef Choi Kangrok.[1]

In early 2026, Lee announced on Netflix Korea’s YouTube channel that he would open his own restaurant, Oyatte, in the Murray Hill neighborhood of New York City later in the year.[1][3][4] BBC named it one of the most anticipated restaurant openings of the year.[5]

Lee drew criticism for, at times, “speaking harshly” during episodes of Culinary Class Wars.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f “Culinary Monster Nearly Won ‘Culinary Class Wars’ Season 2. Here’s What to Know About the Rising Chef”. Marie Claire. 2026-01-15. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  2. ^ a b Daily, The Chosun (2025-11-25). “Korean Chef Lee Ha-sung: Food Truck to French Laundry Sous Chef”. The Chosun Daily (in Korean). Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  3. ^ Mariposa, Sasha (2026-02-03). “Everything we know about Oyatte, Culinary Monster’s upcoming New York restaurant”. Tatler Asia.
  4. ^ So-eun, Shin (2026-01-15). “‘Culinary Monster’ Lee Ha-sung reflects on runner-up finish, eyes New York restaurant”. The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2026-03-01.
  5. ^ “The most anticipated restaurant openings of 2026”. www.bbc.com. 2026-02-14. Retrieved 2026-03-01.