meet the chef
Daniel Lee
Head Chef, Norris & Bell, TAURANGA Korean American Daniel Lee, head chef at Tauranga’s Norris & Bell, grew up in San Diego, California before moving to New Zealand eight years ago. At first, he came to simply experience Aotearoa, but ended up staying and becoming a Kiwi.
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ee grew up in a hospitality background with his father a chef and mother a restaurant manager back in San Diego. Lee expressed that he fell in love with eating “day one of my life” and has spent the last 13 years in the industry. “I started by helping my father in his kitchen, but never wanted to be a chef because I saw my Dad working long hours,” explained Lee. “I started my first official job when I was a waiter at the Grand Hyatt in San Diego. A couple of weeks later the kitchen team were short staffed for a massive outdoor catering event, I got pulled into the kitchen to help on the hot-line and ended up loving the action and heat from the kitchen.” Lee was also attracted to what food does to people, how it brings people together and he is motivated by the fact that there is always something new to learn as a chef. “I’m constantly thinking of something new, or how to reinvent classic things my way, it’s a neverending job! And as crazy as it sounds, I do really love being in the action during service, to stress out, work under pressure with my team and
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then finish the day with a beer or a wine.” Colin Norris and George Bell founded the aptly named Norris & Bell on The Strand around 1915 when only about 4,000 people called Tauranga home. Today, Norris & Bell represents exquisite care and attention, the steak and oyster restaurant draws on the rich history of its building and rich flavours to deliver a unique and nostalgiainspired dining experience. Reinvented by restaurant developers Billy Emeny and Mohinder Sawroop, the restaurant has been influential in developing The Strand and Tauranga region. Opening to the public in March 2021, Norris & Bell’s menu is designed with intriguing smells and tastes that draw out memories from a time past. Wood-fired prawns with the scent of a beach bonfire, charred pork with apple and apricot chutney reminiscent of Christmas day and fruit pie, and oysters with the foam, bubble, and salt of a day in the ocean waves. Reflecting Norris & Bell’s ethos, Lee is always trying to work with what mother nature provides, changing the
