Iron Chef Susar Makes Good... on Second Try.

Susur
601 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario
(416) 603-2205

Sometimes it takes more than one visit to get a true impression of a restaurant. This happened to be the case after a recent visit to Susur over the holidays to celebrate my sister’s new job.

Susur Lee, the celebrity chef who appeared on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America (he came out with a tie), has established a reputation for producing high-end food that is both innovative and creative. His less expensive and formal restaurant Lee is next door, which serves tapas-style food that is best shared with friends. During a visit last summer, we found portions a little on the small side, and the atmosphere really loud. The food itself was good – we liked the highly recommended fish, but we didn’t leave completely full.

Our first visit to Susur was average – disappointing after all the hype and recommendations from friends. While the tasting menu was creative and satisfying, the service was rushed, the food wasn’t described by the wait staff very well, and there wasn’t any flow to the meal… it didn’t feel like a special culinary experience. For $120 a person, it is something one should expect.

However, the dinner we enjoyed during the holidays almost two years later, was excellent in terms of both service and food. All of us had the 7 course tasting menu. Susur serves its meals backwards – after the bread and a mini appetizer, the main meat course was brought out followed by less heavy dishes such as salad and soup, etc. I guess if they were true to the backwards philosophy, they would start with dessert first, but no such luck!

My menu for the evening included a pan seared fois gras dish, seafood sampler with a large warm scallop, a fantastic sea bass, soup, and salad. The food was beautifully presented on artistic & modern white china, and the flavours complemented each other in each dish. Dessert was impressive, and consisted of a series of different pastries served on a beautiful multi-tiered tray. Even though we were full, we almost finished them all.

There were only two differing tasting menus served the night we visited– not a huge variety, but I guess only Chinese people seem inclined to share every dish they get! The portions were a good size, and one had enough to share and have more than one bite.

The wines picked by my sister were very good, and the service was incredibly professional and attentive. Our waitress ensured that everything was in its proper place on our table at all times – perhaps a little OCD, but well done nevertheless. She even gave us a tour of the private dining room and the kitchen at the end of the meal.

Susur has two dinner sittings – make sure to take the late one, so that you don’t feel rushed, and increase the probability of getting attentive service. While the cost of Susur prohibits frequent visits, the food is definitely worth it--just make sure that you do everything to position yourself for a good dining experience.