Philip Frankland Lee

Coming Up

Today, Philip Frankland Lee is co-owner of Scratch Restaurants Group and Executive Chef of Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: Montecito. The work sits between menu authorship and room-level control: not just the cooking, but the pacing, structure, and sequence that shape how a guest reads the meal.

Where They Are Now

At Sushi by Scratch Restaurants: Montecito, the form is modern omakase sushi, delivered through a chef-led sequence rather than an à la carte exchange. That format changes the craft: each course matters on its own, but it also has to carry forward the logic of the meal that follows. The sequence itself becomes part of the technique, with timing, order, and restraint doing as much work as the plate. He is also co-owner of Scratch Restaurants Group, which places the work beyond a single counter or dining room. Taken together, the roles point to control at two levels: the execution of the meal and the broader shape of the restaurants that present it.

Signature

Philip's signature dishes include Sushi by Scratch Restaurants and Pasta|Bar. The names point to range, but also to method: one built around the exacting pace of sushi service, the other around the structure and comfort of pasta, each showing a different register of the same disciplined approach.

In Their Words “I dedicated the last probably 15 years of my life just to trying to get a Michelin star.” The line reads as long-form repetition rather than a quick target. It speaks to a kind of work measured in years of refinement, with the Michelin star treated as the benchmark that organizes the effort.

Honors

Philip's honors include Michelin star. As recognition goes, it is a concise signal of consistency under pressure: a mark that follows from chef-led precision, repeated execution, and a sustained standard rather than a single moment.