| Susur Lee’s Magical Mystery Tour | | | | no matter what your |
| Wrinkled parachutes cast a rosy glow on circle | | | | |
| booths at Shang. Photo: Steven Richter | | | | Celestial seafood tofu. Photo: Steve Richterserver |
| It says a lot about the souped-up speed of | | | | says). Toasted hazelnuts and a puckery taste of |
| gentrification in New York and even more about | | | | sour plum dressing add to the crunch and flavor |
| Susur Lee that he was willing to close his rocking | | | | of 19 ingredients. Sashimi of madai with pickled |
| hit restaurant Susur in Toronto for Shang, a hotel | | | | daikon, celery sprouts and lemon purée, plus |
| dining room above Orchard Street. It must have | | | | caramelized wild sablefish, then lobster-shrimp |
| seemed quite a lure at the moment of | | | | croquettes with Malay black pepper sauce have |
| commitment: The Thompson LES hotel with a | | | | us raving on our first visit. Dishes arrive two or |
| world class restaurant in Manhattan’s hottest | | | | three at a time with a clean round of rectangular |
| new zip code. Now, with escalating financial | | | | plates for tasting, white with a tiny red rabbit on |
| wipeouts and even crazed nocturnal nomads | | | | the rim – the chef’s astrological sign. |
| pinching dollars, there’s more riding on | | | | I’m a fool for turnip cake, including this one, |
| Lee’s back than just his ponytail. | | | | rife with eggplant, Cantonese-preserved black |
| | | | bean and shiitakes. With so many exotic notions, it |
| Every country has its own Chinese food flourish: | | | | would be easy to overlook steamed potato |
| Chef Lee honors that fusion. Photo: Steven | | | | dumplings. They sound so ordinary. Don’t be |
| Richter | | | | fooled. Carved away with a triangle of their |
| Yes, he looks like a movie star and talks like a | | | | almost-veil-thin crust attached, the dumpling is |
| poet, flashing briefly through the dining room with | | | | marvelous and full of surprises. Crisp-skinned |
| its big round booths and giant crushed fabric | | | | young garlic chicken with sweet-and-sour onion |
| parachutes casting a rosy glow. Lee clearly knows | | | | marmalade is remarkably juicy. |
| it’s his to lose. From the look of the Saturday | | | | |
| night crush in the dining room – the preferred | | | | The young garlic chicken is crackly-skinned, moist |
| age group, vogueish but not slavishly so, | | | | within. Photo: Steven Richter |
| masters-of-the-universe-in-waiting, still dancing on | | | | Less thrilling is the Beijing cucumber salad, a too |
| the edge – Lee’s already got an audience | | | | thick-skinned oxtail soup dumpling in |
| that could build a buzz. Two longtime veterans of | | | | chicken-coriander broth, and coin-like slices of |
| hip, one from Nobu, one from Matsuri at the | | | | octopus with tomatillo and tomatoes. |
| entrance obviously have the required Rolodex. | | | | Cardamom-scented carrot and chili-mint chutneys |
| Tonight’s early responders are not just | | | | plus glazed bananas can’t save bland |
| peripatetic first-nighters but also Saturday daters | | | | Mongolian lamb chops. But the triumphs blur the |
| and even locals, a good-looking stew skewing | | | | flubs. And even though we’re all groaning |
| young that might build the vital word of mouth if | | | | from the excess, our host, a legendary |
| they like the food as much as we do. | | | | gourmand, can’t stop ordering. I am still able |
| What is it like? "What are the Beatles like?" you | | | | to appreciate the saving grace of orange and |
| might have asked before hearing the Liverpudlian | | | | lemongrass granité on lemon curd with passion |
| four. Like no one, would have been the answer. | | | | fruit gelée and bitter orange sorbet. I didn’t |
| Susur Lee’s magical tour has taken him from | | | | really need the lemon tart with lemon parfait and |
| Hong Kong, to Toronto, to Singapore with its | | | | raspberry coulis in tea sauce or the coconut |
| triangle of influences – Malaysia, Thailand and | | | | crème caramel with Chantilly and black rice |
| Indonesia – back to Toronto and now he | | | | pudding at the bottom, but I tasted – loved |
| hopes to woo New York with these lyrical | | | | them both – and survived. |
| inventions. His food is unique, unlike anything I | | | | |
| have tasted here, often thrilling, endlessly | | | | The chef’s dessert range: granité, warm |
| inventive, whimsical and traditional in the same | | | | tong yuan, and lemon tart. Photo: Steven Richter |
| dish, daring and delicious. His passion for design | | | | I can’t wait to share this revelation with |
| almost never overwhelms his mastery of texture | | | | Chinese friends and taste more dishes even |
| and layered flavors. He counts on a trusted | | | | though it costs $30 one way and takes forever |
| second from his days in Singapore as he drives | | | | to creep and lurch through traffic from the Upper |
| the kitchen to his astonishing tune, is his own | | | | West Side. It’s my second visit this week. |
| pastry chef (and also fields room service). Be | | | | We must repeat the slaw, the potato dumplings, |
| warned. Come with friends you like. In this first | | | | the taro puffs and my favorite dish of all – |
| ten days, the kitchen can be slow. | | | | steamed tofu custard with crab, shrimp, lobster, |
| | | | baby mussels and air-dried scallops in Tanjin |
| Caramelized wild sablefish with mustard green | | | | bouillon, a superior stock of duck, pork and ham |
| relish and salmon roe. Photo: Steven Richter | | | | – sheer umami. The black hairy stuff is desert |
| You don’t have to know that the chef wants | | | | moss (not “dessert” as typoed), a green |
| to honor the Chinese Diaspora. “Wherever | | | | that grows outside Beijing. Thin slices of pork loin |
| Chinese food goes, it changes with each country. | | | | wrapped around green beans with mustard and |
| I want to honor that tradition.” Call it fusion, I | | | | almonds should provide safe haven for |
| suppose, but look for more at Shang. From time | | | | tofuphobes and finicky eaters but I won’t |
| to time, a notion seems totally Chinese. Crispy | | | | waste my calories again. I love squab and foie |
| taro puffs – four of them lined up without | | | | gras in wrappers imitating Peking duck but the |
| embellishment on a plate – are a dim sum you | | | | lotus crepes are leathery by the time they reach |
| might encounter in Chinatown, except for that | | | | our table. Spicy slow braised beef cheek, fatty |
| velvety surprise of curried egg salad inside. (Taro | | | | and luscious, is perfect. Served with soft brown |
| is a special weakness of mine that not everyone | | | | rice and olive preserved vegetables, one portion is |
| shares.) A big tangle of chickpea sweet onion | | | | enough for four to taste, especially, if like me, |
| fritters on puddles of ginger-mango chutney and | | | | you’ll eat too much anyway. And with so |
| minted yogurt – orange on one side, green on | | | | many options $12 or less, and everything else |
| the other – links to India and possibly | | | | (except Kobe beef) $25 or considerly cheaper, |
| Japanese tempura. Splendid lobster croquettes | | | | you can spend a little or a lot. Include a $3 order |
| filled with salty duck egg, lemon balm, shallot and | | | | of mantou whole-wheat Chinese bread to sop up |
| the tang of chili-lime juice is a generation removed | | | | sauces, and you probably won’t want to stop |
| from China, reminiscing. | | | | for a burger on your way home. |
| | | | 187 Orchard Street. 212 260 7900. Closed |
| Nineteen ingredients and toasted hazelnuts give | | | | Sunday. To avoid a steep flight of steps at the |
| Singapore slaw its crunch. Photo: Steven Richter | | | | Orchard Street entrance, enter through Hotel |
| Lee’s signature Singapore slaw is the perfect | | | | Thompson LES at 190 Allen Street. Take the |
| opener (one order is more than enough for four, | | | | elevator to 2. |