I have "dined" there once, but I did not appreciate the event.james t kirk said:I've been to Susur once. It was great food, very unique, very good service. I found the interior rather boring / plain jane (the colonel Sanders piggy banks lined up against the wall were about as good as it got), and it was a Thursday night and the restaurant was maybe half full.
Susur himself was there, making the rounds, being seen, etc. Seems like a very personable guy. I've been to Lee several times and he also shows up there, but he doesn't chit cat with the diners like he does at Susur. (My one friend remarked, "shouldn't he be in the kitchen?")
Susur is also very expensive. $650.00 for 3 people, not including tip.
Not the kind of place the average middle class Torontonian heads off to on a weekly basis. Even rich Torontonians (of which there are plenty) probably go to Susur only once in a blue moon.
Would I go back?
Definitely.
I used to live near there and knew about the weekend (Thur-Sat) attitude. You're 3 P's are bang on by both patrons and staff, in addition to being rushed. So I would go Mon-Wed and always had a great time. Staff's attitude was more relaxed and more ordinary Torontonians would dine.danmand said:I have "dined" there once, but I did not appreciate the event.
I have 3 words for it: Pretentious, pretentious and pretentious.
The morsels were great tasting, but I do not need a "presentation"
to accompany them. If the food cannot impress me, nothing else will.
I am not going back.
SHILL! (LOL!)chrispalen said:I like the Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar on Chruch and Front far better. Extensive wine selection, and the food there is great. Try it.
Well yes and no.rosemount36 said:Susur has been resting on his laurels for far too long. His decision to offer only a tasting menu verges on sheer arrogance. The first time I went to his restaurant the customer was offered two choices of tasting menus or the option to choose a la carte. The last time I went, the diner was only offered a "take it or leave it" option of a single tasting menu. His reputation has been hurt by such an uncaring approach. To boot, he seldom cooks at his restaurant! If the place is named after you, the least you could do is to be there to cook for your customers on just about every night. I think Susur checked out to the Toronto dining scene long ago to turn his attention to his New York ambitions. I hope he returns to his brilliant self while he's there or else New Yorkers, who have many more choices of brilliant restaurants, will stay away in droves.
I agree with you 100%.james t kirk said:Well yes and no.
I will agree with you that Susur has a high opinion of himself. He has has bragged in the Canadian media something to the effect of, "Do you know how much money I could make in New York"
He was also hauled up before the Ontario Labour Board for example for abusing his employees.
http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/256999
(That said, my employer does pay me, however, they work the SHIT out of us, and bullshit is part of the work a day world.)
The format was a tasting menu. He comes up with things you'd never think of or try in a million years. And it works and it doesn't. For me, when I was there, it definitely worked.
As to his cooking, you're right, he doesn't get his hands dirty so to speak. But he does come up with the IDEAS. He's the guy who creates the food. He is an artist in the true definition of the word.
You don't think that Eiffel was out there hammering rivets into the tower do you?
Or Henry Ford was working on the assembly line, or Frank Lloyd Wright was out there shingling a roof do you?
Susur is a genius to cooking as Wright was to architecture. He is an artist, the only difference is that he uses food in his creations. (Now that said, in my world, no chef comes close to a guy like Frank Lloyd Wright, but the principle is the same.)
Nope it was on the menu when I was there both times, and I would highly recommend.Kyra_to said:Thanks James!
I'll give it another try! I'm a veggie so I'm limited on my selections but as a general rule the good restaurants will accomodate me. I took a peek at the menu right now and there wasn't a gnocchi, was that a special or am I blind?
Absolutley! Again me giving props to JK. I'm waiting for someone to accuse me of shilling!Nope it was on the menu when I was there both times, and I would highly recommend.
I looked at that menu on their website and it looks different than when I was there. I like restaurants that change their menu actually.
One of the upsides of Jamie Kennedy's for example.
Kyra_to said:By the way James (if I may call you that?), what is your opinion of Colborne Lane? Just trying to gage our similar interests.