eing the impudent creatures of leisure we are, we want everything right now, all at once. We want the proverbial cake, eaten and owned. We want the house and the condo, the car and the motorcycle, the trophy wife and the stripper girlfriend; we want to eat and party in the same place (see George Constanza's experiments with food, sex, and television). Though most of those things aren't likely to happen, the last option is a very real possibility (I know, you were hoping for the stripper).

Enter Satori Supperclub. Taking over the building that previously housed Queen West's ill-fated Habitat, Richard Bailey (The Fifth Social Club) has injected the room with a shot of Zen. “Satori” is a Buddhist term describing permanent enlightenment. In true Satori form the space is now heavily layered with stone and wood elements that create a holistic aura.

Though it's doubtful that Buddha's form of enlightenment had anything to do with resto-lounge aesthetics, Bailey's does. His team has designed a space that functions as both a restaurant and lounge - in the proverbial yin and yang style – echoing Habitat's mandate (the gloriously swarming bar area feels almost consciously evocative of early Habitat, before it misplaced its mojo.)

Don't dismiss the menu here. Executive Chef Scott McDonough (the Fifth Grill) heads Satori's culinary team. Though the staff is entirely French-trained, the cuisine is worldly, with heavy Asian and Canadian influences (though, there's no sign of Beaver Tails or poutine). Bailey wanted an accessible, competitively priced menu that befits Queen West. Awash in small-plate options, the card aims to encourage sharing (tapas never dies), thus complementing the social atmosphere. McDonough's menu offers bold permutations on American meat and fish classics, including standouts like the Dry Aged Striploin ($31.00). It's perfectly cooked, tenderer and more unctuous than striploin usually is, yet with the serious flavour of marchand de vin butter plated with ruffled potatoes and spinach.