Their latest restaurant, Chef Lee, has been operating in “ balmy open ” mode out of a quad at the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Marc for a few weeks nowadays, but is calling tomorrow, June 9, its official first day .
Unlike Qing Hua, which sells traditional northern Chinese jiaozi, and Sammi & Soupe, which specializes in Shanghai ’ randomness famed xiao long bao, at Chef Lee, the sheng jian bao, a manner besides originating in Shanghai, is the focal distributor point .
To achieve their crisp, bronzed bottoms and silky-soft attic tops, sheng jian baos are huddled tightly into a boastfully circular pan where they are first fried in vegetable oil and then steamed with water, before being given a liberal dust of green onions and toasted sesame. ( A segment of the cook process can be seen on the restaurant ’ s Instagram account. )
Reading: The Dumpling Specialists Behind Qing Hua and Sammi & Soupe Bring Sheng Jian Bao to Montreal
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Rebecca Guo, who handles digital market for the restaurant, tells Eater via electronic mail that these particular Shanghainese dumplings “ hold a solid place ” in owner Xiao Dan Song ’ sulfur heart, and that he has “ constantly wanted to bring them the Montreal. ”
And so Song, and his wife and collaborator Ting Liu, have enlisted the avail of chef Wei Lee after whom the restaurant is named. Lee is a Shanghai native, who Guo says was born into a multigenerational family of cook and has raked in numerous awards in China, where he began his career in 1990.
Read more: Homemade Dumplings
Chef Lee ( immediately the restaurant, not the person ) takes up the venue just future doorway to Liu and Song ’ south Shaughnessy Village outpost for Sammi & Soupe — giving diners the option of trying both Shanghainese specialties in one trip to the vicinity, satiate with eateries serving up some of the city ’ s finest chinese, japanese, and Korean fare to the Concordia crowd .
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Though Chef Lee ’ s sheng jian bao, filled with either a hot brothy mixture of pork barrel or shrimp, are the effective star topology of this show, the restaurant besides serves min buns filled with pork barrel belly, garlic-flavoured fried chicken, teriyaki gripe or mushroom, or vegan steak and taro. Wontons in soup, or doused in peanut butter sauce, are besides available, and soon some fresh dishes will be added, excessively .
Chef Lee is open Monday and Tuesday 4 to 10 post meridiem ; Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday 11 ante meridiem to 10 post meridiem ; and Friday and Saturday 11 ante meridiem to midnight, at 1901 Saint-Catherine Street West .
