About Chef Phillip Frankland Lee
Phillip Frankland Lee is the Executive Chef and co-owner of Scratch Restaurants Group, the husband-and-wife operation he runs with pastry chef Margarita Kallas-Lee. He grew up in California’s San Fernando Valley, decided at 13 that he wanted to be a sushi chef, started as a dishwasher, and rose to sous chef at 21, executive chef at 24, and restaurant owner at 25. He trained under Quinn Hatfield at the Michelin-starred Hatfield’s in Los Angeles and under Stefan Richter at Stefan’s at L.A. Farm. Today Scratch Restaurants Group comprises over 26 restaurants across the United States, including Sushi by Scratch Restaurants — a 17-course new wave omakase concept with locations in Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, Seattle, Chicago, and Montecito (Michelin star) — and Pasta|Bar, a 12-course tasting menu concept with a Michelin star in Los Angeles. He holds the Food Network record for the most consecutive competition wins across Chopped, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Cutthroat Kitchen, and has appeared on Top Chef.
Episode Overview
Omakase and tasting menus both put the chef in control — but they are built on completely different philosophies, economics, and guest relationships. In this episode, Phillip Frankland Lee breaks down the real differences between the two formats, how each one shapes the creative process, what it takes to scale intimate dining concepts without losing what makes them special, and what building a 26-restaurant group from scratch actually taught him about ownership, leadership, and the cost of creative ambition.
What You Will Learn in This Episode
Omakase vs. Tasting Menu — The structural, philosophical, and economic differences between the two formats, and why the distinction matters more than most chefs realize when building a concept.
Scaling Intimacy — How Phillip and Margarita have expanded Sushi by Scratch and Pasta|Bar across multiple cities without diluting the experience that made them worth scaling in the first place.
The Economics of Small-Counter Dining — What the numbers actually look like for a 10-seat omakase operation, how profitability works at that scale, and why the model is more sustainable than it looks.
Building a Restaurant Group From Zero — What the early years of Scratch Restaurants Group looked like, what almost broke it, and what the controlled chaos of rapid expansion taught him about leadership.
Creativity as a Business System — How Phillip structures the creative process across multiple concepts so that innovation is repeatable, not dependent on one person’s inspiration on a given day.
Competing on Food Network — What those competition wins required mentally and technically, and what the pressure of live cooking television reveals about a chef’s actual skill level under stress.
Connect With Phillip Frankland Lee
Instagram: @phillipfranklandlee
Scratch Restaurants: sushibyscratchrestaurants.com
Listen and Watch
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Audible
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