| rev:text
| - *Preamble on Asian Fusion*
Let me start by saying that I'm very skeptical about Asian Fusion because 1. I am a Chinese person from Hong Kong and Vancouver, who's been spoiled by both city's excellent Chinese cuisine and 2. I've been to enough restaurants calling themselves "Asian Fusion" who have charged a premium for ruining a perfectly delicious pork bun by slathering it with something "creative" like a fruity chutney or wrapping a meat ball in filo pastry, as if that counts as thinking outside of the box and not what it is - horribly offensive.
Sadly, most Asian fusion restaurants just slap two culinary cultures together with no real thought toward the end product. Or worse, they serve mediocre Asian food and dress up the restaurant with a trendy, hipster vibe - a Buddhist statue here, some vintage Chinese porn there (the restrooms at Vancouver's Bao Bei), low lighting and bada bing, bada boom, a restaurant du jour is born. It's easier to overcharge that way, you see?
Basically, I'm *very* grumpy about Asian Fusion because I've yet to try a place that actually delivers on the idea of two culinary cultures merging to make something new, delicious, and justifiably pricey (and for those in Vancouver, don't even try to cite Bao Bei as an example. Just no).
*Review of Lee*
Lee, however, was nowhere near as offensive as Red Door in Vancouver (now shuttered, thank goodness) or Bao Bei in Vancouver. Lee serves good, sophisticated food (some more Asian than others) that's delicious if not exactly creative (the $29 miso caramelized black cod is a staple in every mid to high-end Japanese restaurant, and the addition of a mushy turnip cake does not do it any favours). As many have mentioned, the Singapore slaw was phenomenal and easily the stand-out dish of the night. The eggplant and cucumber salad was zesty and delicious, but the roasted root vegetables were the very definition of ho-hum. The meat eaters at our table liked the braised beef well enough, but not enough to actually finish it. Desserts were extremely decent. The white chocolate and banana turnover was a snooze, and the pear tart (a special) even more so.
Service was friendly and attentive. Three people at our table asked for warm water (it was freezing that night!) and were brought individual tea pots that were periodically filled by our server throughout the meal = A+. The space is dimly lit and spacious. Even though it was nearly full, the chatter and background music weren't overpowering, making it a great place for a date or an intimate gathering. No obnoxious zen music or DJ spinning here.
Even though Lee didn't knock me off my feet and make me see the error of my Asian Fusion-hating ways, I would recommend it for its solidly good food. It wasn't as creative as I'd like, and with dishes (sharing plates, by the way) running between $25-32, it's definitely pricey. As an Asian Fusion restaurant, with all the expectations that comes with the term, it's OK. But as a restaurant, it's very good.
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