Susur @ E18hteen [General]
2007 Jun 6
Susur's night at E18teen was reviewed in the Citizen today. I'm sure the meal was very good but the cost of the meal is my dining budget for the year. MinhD did you go? Did anyone go? It would be interesting hearing other people's opinions...
Attention to detail distinguishes the menu
Ron Eade
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Whether the food was ethereal or merely superlative, there's no doubt the menu Friday by one of Canada's most celebrated chefs, Susur Lee, was among the best ever served in the nation's capital.
Over the course of almost four hours, the kitchen at Restaurant E18hteen presented an impressive eclectic fusion of Asian and European techniques and flavours, some local and others exotic, in one beautiful plate after another for almost 100 guests.
In total, eight courses, one amuse-bouche, plus a palate cleanser and wines to match, made for a memorable meal at $220 a person (tax and tip pushed it to $290.02).
Of the wines served, at least three were not available anywhere else and another three were available only from the wineries. Significantly, none of the wines was a red, even though lamb was served as the second course.
"The reason I didn't choose red with the lamb is because of the curry, the mango salad and the spicy peanut sauce," said E18hteen's sommelier, Adrien Boisvert, who decided all the pairings for the menu.
In the Chiang Mai Rack of Lamb, tender meat on the frenched rib came wrapped in delicate caul nested on pools of spicy peanut and yellow curry sauces, with cool mango salad and a chili mint chutney. The combination of spicy and cool, rich and light, was unusual, and successful.
"I decided to go for a full-bodied and complex white to complement and enhance the flavours," Mr. Boisvert said. So he chose 2005 Beringer Knights Valley Alluvium Blanc as the companion.
Alluvium is a blend of 45 per cent sauvignon blanc, 45 per cent semillon, plus chardonnay and viogner, together described as having a flinty character with spicy oak. "It paired well with the gamey nature of the lamb, the citrus and the intense fruit on the rest of the plate," Mr. Boisvert said.
Other plates were similarly remarkable, both for their unusual taste combinations and presentation.
To me, some embellishments seemed a bit gratuitous: I could have done without the smears of dried squid ink that framed his refreshing raw tuna, wrapped around wasabi mousse and served with delicate pickled vegetables, salmon caviar, soy glaze and ume (Japanese salted apricot).
The seared foie gras could hardly miss, served with Mr. Lee's homemade air-cured duck with apple, a Chinese broad bean sauce, rhubarb and celery salad. In total, I counted seven elements on the plate.
I was especially delighted to find a single large fresh lychee presented after the duck as a palate cleanser. Part of its red skin was removed for easy access, exposing a creamy white flesh inside that was juicy and delicately sweet -- a clever treat to serve in Ottawa, which rarely (if ever) sees such fine plump specimens from Thailand, in season only four weeks until about mid-to-late June.
Peeled green asparagus from nearby Edwards, Ont., was a light contrast to the richer morel mushrooms and creamy Maderia sauce on the same plate. I only wished there was some bread, somewhere, at hand to sop up every molecule of velvety sauce.
The only bread served the entire evening was an amuse-bouche to start things off: A baguette sliced on the diagonal, fried in olive oil, then topped with sweet and crunchy diced Jerusalem artichoke, arugula and lemon. (One woman I talked to felt the starter was too greasy.)
Probably the most fun course of the evening was Mr. Lee's gin gazpacho, served just before his strawberry, chocolate and passionfruit dessert, featuring meticulously hand-chopped fresh vegetables in a boozy martini-glass bath with a large B.C. prawn lounging playfully against the rim.
Less successful, in my
Attention to detail distinguishes the menu
Ron Eade
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Whether the food was ethereal or merely superlative, there's no doubt the menu Friday by one of Canada's most celebrated chefs, Susur Lee, was among the best ever served in the nation's capital.
Over the course of almost four hours, the kitchen at Restaurant E18hteen presented an impressive eclectic fusion of Asian and European techniques and flavours, some local and others exotic, in one beautiful plate after another for almost 100 guests.
In total, eight courses, one amuse-bouche, plus a palate cleanser and wines to match, made for a memorable meal at $220 a person (tax and tip pushed it to $290.02).
Of the wines served, at least three were not available anywhere else and another three were available only from the wineries. Significantly, none of the wines was a red, even though lamb was served as the second course.
"The reason I didn't choose red with the lamb is because of the curry, the mango salad and the spicy peanut sauce," said E18hteen's sommelier, Adrien Boisvert, who decided all the pairings for the menu.
In the Chiang Mai Rack of Lamb, tender meat on the frenched rib came wrapped in delicate caul nested on pools of spicy peanut and yellow curry sauces, with cool mango salad and a chili mint chutney. The combination of spicy and cool, rich and light, was unusual, and successful.
"I decided to go for a full-bodied and complex white to complement and enhance the flavours," Mr. Boisvert said. So he chose 2005 Beringer Knights Valley Alluvium Blanc as the companion.
Alluvium is a blend of 45 per cent sauvignon blanc, 45 per cent semillon, plus chardonnay and viogner, together described as having a flinty character with spicy oak. "It paired well with the gamey nature of the lamb, the citrus and the intense fruit on the rest of the plate," Mr. Boisvert said.
Other plates were similarly remarkable, both for their unusual taste combinations and presentation.
To me, some embellishments seemed a bit gratuitous: I could have done without the smears of dried squid ink that framed his refreshing raw tuna, wrapped around wasabi mousse and served with delicate pickled vegetables, salmon caviar, soy glaze and ume (Japanese salted apricot).
The seared foie gras could hardly miss, served with Mr. Lee's homemade air-cured duck with apple, a Chinese broad bean sauce, rhubarb and celery salad. In total, I counted seven elements on the plate.
I was especially delighted to find a single large fresh lychee presented after the duck as a palate cleanser. Part of its red skin was removed for easy access, exposing a creamy white flesh inside that was juicy and delicately sweet -- a clever treat to serve in Ottawa, which rarely (if ever) sees such fine plump specimens from Thailand, in season only four weeks until about mid-to-late June.
Peeled green asparagus from nearby Edwards, Ont., was a light contrast to the richer morel mushrooms and creamy Maderia sauce on the same plate. I only wished there was some bread, somewhere, at hand to sop up every molecule of velvety sauce.
The only bread served the entire evening was an amuse-bouche to start things off: A baguette sliced on the diagonal, fried in olive oil, then topped with sweet and crunchy diced Jerusalem artichoke, arugula and lemon. (One woman I talked to felt the starter was too greasy.)
Probably the most fun course of the evening was Mr. Lee's gin gazpacho, served just before his strawberry, chocolate and passionfruit dessert, featuring meticulously hand-chopped fresh vegetables in a boozy martini-glass bath with a large B.C. prawn lounging playfully against the rim.
Less successful, in my
2007 Jun 6
Thanks for posting the review, I was looking for something like that... No I didn't go, $600 for one meal (me + wifey) is a little too rich for my blood. The most I ever paid was $100 per person at Rain in Toronto (took the tasting menu and was worth every penny by the way...).
Would love to hear some comments from anyone that went though...
Would love to hear some comments from anyone that went though...
2007 Jun 10
I was at the Susur dinner at eighteen, here some of my impressions:
The tasting menu was for the most part outstanding, Susur Lee is certainly one of the best chefs in Canada, very inventive.
However, at $290 a pop, everything should have been perfect and not everything was.
I should say that I did attend a tasting menu with Susur Lee in Singapore last year and absolutely everything was perfect (and only around $190 CDN with wines from a Burgundy domain). One of the best meals in my life, check out the pics at www.worldgourmetsummit.com
At the 6:30 reception, we were greeted with a glass of sparkling. At some point, a server came to us carrying more champagne, he asked us if we had had our champagne yet, we said yes but would not mind seconds, we were told there would be a charge. I found that incredibly cheap on the part of 18. I have attended several events of this type and the wine usually flows freely. Especially when paying these prices to attend...
At some point when this event was announced, it was said that “rare and unusual wines” would be served, which helped sway me in forking out the requested price. The wines were nor rare or unusual. The servings were also very uneven between people at our table.
The pairings were quite good overall but most people expected some reds to be served.
Now for the food itself, the first three courses were all exceptional (I will post the full menu and wine pairing after this).
The scallop was cooked just right and the mix of crunchy rice and burnt butter did not overpower it.
The Chang Mai lamb was the best dish of the night for everyone at my table. This is where Chef Lee shines, integrating various Asian influences very seamlessly, yellow curry from Thailand, peanut sauce distinctly Singaporean, mango salad offering a nice counter balance to the spices. Perfect!
The foie gras course was impeccable as well, the Chinese broad bean sauce an unexpected and delicious accompaniment to the pan seared foie gras.
The oysters were not exactly special, the dry ice was fun though...
The raw tuna dish was quite unique, slices pieces of tuna pounded very thin, wrapped around a wasabi mousse. Very nice.
The asparagus were also spot on, really enjoyed the Madeira sauce and morels.
The Clear Gin Gazpacho was not a hit with my dining companions, I thought it was pretty refreshing and all the vegetables in it were painstakingly brunoised (someone has a lot more patience than me). My spot prawn however, was twice the size of the others at the table and quite tough and chewy as a result.
The dessert was a disappointment for me, there was really nothing special about it. And my expectations were high given the 5 components dessert served at the Singapore menu.
So overall a very exceptional meal but a bit overpriced for the Ottawa market, especially on the heels of Daniel Vézina appearance at QuebecScene at the NAC where the tasting menu there was $100 all in with wines... Maybe I should do a writeup on that one too, it was great.
Michel
The tasting menu was for the most part outstanding, Susur Lee is certainly one of the best chefs in Canada, very inventive.
However, at $290 a pop, everything should have been perfect and not everything was.
I should say that I did attend a tasting menu with Susur Lee in Singapore last year and absolutely everything was perfect (and only around $190 CDN with wines from a Burgundy domain). One of the best meals in my life, check out the pics at www.worldgourmetsummit.com
At the 6:30 reception, we were greeted with a glass of sparkling. At some point, a server came to us carrying more champagne, he asked us if we had had our champagne yet, we said yes but would not mind seconds, we were told there would be a charge. I found that incredibly cheap on the part of 18. I have attended several events of this type and the wine usually flows freely. Especially when paying these prices to attend...
At some point when this event was announced, it was said that “rare and unusual wines” would be served, which helped sway me in forking out the requested price. The wines were nor rare or unusual. The servings were also very uneven between people at our table.
The pairings were quite good overall but most people expected some reds to be served.
Now for the food itself, the first three courses were all exceptional (I will post the full menu and wine pairing after this).
The scallop was cooked just right and the mix of crunchy rice and burnt butter did not overpower it.
The Chang Mai lamb was the best dish of the night for everyone at my table. This is where Chef Lee shines, integrating various Asian influences very seamlessly, yellow curry from Thailand, peanut sauce distinctly Singaporean, mango salad offering a nice counter balance to the spices. Perfect!
The foie gras course was impeccable as well, the Chinese broad bean sauce an unexpected and delicious accompaniment to the pan seared foie gras.
The oysters were not exactly special, the dry ice was fun though...
The raw tuna dish was quite unique, slices pieces of tuna pounded very thin, wrapped around a wasabi mousse. Very nice.
The asparagus were also spot on, really enjoyed the Madeira sauce and morels.
The Clear Gin Gazpacho was not a hit with my dining companions, I thought it was pretty refreshing and all the vegetables in it were painstakingly brunoised (someone has a lot more patience than me). My spot prawn however, was twice the size of the others at the table and quite tough and chewy as a result.
The dessert was a disappointment for me, there was really nothing special about it. And my expectations were high given the 5 components dessert served at the Singapore menu.
So overall a very exceptional meal but a bit overpriced for the Ottawa market, especially on the heels of Daniel Vézina appearance at QuebecScene at the NAC where the tasting menu there was $100 all in with wines... Maybe I should do a writeup on that one too, it was great.
Michel
2007 Jun 10
Here is the full menu...
Seared Digby Sea Scallop
crispy rice, wild leek, burnt butter
2004 Chardonnay, Closson Chase Winery,
Niagara Peninsula, VQA
Chiang Mai Rack of Lamb
fresh ground peanut and yellow curry sauces,
mango salad, chili mint chutney
2005 Alluvium Blanc, Beringer Knights Valley,
Sonoma County, California
Combination #4
Air dried duck tart with apple
foie gras mousse, seared fois gras with
Chinese broad bean sauce, rhubarb and celery salad
2003 Rielsing Auslese, Hattenheim Nussbrunnen,
Rheingau QMP, Germany
Oysters 3 Ways
one from the west coast, two from the east
2005 Un-Oaked Chardonnay, Tohu Wines,
Marlborough New Zealand
Pounded Raw Tuna
wasabi mousse, saffron pickled vegetables,
soya glaze, umé
2006 Tavel 'Rosé', Domaine Carteresses,
Rhone Valley, France
Local Green Asparagus and Morel Mushrooms
creamed with Madiera
Muscat, Domaine Allimant-Augner,
Alsace, France
Clear Gin Gazpacho
fresh B.C Spot Prawn, purple basil
2006 Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, 'Savée', Mount Riley,
Marlborough, New Zealand
Strawberry with white chocolate
& passion fruit mousse
raspberry and lemon grass coulis
2005 Select Late Harvest Cabernet, Cave Spring Vineyards,
Niagara Peninsula VQA
Seared Digby Sea Scallop
crispy rice, wild leek, burnt butter
2004 Chardonnay, Closson Chase Winery,
Niagara Peninsula, VQA
Chiang Mai Rack of Lamb
fresh ground peanut and yellow curry sauces,
mango salad, chili mint chutney
2005 Alluvium Blanc, Beringer Knights Valley,
Sonoma County, California
Combination #4
Air dried duck tart with apple
foie gras mousse, seared fois gras with
Chinese broad bean sauce, rhubarb and celery salad
2003 Rielsing Auslese, Hattenheim Nussbrunnen,
Rheingau QMP, Germany
Oysters 3 Ways
one from the west coast, two from the east
2005 Un-Oaked Chardonnay, Tohu Wines,
Marlborough New Zealand
Pounded Raw Tuna
wasabi mousse, saffron pickled vegetables,
soya glaze, umé
2006 Tavel 'Rosé', Domaine Carteresses,
Rhone Valley, France
Local Green Asparagus and Morel Mushrooms
creamed with Madiera
Muscat, Domaine Allimant-Augner,
Alsace, France
Clear Gin Gazpacho
fresh B.C Spot Prawn, purple basil
2006 Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, 'Savée', Mount Riley,
Marlborough, New Zealand
Strawberry with white chocolate
& passion fruit mousse
raspberry and lemon grass coulis
2005 Select Late Harvest Cabernet, Cave Spring Vineyards,
Niagara Peninsula VQA
2007 Jul 8
Susur Lee really knows how to make his food like a Chinese painting!
Amazing that he can make Lychee look so good.
BTW, I brought some juicy and fresh Lychee (that I bought from Toronto) to work and surprised that not too many folks know about Lychee.
In case Lychee is also new to you, here is the Wikipedia explanation of Lychee:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee
Check out the photos at Flickr (by Michael Davidson)
www.flickr.com
The lychee photo can be found at:
www.flickr.com
Amazing that he can make Lychee look so good.
BTW, I brought some juicy and fresh Lychee (that I bought from Toronto) to work and surprised that not too many folks know about Lychee.
In case Lychee is also new to you, here is the Wikipedia explanation of Lychee:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee
Check out the photos at Flickr (by Michael Davidson)
www.flickr.com
The lychee photo can be found at:
www.flickr.com
2007 Jul 18
Hello I am new on here and this is my first post. I saw this thread on Susur Lee and thought I would share with you my experience at his restaurant, Susur, in Toronto.
My gf and I enjoy good food a lot and a few times a year we will go all out on a meal. Birthdays and, one top flight restaurant, on a trip.
Several years back we went to Susur in Toronto. The food was stellar and I would rank it along side of a meal I had at Daniel in New York City (owned by Daniel Boulud) and a 3 star Michelin restaurant I went to in Bruge Belgium (I think its called De Karmeliet). BTW, I am not rich. I make a good income that I am happy with but I haven't cracked 6 figures. When it comes to food, I am prepared to spend more than most people would with my income.
As I said the food was amazing. Unforunately, the service was deplorable. I mean really bad for a restaurant of that calibre. When dropping $400+ on a meal for two I expect everything to be perfect with perhaps the odd minor mistake and a reasonable apology, effort to make things right when the waitor/waitress becomes aware to the problem. In this case, I would say there were probably about a dozen significant mistakes. When I returned to Ottawa I wrote a letter to the restaurant 2 days after the meal. I was polite and noted that the food was exceptional but that there were significant short comings on the part of the service and I listed them off in detail. I mailed the letter that day and included a photocopy of my bill from that night just to prove I was there. I closed by saying I looked forward to their response. I never received a reply and I found that to be incredibly rude and unprofesional. I will never spend any money on anything associated with Susur Lee. Which is sad. The food was incredible and I would love to enjoy a meal like that again but it is simply not going to happen. What I can't fathom is why he would put up with this sort of service short coming. There certainly is skill involved in being an excellent server, but in many ways (and certainly with the mistakes I experienced) its about effort. Excellent service, it seems to me, should be so much easier for a restaurant to achieve than excellent food where so many things can go wrong.
If you do want to drop a lot of money in Toronto the 2 restaurants I would recommend are Splendido and Scaramouche. The meals I have had there have been outstanding (though in both cases its been about 3-4 years since I have been there).
Anyway, that's my rant. I did drop $400 and change but since then I have exacted my revenge, so to speak, by telling this story repeatedly to many people.... BTW, for the most part I try to be very positive so a post like this should be an exception for me.
Cheers!
My gf and I enjoy good food a lot and a few times a year we will go all out on a meal. Birthdays and, one top flight restaurant, on a trip.
Several years back we went to Susur in Toronto. The food was stellar and I would rank it along side of a meal I had at Daniel in New York City (owned by Daniel Boulud) and a 3 star Michelin restaurant I went to in Bruge Belgium (I think its called De Karmeliet). BTW, I am not rich. I make a good income that I am happy with but I haven't cracked 6 figures. When it comes to food, I am prepared to spend more than most people would with my income.
As I said the food was amazing. Unforunately, the service was deplorable. I mean really bad for a restaurant of that calibre. When dropping $400+ on a meal for two I expect everything to be perfect with perhaps the odd minor mistake and a reasonable apology, effort to make things right when the waitor/waitress becomes aware to the problem. In this case, I would say there were probably about a dozen significant mistakes. When I returned to Ottawa I wrote a letter to the restaurant 2 days after the meal. I was polite and noted that the food was exceptional but that there were significant short comings on the part of the service and I listed them off in detail. I mailed the letter that day and included a photocopy of my bill from that night just to prove I was there. I closed by saying I looked forward to their response. I never received a reply and I found that to be incredibly rude and unprofesional. I will never spend any money on anything associated with Susur Lee. Which is sad. The food was incredible and I would love to enjoy a meal like that again but it is simply not going to happen. What I can't fathom is why he would put up with this sort of service short coming. There certainly is skill involved in being an excellent server, but in many ways (and certainly with the mistakes I experienced) its about effort. Excellent service, it seems to me, should be so much easier for a restaurant to achieve than excellent food where so many things can go wrong.
If you do want to drop a lot of money in Toronto the 2 restaurants I would recommend are Splendido and Scaramouche. The meals I have had there have been outstanding (though in both cases its been about 3-4 years since I have been there).
Anyway, that's my rant. I did drop $400 and change but since then I have exacted my revenge, so to speak, by telling this story repeatedly to many people.... BTW, for the most part I try to be very positive so a post like this should be an exception for me.
Cheers!
2007 Jul 18
Your experience at Susur is totally opposite of mine when it comes to service. My boyfriend and I enjoyed a 7-course tasting menu at Susur in Toronto about 1 year ago (about $350 for both of us). The food was amazing, and the service was nothing short if impeccable. It remains the most outstanding service that I have ever received in a restaurant - the waitstaff were like a bunch of inconspicuous bees buzzing around; you never noticed they were there until you wanted something, then they were there right beside you with what exactly what you wanted before you even had time to ask for it - straitening your silverware or scraping the odd crumb from the table with a skilled flick of the wrist before melting back into the room. That's how I personally feel a waiter SHOULD be - ever present, but not in your face; like a duck - the food and experience was the beautiful duck that you see on top of the water, the waitstaff was the feet paddling furiously underneath that you don't see. Each course was described to us in loving detail which enhanced our dining experience. Susur himself would emerge from the kitchen every so often, take stock of the dining room, point out a table to the host and whisper in his ear whatever instruction he felt needed to be followed- and the worker bees would then scurry over to preform. The kitchen was also able to happily arrange for an altered menu to allow for my boyfriend's shellfish allergy - despite the fact that the menu had more than one shellfish based dish and we had neglected to inform them in advance. As we were leaving Susur saw us out and asked our opinion of the meal, as well as which dish we enjoyed the most. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant experience to anyone who has $350 to burn, and I truly hope I do again someday lol.
medicinja: Though you did not receive reply to your mail, perhaps you can take some satisfaction in the fact that they have improved the service- possibly based in part by your complaint?
medicinja: Though you did not receive reply to your mail, perhaps you can take some satisfaction in the fact that they have improved the service- possibly based in part by your complaint?
2007 Jul 18
FOOD is HOT!
Well I am glad you had a good experience at Susur and when I say its sad that the service ruined the meal, it really is because I was very, impressed with the food and seemless blending of cooking styles. Great food is sometimes hard to come by even in high end restaurants.
I am also very impressed with the substituting they did for your boyfriend which was one of the big problems we had. When we were there my gf told them she had an aversion to fois gras and the waiter said that would be fine. For the fois gras portion of the pre-set meal all they did was serve the dish, which of I remember correctly was basically fois gras and some greens, minus the fois gras... nothing was substituted. Given that course centered around the fois gras, well it was not a substitution at all... Typically that sort of appetizer runs about $18-25. That was just one of our specific complaints.
Anyway, I am glad Susur worked well for you.
Cheers
Well I am glad you had a good experience at Susur and when I say its sad that the service ruined the meal, it really is because I was very, impressed with the food and seemless blending of cooking styles. Great food is sometimes hard to come by even in high end restaurants.
I am also very impressed with the substituting they did for your boyfriend which was one of the big problems we had. When we were there my gf told them she had an aversion to fois gras and the waiter said that would be fine. For the fois gras portion of the pre-set meal all they did was serve the dish, which of I remember correctly was basically fois gras and some greens, minus the fois gras... nothing was substituted. Given that course centered around the fois gras, well it was not a substitution at all... Typically that sort of appetizer runs about $18-25. That was just one of our specific complaints.
Anyway, I am glad Susur worked well for you.
Cheers
2007 Jul 19
We might want to hold the criticism until we know how the food was ordered zymurgist. It is possible that the food was grouped together, or for tasting, and that that appetizer was part of a larger meal. I agree it would be silly to order Steak Frites but please substitute the steak because I am vegetarian... but hopefully that is not the case here. That being said, I think I would also expect some sort of substitution in such a case, or at the very least a notice from the server that the request was not able to be fulfilled in a Susur-factory way. This might be a new test we can try on restaraunts we review. Ask for a main course, minus the main, and see what the staff/chef does with the request? I have to admit I'm pretty tempted by this thought... (any suggestions HOT?) I can say that I was at Savana the other day, and my order was "Not salad, Not Hamburger, please surprise me". I was pleasantly surprised by the server's response to this which was a bright smile, and the word "Absolutely!". Suffice it to say, the meal was very good... and I left feeling that I had had a most excellent experience.
2007 Jul 19
Just a heads up to Pasta Lover: I haven't been to Susur myself (as a grad student I'd be paying off the bill for months), but the general consensus amongst Toronto foodies is that the restaurant has been wildly inconsistent lately and that Susur is focusing on publicity and letting the quality of his food slide dramatically. Until he gets his act together, most of the foodies I know here recommend skipping Susur over.
Splendido consistently gets amazing reviews, both for impeccable service and excellent food, so if you want to go somewhere high end in Toronto, this is probably the place you should check out. Again, I can't afford it, but one day...
If you want to read detailed first-hand reviews for yourself, the definitive Toronto food community is found at Chowhounds:
www.chowhound.com/boards/23
Splendido consistently gets amazing reviews, both for impeccable service and excellent food, so if you want to go somewhere high end in Toronto, this is probably the place you should check out. Again, I can't afford it, but one day...
If you want to read detailed first-hand reviews for yourself, the definitive Toronto food community is found at Chowhounds:
www.chowhound.com/boards/23
2007 Jul 19
Just to clarify zymurgist:
As I noted in my post above the substitution was "for the fois gras portion of the pre-set meal". The key phrase being pre-set meal.
At that time (Oct 2003 or 2004 I think), Susur had a 7 course meal that was preset and there were no options (as opposed to some preset meals where there is a choice of 2-3 dishes for each course). Not sure what the case is now.
I should also note that when we enquired about the seven course pre-set meal we were given very general descriptions about each course (i.e. a foie gras course) as opposed to a detailed printed menu or even a detailed verbal description of each course. I do understand the philosophy to a point - your placing yourself in the hands of the chef and will experience surprise with each course which is something I love to do when I cook at home much to the chagrin of my gf who wants in on the secrets!
The 7 course pre-set menu was strongly recommended to us by my gf's brother so we chose that. She knew she wanted the 7 course but asked if something could be done for the foie gras portion as she has a foie gras aversion. The server said yes. He said it would not be a problem. The server certainly did not say it would be that course minus the foie gras which to me should have been clearly stated. In that case we would have said keep it there and I would have eaten it. We did not push for details on what they would bring because it was a good restaurant and we trusted their judgement.
Just to be clear - I am not knocking Susur across the board. The food, as I said, was spectacular and certainly others (FOOD IS HOT) have had good experiences with service. I am just retelling my story about what happened to me. Having researched lots of restaurants in advance, I know there will always be a few people who got bad service or food at even the best restaurants. Its possible that I was the exception. That I cought the restaurant or mayber just the server on an off-night. Had I got a reply to my letter, I probably would have given them a second chance based on the strength of their food and hopeful that the service would improve.
As I noted in my post above the substitution was "for the fois gras portion of the pre-set meal". The key phrase being pre-set meal.
At that time (Oct 2003 or 2004 I think), Susur had a 7 course meal that was preset and there were no options (as opposed to some preset meals where there is a choice of 2-3 dishes for each course). Not sure what the case is now.
I should also note that when we enquired about the seven course pre-set meal we were given very general descriptions about each course (i.e. a foie gras course) as opposed to a detailed printed menu or even a detailed verbal description of each course. I do understand the philosophy to a point - your placing yourself in the hands of the chef and will experience surprise with each course which is something I love to do when I cook at home much to the chagrin of my gf who wants in on the secrets!
The 7 course pre-set menu was strongly recommended to us by my gf's brother so we chose that. She knew she wanted the 7 course but asked if something could be done for the foie gras portion as she has a foie gras aversion. The server said yes. He said it would not be a problem. The server certainly did not say it would be that course minus the foie gras which to me should have been clearly stated. In that case we would have said keep it there and I would have eaten it. We did not push for details on what they would bring because it was a good restaurant and we trusted their judgement.
Just to be clear - I am not knocking Susur across the board. The food, as I said, was spectacular and certainly others (FOOD IS HOT) have had good experiences with service. I am just retelling my story about what happened to me. Having researched lots of restaurants in advance, I know there will always be a few people who got bad service or food at even the best restaurants. Its possible that I was the exception. That I cought the restaurant or mayber just the server on an off-night. Had I got a reply to my letter, I probably would have given them a second chance based on the strength of their food and hopeful that the service would improve.
2007 Jul 19
vorpal thanks for your comments on Susur and the tip about chowhounds. I have been relying on the Toronto Life restaurant issues before embarking on each trip but after you read them two or three years in a row I sometimes wonder how often they update their reviews. Hence my request for anyone that has been to Susur recently. The restaurant Susur was getting rave reviews when it first opened but it seems to be a challenge in the restaurant business to keep up with changing tastes and high quality meals. So what was popular last year may have fallen out of fashion. I do like to treat myself to one special meal while in TO but am always keeping my eyes out for neat off-the-beaten-track places on the other nights I am there. I have been visiting TO regularly for about 15 years now and I find alot of the magazines tend to review the more touristy places so I am always on the lookout for other sources...
2007 Jul 19
Aha, now i understand. I missed the thing about the 'preset meal' (missed what it meant, really). OK. Not quite so bad then, my apologies. But "preset" does mean "preset" nonetheless :-) The reason they do things like that is because it's easy to pump them out and keep the cost down for the customer. Once you start doing substitutions then it's no longer "preset". So where do you draw the line?
MinhD