ocal foodies were disappointed - and utterly curious - with the seemingly abrupt closure of the King West restaurant, Susur. It had appeared that Toronto, home to this Food and Wine's Top 10 Chef, had lost not just the restaurant, but the titular chef, to a certain other city.

But, with a lightning quick turnaround, the master of Nouvelle Chinoise is at it again, re-inventing the old space with something decidedly more European. After a rather quick re-tooling, the Susur space is released to the masses, as Madeline's.

And it's not the chef's middle name; the restaurant is named after his mother (or more specifically, the name the British army had given her when they could not pronounce her Chinese name). The irony, Lee informs me, is that she is actually not a very good cook. But between yelling at her son for who knows what, she expressed gratitude for the honour.

The just-opened restaurant is a departure from the cuisine he is responsible for branding, which brings us to yet another change at 601 King Street; Susur is no longer the one in charge (at least theoretically). With Madeline's, Lee hands over the reigns to his longtime second-in-command, former Sous-Chef of Susur, Dominic Armanal.

Now in Madeline's, gone are the whitewashed walls of it's former incarnation, and in their place are demure and lush, (sexy is the world Lee uses, and I would have to agree), velvets in an assortment of colours and French textile patterns, including the roof above the bar, where people can have a cocktail or dine.

Adding to its decadence are tassel-trimmed chairs, red velvet banquettes, and dark wood ornate cutouts. Looking more like a room in Versailles than a Toronto restaurant, the space was designed by Lee's life partner, Brenda Bent, (also a designer on Restaurant Makeover). The logo and signage for the restaurant is his mother's own signature (Michelin can keep their stars; there is nothing like having your mother keep a ten-year-old napkin with remnants of curry sauce her son made).

After eight years doing the same culinary thing, Lee was eager to change the place up. And though the crew, and surely the quality of food are maintained, the entire presence and menu are different. Moving away from the Asian influenced menu of its previous days, this menu is inspired by Lee's travels and Amaral's Portuguese upbringing.

The cuisine has a Mediterranean influence, with quality touches like quality olive oil, olives, and fish from the region, (the squid comes from Amaral's mother's hometown). With little lactose, dishes are light and satisfying, but I'm assured they are quite filling, and offer more than the usual measly salad as a vegetarian option. Standouts on the menu appear to be sautéed rapini with Portuguese anchovies, chili, garlic, and lemon; and pork belly with celery root, potato, cilantro seedling and currant jam, amongst others on the extensive list of options.

A dedicated wine program includes wines by the glass, half litre, and bottle. With bottles that go up to $200, as well as more moderately priced wines, it will appeal to the wine connoisseurs and idiots alike. Significantly more casual then Susur, the music, and entire ambiance will be both cool and relaxed, (like the earring'd owner himself). Cautious of being an unpretentious destination, Lee assures that you don't have to be dressed up to dine there (and unintentionally notes that my modest outfit of a Gap skirt and American Apparel t-shirt is casually appropriate.)

Chef Lee wanted to create a place that is accessible for today's lifestyle, where one often does not have enough time to make dinner. A concern with graceful execution, and making sure the customers are engaged with both each other, Amaral also adds that it's about "Food, talk… and a little wine."

Madeline's is set to be a lively place where you don't have to dine for three hours, but can grab dinner and drink, or one or the other, without the pressure of several courses, or an expensive tab. Think dim sum, as portions are set to serve two - order a couple things to share, or order everything and gorge.

While waiting to be talk to both Chefs, I overhear Lee telling a joke having to do with a sex shop, entertaining his staff audience. Even as the room is being put together for the evening, one of the most successful guys in the business is cracking jokes with the staff. A new lightheartedness has been brought to what used to be perceived as a "serious" space, and will no doubt lure in a new and sought after "trading up" generation.