ho ever thought the day would come when Susur would close up shop? It's now we--broadcast that Susur is leaving town and that he doesn’t trust his kitchen to be run the show without him. Lord knows business has never been better for the gifted chef, so it can’t be a question of losses. Why exactly is Susur shutting down?

According to Susur staff, the eponymous resto will be closing its doors for good on May 31st, 2008. Before you despair over the loss of arguably our city’s best restaurant, listen up. In the restaurant's place, Susur Lee and his wife Brenda will be opening up an entirely new eatery. Meanwhile, LEE will remain untouched and a New York project is also in the works. With great success comes the inevitable expansion. Susur is stepping up his game and getting ready to fight with the big boys down in the Big Apple.

It would be a hard point to argue that Susur is our city’s most celebrated chef. It would be a shame to lose him to the throngs of the Big Apple although we would understand the necessary evolution. Our hopes are that Susur will continue on in both cities, depriving neither New Yorkers nor Torontonians of his mastery. We also hope that Susur will do his part to put Toronto’s culinary scene on the map in the globally influential city of New York. With his son bussing tables at Terroni and a new venture with his wife at the old Susur location, it doesn’t look like he’ll be abandoning us any time soon. –J.T.