#chef bios

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Take an inside look at "Chopped" judge, Maneet Chauhan.

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Meet the Presenters at the NRA Show 2011

Chef Walter Neuhold

From cooking for Queen Elizabeth, Pope John II and former president Reagan, to traveling the world working in the finest hotels, Walter Neuhold has virtually seen it all. Born in Gleisdorf, Austria, he began his culinary apprenticeship at the age of 15 at the Austrian Park Hotel in Graz. After completing this three-year training program, Chef Neuhold began his travel as the executive chef in quality hotels and restaurants in Turkey, South Africa, Germany, Iraq, Hong Kong, the Philippines and seven years in South Korea. In 1987, Westin Hotels International, transferred him to Denver, where he met his wife, Marietta. He has stayed in the U.S. since then, owning several restaurants from coast to coast. Spending 7 years in South Korea the Chef utilized his knowledge to open in 1996 the Award Winning Seoul Jung in Los Angeles. In 1995 Kyoto Japanese Restaurant, Sushi Bar and Tempura Bar. With his vast knowledge of the hospitality industry, Chef Neuhold began The Professional Chefs Association in 1997. The chef’s club puts on Culinary Salons of Excellence, challenging chefs through competitions and exhibiting the latest in hospitality industry products. Presently, Chef Neuhold is helping the industry define quality standards through the PCA Gold Seal Program.

His love of travel, combined with his culinary knowledge, has made him the versatile professional he is today. Walter Neuhold currently resides in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife and two daughters. “It’s hard to become a chef,” Neuhold states, “but it’s even harder to stay a good one.” 

Chef Youngsun Lee

Youngsun Lee came to the U.S. from Korea at the age of twelve and grew up in Queens, New York. Youngsun is a graduate of The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), New York, and studied under famous chefs including Anita Lo of ANNISA.  Youngsun mastered traditional Korean cooking from his grandmother, including the famous Royal cuisine and home cooking.  His resume also includes working at EN in the West Village (traditional Japanese food), Craftbar, Momofuku Noodle Bar and Persimmon.  Chef Youngsun Lee desires to share the delicious food he has come to love his whole life.  He believes that it is his mission to educate more people about Korean cuisine and culture, including to the next generation. He was a culinary liaison for the introduction of Korean Temple Cuisine at the Culinary Institute of America (September 16, 2010) and an exclusive showcase dinner in New York City (September 20, 2010). In 2011, he helped launch the popular Kimchi Taco Truck, and has plan to open a restaurant in late 2011.  He now teaches Korean cuisine at his Alma Mater, ICE, as well as Kingsborough Community College in New York.

Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee is an award-winning chef, writer and artist, who specializes in fine arts, illustration, photography and design. She writes about Korean food, travel, arts, film, and culture. She has written for the food sections of the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post, The Asian Pacific American Journal, Whole Life Times, Food & Wine magazine, Eating Well and numerous other publications. A James Beard Award nominee, she has written several cookbooks, including Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home, Quick and Easy Korean Cooking and Quick & Easy Mexican Cooking. Her books have been selected in Food & Wine’s annual Best of the Best Cookbooks and as Gourmet's featured Cookbook of the Month. Her travel writing include several editions of Frommer's South Korea and the latest Frommer's Day by Day Guide to Seoul.