I dropped by Susur Lee\u2019s new project, Lee Lounge, the other day. The trades are in and the work about a week away from completion. There have been some substantial renovations made with the old Madeline\u2019s space now connected with Lee, next door, and half the fa\u00e7ade replaced with glass to match Lee. The biggest change is that the place finally has a good-sized bar, with lounge seating in front of it. Total seating will be about 120, I believe, and the room is bound to look fantastic since Susur\u2019s wife, Brenda Bent is designing it. As for what we will find when it finally opens\u2026 Please see the following press release from Susur:<\/p>\n
The recipe for change at Susur Lee’s ever-popular King Street restaurant, Lee, called for two scoops of entrepreneurial instinct, a dollop of global trend-spotting and the usual sprinkle of artistic stardust. The international fusion master combined these ingredients and the result is ready for business: Lee Lounge, an urbane, sophisticated-but-hipster hang-out for food lovers.
\n\u201cTo begin with, the seating at Lee could no longer accommodate the demand,\u201d explains Lee.
\n“As well, I wanted a platform to present the amazing new recipes I had collected on my Asian tasting explorations.\u201d
\n\u201cBut most of all,\u201d recounts the chef, \u201cI noticed a new \u2018vibe\u2019 in global dining habits. People were looking for a different kind of environment, a place where they could meet friends for a cocktail, have a conversation and relax, but also enjoy some delicious food.\u201d \u00a0The obvious response, Susur says, was Lee Lounge.
\n\u201cThe space is ultra-cool and sensual,\u201d says Lee. \u201cIt was designed by my wife, Brenda Bent, with her partner, Karen Gable, who teamed up to create the d\u00e9cor for my restaurant in Washington, D.C., Zentan. We\u2019re planning to open the doors at The Lounge mid-December.\u201d
\nThe ambiance at Lee Lounge is \u201cchill\u201d, he smiles. \u201cIt\u2019s not a club with ear-splitting music. But it\u2019s also upscale: no humungous flatscreen TV!\u201d
\nAnd, it goes without saying, the \u201cbar food\u201d at Lee Lounge will re-invent the genre. The tantalizing appetizer menu is typically Susur Lee, and deliciously inventive. \u00a0
\nSpecialties range from Sweet & Sour Pineapple Chicken Pinwheels served with asam dipping sauce (Malaysian tamarind paste and ginger flower), to plump Shigoku oysters, to a miniature Mexicana Pissaladiere\u2014a pate-a-choux shell filled with avocado puree, goat cheese, roasted tomato and shredded chicken.
\nOf course, \u201cLoungers\u201d who want to wet their palates can choose from a wide range of complementary beverages. \u00a0
\n\u201cWe\u2019ll be serving handcrafted cocktails, inspired by drinks I tasted in Singapore,\u201d says Lee. \u201cSome are based on passion fruit, others on lychee or ripe mangosteen. We\u2019ll also have exotic Chinese liqueurs, exclusive brands of sake.\u201d
\nFor inveterate, all-night Lounge Hounds, Lee adds, the menu will include some wee-hour comfort beverages– like a pick-me-up and settle-me-down cup of chicken broth.
\n\u201cIf you\u2019ve been bar-hopping all night,\u201d the chef says sagely, \u201cyour stomach needs some nourishment!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I dropped by Susur Lee\u2019s new project, Lee Lounge, the other day. The trades are in and the work about a week away from completion. There have been some substantial renovations made with the old Madeline\u2019s space now connected with Lee, next door, and half the fa\u00e7ade replaced with glass to match Lee. The biggest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,19,95],"tags":[236,235,84],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=806"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2070,"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/806\/revisions\/2070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jameschatto.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}