Photo courtesy : susur.com

If you’re a fan of Top Chef, you know who Susur Lee is. You also know that he is an culinary mastermind and a very intriguing man. We had we just had to check out his food first hand at Lee Lounge on King Street West in Toronto. Especially since we were staying just a few blocks away!

The food is designed to be shared, to it’s in a tapas style. For our party of 3 we were recommended to select 5-6 dishes. Everything was delicious! we especially enjoyed the fusion style dishes, for example the Cheeseburger Spring Roll – so clever.

The vibe at the lounge, which is connected to Lee Restaurant, is trendy and the decor is contemporary with asian influences (note the pufferfish!). The clientele is refined and mainly in the late 30s-40s range. But the closer you get the the bar, the younger the diners seem to get. The service was excellent, very attentive and fixated on the most minute detail.

This is the type of place you would take a first or second date. It’s exciting, fast paced, and gives you lots to talk about (food, culture, travel, inspiration, ect.).

We started with Drinks: Raspberry Mojito, Oyster Caesar, Lee Lemonade

Then we shared:

Chickpea & okra sweet onion fritter with spiced tamarind dip, minted yogurt

Sashimi of charred tuna and spicy tartare with marinated edamame, tonnato sauce, tofu crisps

Cheese burger spring roll with smoked chili mayo

Chicken, Shrimp and Beef Thai satay with Chili mint, peanut sauce, spicy mango salad

Top Chef green curry chicken with sweet pea polenta, butter almondine, spiced tomato jam, dried pineapple, chili mint.

All in all, this place is a great time. The food is spectacular, you really feel like you’re in the presence a Canadian culinary legend. And yes, we even saw the Chef himself cruising through the front of house and talking to his guests, ah-mazing!

Location:
601 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 1M5

Telephone: 416-504-7867

Hours:
Monday – Wednesday 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Thursday – Saturday  5:30 pm – 11:30 pm

Website: http://www.susur.com/lee/