Two weeks only: Susur's back on King Street (Photo by aser)
After making news—some good, some bad—with his new restaurant, Shang, over the past four months, Susur Lee is bringing the menu of his Manhattan venture to Toronto for a brief cameo. The celebrity chef will offer his newest creations at both of his satellite restaurants, Lee and Madeline’s, with a special prix fixe menu. For the first two weeks in April, Torontonians will be able to sample a three-course Shang offering from Monday to Wednesday for $35 and $1 corkage, as well as a five-course Shang menu from Monday to Saturday for $60.
The chef headed down to get his bite of the Big Apple last fall, closing his legendary restaurant and leaving smaller operations Lee and Madeline’s (along with a slew of former apprentices) as his legacy to Toronto. But since Shang’s December opening, the much-hyped venture has garnered mixed reviews from NYC critics Adam Platt and Frank Bruni. Now Toronto will get to weigh in on the debate, and as the media release states, “opinions welcome!!!!”
Lee’s hallmark Singapore slaw—which is commended and condemned equally for its arm-long list of ingredients—is always available at Lee, but other items are making their Toronto debut. Specialties of the Shang lineup, including turnip cake and garlic shrimp, will be guest stars of the Toronto visit. New York may have spoken, but nobody knows Susur like Toronto. It’s time to put the expat to a test even tougher than the New York Times: his fans on the homefront.
I went to Madelines on Friday night with a party of four. The skirt steak, very juicy and perfectly cooked. We will be going back for the sashimi tuna with the black truffle vinigarette. Susur Lee was there with his second in command Dominic Amaral. The service was cool and flawless.
April 26, 2009 at 10:43 am | by Maya Zompanti