We leave behind swirls of snow and a brisk winter wind upon entering the warm confines of Manhattan’s Thompson Hotel, in the city’s the lower east side. I’m with a small group of Canadians, some of us journalists, some of us in the travel industry – all of us very fortunate to have been invited by Chef Susur Lee to dine at Shang.
Named after the Chinese symbol meaning “upwards and above,” Shang manages to live up its name – literally (it’s on the second floor) and especially, when Chef Lee is at the stove. Past the dark wood, lattice cut screens, the fabric-enveloped chandeliers and the sleek bar, is a sexy dining room that whispers rather announces modern Asian.
Chef Lee’s food is, not coincidentally, in the same vein. Chinese inspired but globally-minded, Lee’s flavour forward, beautifully presented fare has led him to receive accolades from critics far and wide. Food & Wine heralded Lee as one of the "Ten Chefs of the Millennium" while Gourmet declared him "an improvisational artist." I’ve had the good fortune of trying Lee’s food before, but never a ten course tasting menu in the chef’s NYC restaurant.
One of his most popular and enduring creations is the simply titled “Singapore Slaw,” but this time he dresses it up with crudo (the Italian version of sashimi). Simple sounding yes, but the nineteen- ingredient, beautifully layered dish dressed with a salted plum vinaigrette is a textural symphony. The fish is buttery and soft, the nuts and vegetables crunchy – it is both refreshing and light for such an ingredient-laden dish.
Next, a long dish with warm sea scallops and Lee’s fanciful take on the Hong Kong staple, dim sum appears. Edamame are scattered about like a much tidier Pollock painting in spring greens dancing in Chive XO sauce. Spicy, warming, hearty- just what every winter night needs.
We devour Cantonese style skirt steak dressed with shallot brown butter and a hazelnut chili ponzu, we go a little overboard with Lee’s Cantonese wok fried pearl noodles, but it’s his Asian Duck with Peking style garnishes that puts us over the gustatory edge. Full-flavoured and texturally outstanding- the sliced duck breast gets wrapped with a traditional Asian pancake, slivers of green onion, cucumber, Hoisin sauce and instead of crispy duck skin, deep fried bean curd skins. Truly spectacular and likely half the calories, but who’s counting?
Brett Blass, the hotel’s General Manager joins us for a while and waxes eloquent on the exceptional nature of Lee’s cooking and his personality saying, “He always says, ‘Brett, what can I do to help you?’ whenever we come up against a challenge. You don’t see that too often these days, and believe me, apart from his obvious skills, I can’t stress how special it is to work with someone like Susur.”
Blass’s response clearly points to why the Thompson Hotel group chose to go with Lee when they opened their new Washington, D.C. property and wanted another unique dining experience. Lee’s Washington venture is called “Zentan.” I’ve lost count of Lee’s restaurants, his US, prime-time TV appearances (most recently, Top Chef Masters), and his growing fan base.
I’m happy for the Zen-like chef who over the years I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know professionally. He works harder than most, has a gift for combining flavours and ingredients and is smart. Besides, although he’s Hong Kong born, he’s also Canadian and one of the finest culinary representatives we could have at the third annual Cayman Cookout- the Caribbean’s premier epicurean event. If the event organizers are clever, they’ll ask him back next year where he’ll no doubt wow audiences with his personal vision of dishes that guide willing palates to Asia, via the world.
Named after the Chinese symbol meaning “upwards and above,” Shang manages to live up its name – literally (it’s on the second floor) and especially, when Chef Lee is at the stove. Past the dark wood, lattice cut screens, the fabric-enveloped chandeliers and the sleek bar, is a sexy dining room that whispers rather announces modern Asian.
Chef Lee’s food is, not coincidentally, in the same vein. Chinese inspired but globally-minded, Lee’s flavour forward, beautifully presented fare has led him to receive accolades from critics far and wide. Food & Wine heralded Lee as one of the "Ten Chefs of the Millennium" while Gourmet declared him "an improvisational artist." I’ve had the good fortune of trying Lee’s food before, but never a ten course tasting menu in the chef’s NYC restaurant.
One of his most popular and enduring creations is the simply titled “Singapore Slaw,” but this time he dresses it up with crudo (the Italian version of sashimi). Simple sounding yes, but the nineteen- ingredient, beautifully layered dish dressed with a salted plum vinaigrette is a textural symphony. The fish is buttery and soft, the nuts and vegetables crunchy – it is both refreshing and light for such an ingredient-laden dish.
Next, a long dish with warm sea scallops and Lee’s fanciful take on the Hong Kong staple, dim sum appears. Edamame are scattered about like a much tidier Pollock painting in spring greens dancing in Chive XO sauce. Spicy, warming, hearty- just what every winter night needs.
We devour Cantonese style skirt steak dressed with shallot brown butter and a hazelnut chili ponzu, we go a little overboard with Lee’s Cantonese wok fried pearl noodles, but it’s his Asian Duck with Peking style garnishes that puts us over the gustatory edge. Full-flavoured and texturally outstanding- the sliced duck breast gets wrapped with a traditional Asian pancake, slivers of green onion, cucumber, Hoisin sauce and instead of crispy duck skin, deep fried bean curd skins. Truly spectacular and likely half the calories, but who’s counting?
Brett Blass, the hotel’s General Manager joins us for a while and waxes eloquent on the exceptional nature of Lee’s cooking and his personality saying, “He always says, ‘Brett, what can I do to help you?’ whenever we come up against a challenge. You don’t see that too often these days, and believe me, apart from his obvious skills, I can’t stress how special it is to work with someone like Susur.”
Blass’s response clearly points to why the Thompson Hotel group chose to go with Lee when they opened their new Washington, D.C. property and wanted another unique dining experience. Lee’s Washington venture is called “Zentan.” I’ve lost count of Lee’s restaurants, his US, prime-time TV appearances (most recently, Top Chef Masters), and his growing fan base.
I’m happy for the Zen-like chef who over the years I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know professionally. He works harder than most, has a gift for combining flavours and ingredients and is smart. Besides, although he’s Hong Kong born, he’s also Canadian and one of the finest culinary representatives we could have at the third annual Cayman Cookout- the Caribbean’s premier epicurean event. If the event organizers are clever, they’ll ask him back next year where he’ll no doubt wow audiences with his personal vision of dishes that guide willing palates to Asia, via the world.
