The Globe and Mail
Saturday, April 8, 2006

Chef Confidential
Toronto Stars’ Travel Tastes

David Lee
Executive Chef, Splendido

Splendido’s chef took over four years ago, piling up awards on top of accolades.

Mileage: Six trips a year to San Francisco, Hong Kong, England, New York and Mauritius, where his family is from.

Ideal location for a restaurant: “I’d have to say New York, for all the clichéd reasons: it’s the biggest challenge, it’s the city that never sleeps, if you can make it there…”

Best souvenir recipe: “I brought home of a love of clams from trips to Maine with my girlfriend (now my wife). When I think of clams, I think of digging them with her along the shore. Food at its freshest – it’s a romantic lesson.”

Next culinary “It” city: “Toronto. Spain is now. But for innovation, for range, for daring, Toronto is next!”

Best meal on the road: “The thing that always pops into my head – I can still smell it – is my grandmother’s pig’s trotters. She’s gone now, but when I’d visit her in Mauritius as a child. I learned so much about food. She’d use just honey and lemon, and it’s been the dish that has been my benchmark ever since.”

Ultimate market: The Rigis in Lyon, France.