hough younger than many of the standard "established" chefs in the Toronto culinary scene, David Lee's reputation precedes him. Now Proprietor and Chef de Cuisine at Splendido, molding for a culinary legacy began at the precocious age of 17. Back in England, where Lee is from, he worked for Michelin rated Chef Peter Kromberg at Restaurant Le Soufflé in the Intercontinental Hotel in Hyde Park. Then, after working at the acclaimed Mosimann's in London for a short period of time, Lee was quickly promoted to sous-chef. Thus, when he moved to Canada at the ripe age of 24, he was already well-versed in the restaurant industry. Serving under Marc Thuet at Centro, Lee experienced a variety of cuisines in his travels to Napa Valley, Hong Kong, Italy, Madrid and France.

At 29, he partnered with Yannick Bigourdan to acquire Splendido, where he created a menu focused on displaying the best of Canadian ingredients, often employing his favoured sous-vide technique. While having made several lists for having one of the best, if not the best, restaurant in the city, (both for service-Bigourdan's specialty, and cuisine) the chef's status has been rising.

With a presence that suggests he is wise beyond his years, Lee is patient, though there seems to be madness going on in the kitchen. When I arrive, he is pickling pearl onions and candy striped beats for the new place, Nota Bene, set to open mid-July.