Where Magazine
November, 2006
10 Top Toques
The Chef – He began his carrier across the pond at the Michelin-starred restaurant of London’s Hotel InterContinental. He’s cooked for royalty and alongside famous chef Anton Mosimann. David Lee has some incredible culinary credentials, and is the third generation in his family to wear the chef’s toque. At only 24, he was chef de cuisine at elegant Centro, and by 31,co-owner of the already well-regarded Splendido, which had implausibly flourished in what was the a student ghetto but is now a decidedly stylish midtown neighborhood.
The Food – Intensity of flavor is part of what makes Splendido splendid. What will winter bring tot the menu here? “A lot of rich dishes, a lot of pressure cooking, a lot of braises,” offers Lee, but with the chef’s own special graced notes. Many of his kitchen’s creations, such as Quebec foie gras with toasted brioche, or black truffle-scented carrots, are executed “sous vide” – that is, cooked in a vacuum, to isolate the foods during preparation. And if the restaurant can’t provide the results Lee wants, he’ll take his work home. “We do a simple applewood-smoked pork belly. This one I smoke at my home for good 12 hours. It’s basically a temperature-control thing.”
