Chef Kevin Lee remembers the feeling of standing in front of a roomful of people, looking for any available seat just so he could have his lunch and avoid the near-paralyzing awkwardness of being the new kid at a new school. 

“My father was an engineer and had severe ADHD, so we moved around a lot,” Lee says. “I grew up all over—Korea, Oklahoma, Connecticut and Tacoma (Washington)—so I remember that school cafeteria moment well. I hated it when I was a kid, but now I see the benefits.”

Fear of the crowd isn’t really an issue for Lee anymore. He’s a Food Network darling, celebrity chef and owner of two of Oklahoma City’s best restaurants, Birdie’s and Maht. He competes regularly on food competitions, handles promotional interviews, makes commercials and still finds time to work the tables at his OKC hotspots when he’s not filming elsewhere. If any awkwardness remains, you can’t read it on his face. He’s comfortable in front of a camera, and seems to thrive on competition.

In May, Lee will join more than three dozen chefs at the Omni PGA Frisco Resort in Frisco, Texas, for SAVOR, a four-day culinary event, featuring food, wine, cocktails and golf, as well as an impressive lineup of hospitality luminaries like Elizabeth Blau, Master Sommelier Erik Elliott and an internationally famous collection of “Top Chef” and Food Network alumni. A grand tasting will provide guests an opportunity to sample food by and interact with chefs like Lee, Tiffany Derry, Shota Nakajima, Dean Fearing, Gabe Erales and Esther Choi. 

Gus Tejeda, the director of sales and marketing for Omni PGA Frisco, said an event like SAVOR was on his mind three years ago when he was in the pre-opening phase of the resort. “The question was what event could we create that could bring attention to our premier resort and all it has to offer—something that includes food, drink, golf and music?” Tejeda says. “We have 660 acres with unique venues and beautiful views, so we wanted an event that could bring this place to life.” 

SAVOR was the answer, and the first year was a remarkable success, earning attention from media around the country, including a writeup in Forbes magazine. Lee participated in the inaugural event, and said he’s looking forward to returning to Frisco. 

“It’s a world-class resort,” Lee says. “I was partnered with Kurt Russell for the golf tournament, and that was a fun day. They’ve changed the golf a little this year to save time, so we won’t be doing a full tournament. But I love the chance to interact with my peers, hardcore Food Network fans and guests at these events. On shows like ‘Tournament of Champions,’ I get a chance to work the crowd, but most competitions aren’t like that, so I enjoy these events where I get to meet people.”

Night one of the event is limited to 150 guests, but the Fork & Fire Grand Tasting on Friday, May 1, is the first large chef event, and Tejeda said they’re expecting 500 or more guests for the food festival atmosphere. Saturday’s SAVOR Grand Tasting will be a combined food and beverage event with chefs inside and outside. Tejeda said they’re shooting for 1,500 guests that night. 

One of the featured chefs is Shota Nakajima, a “Top Chef Portland” alum who was one of the three finalists that season. His connection to Oklahoma City, which is relatively recent, is directly and indirectly related to Chef Lee. Nakajima talked to Luxiere from his home in Seattle.

“I met Kevin at a food event, and we’ve become friends,” he says. “We talk every week. His chef de cuisine at Maht is my former sous chef, Kazumichi Nakahara. I love these events because you develop relationships, as with Kevin, that are as long-lasting and important as relationships I have with my local peers. I probably talk to Kevin and ‘Top Chef’ friends more than I talk to local chefs.” 

That reality is pretty common, actually; it’s something you hear from chefs regularly. They are so busy running restaurants and often raising families that they seldom have time to move around a city to support their peers’ restaurants. The large events and television competitions give them a chance to hang out and build friendships with peers of comparable talent and following, who just happen to live hundreds or thousands of miles away. 

RIGHT: Chef Shota Nakajima

Nakajima said he enjoyed the SAVOR event last year and is looking forward to this year: “The resort is a bit secluded, and you get a chance to be immersed in the environment. But really, I love these events because everyone from the chefs to the organizers are relentless dreamers, and I want to hang around people like that as often as I can. It takes so much to get to the level of a lot of these people, and I want to spend time with dreamers, ambitious and talented people.”

Tejeda said he and his team have worked hard to build diversity into the event, and not just in the expected ways. “We want diversity in the food and personalities,” he says. “We look for up-and-comers, established chefs, tried and true food, and this year’s list is even better than last year.” 

The Friday night event will be the most intimate experience for a large group, according to Tejeda. The comparatively small number means more time to meet and interact with chefs face to face, something both Nakajima and Lee enjoy.

“There is this dynamic at these events where people come by for a taste, and then we start a mini-conversation, and then they come back for seconds and thirds, and so the conversation becomes something more than a mini version. You get to know the people and get great feedback.”

As for Lee, he’s going to do what he does best. “The POV of my food is diversity, because that was my upbringing. I want to bring the diverse flavors together into a great dish. Last year, I did the gochujang sticky ribs from the Birdie’s menu. This year I’m doing a kimchi pancake hush puppy with yuzu ranch (he’s an Okie, y’all) and smoked trout roe.” 

Tickets for the event are on sale at the SAVOR Omni PGA Frisco Resort website, savoromnipgafrisco.com. •

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