UPDATE: Susur has closed as of May 2008. The restaurant has reopened as Madeline’s under Susur Lee’s longtime, former sous chef Dominic Armanal. Named after Lee’s mother, Madeline’s is still owned by Lee who is heading Shang in New York City.
I should’ve waited longer but my first visit to Susur in February was so memorable I couldn’t resist going back. My friend Brenda was keen to eat there, so the least I could do was go with her. Oh the sacrifice.
I forgot to note what amuse-bouche we began with, so I’ll just dive into our five-course tasting menu ($100).
The heaviest courses come first at Susur. Both the rack of lamb and the roasted bison striploin were so tender, they just melted in your mouth.
I appreciated the detail in the sides that enhance but don’t overwhelm the meat. The lamb for example came with a provencal sauce, asparagus wrapped in bacon and a polenta tart.
Our server paired the meat entrees with an elegant Montezovo Amarone della Valpolicella.
The second course was a work of art. Seared foie gras, cauliflower foie gras flan, duck proscuitto were arranged on a square plate with a stripe of raspberry sauce like a modern painting.
The rich intensity of foie gras was showcased in the seared portion of course, but was also somehow brilliantly translated into a flan. It took a bit of fork work but scraping the sweet raspberry sauce to go with a mouthful of creamy foie gras was heaven.
The fish course came next. I had marinated tuna, tuna tartar and shrimp cracker, sunchoke puree, parsley shallots compote. This was good but muted and I found the shrimp cracker overpowered the tuna tartar stuffed inside it.
Brenda on the other hand was deliriously mumbling about her carmelized sablefish with turnip puree, salmon roe and miso carrot sake sauce into the next day.
“So buttery,” she repeated, “So good.” Sablefish is also known as black cod, but Brenda will forever call it “butterfish.”
Our seafood courses were paired with a pear-tinged 2003 Springfield Estate chardonnay from South Africa.
French black truffle was the ingredient in common between our fourth courses. One was shaved on top of an Asian seafood bouillabaisse with hints of lemongrass.
The other was included in the roasted lobster with pumpkin custard, cream of spinach and lobster bisque. The first was delicate, the other robust. And both of us at this point, quite full.
But we soldiered on and managed to try everything on the two-tiered, 12-item dessert tower.
The food was stupendous as expected but the service this time was a tad militant. Every time I moved my glass, the server swooped in to put it back into its original setting.
“Like a well-made bed with military corners,” I said. “That you can bounce a quarter off of,” added Brenda.
I understand a certain precision is required with this calibre of food, but I don’t mind if my wine glass isn’t exactly four inches from the edge of the table on my right hand side. Really, it’s okay.
For all those vegetarian gourmands out there, a friend of ours went to Susur the next night and had the seven-course vegetarian meal. She said she ate like a queen – for about half the price ($60) of the regular tasting menu. We’ll have to try that next time!
Susur, 601 King Street West, Toronto, (416) 603-2205. Open for dinner Mon-Sat 6-10 p.m. Closed Sundays.
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