Inspire Restaurant :: First Visit

Hawaiian Ahi Poke ($13)

ahi tuna cubes marinated in chilli sesame soy + green onions + crispy shallots served with semolina crisp

I absolutely adore Hawaiian Ahi Poke - it's something I definitely crave when I dream about my past vacation in Hawaii. Perhaps, I have a specific definition of what Hawaiian Ahi Poke is in my mind (click here), but I would categorize this dish under Ahi Tuna Tartare instead. The Ahi Tuna was very fresh and the crispy shallots and Semolina crisp was a welcome addition. The menu mentioned that there was a chilli sesame soy, but I didn't really taste it - would have been an absolutely perfect ahi tuna tartare with just a little bit more soy sauce!

Panko Scotch Egg ($5)

pork, gold nori egg, spicy berry compote

The Panko Scotch Egg was delicious. Loved the contrasting texture of the crisp panko-crusted pork cashing against the hard-boiled egg. Each bite was quite flavourful - definitely recommend everyone to try it at least once!

Udon Carbonara ($18)

spicy italian sausage, braised beef, honey mushrooms in creamy reduction topped with quail egg

Mmmmm... This dish was absolutely heaven!!! It's a combination of my two favourite food items in the world - udon noodles and carbonara sauce! Each bite was a glorious symphony of the perfect amount of udon, carbonara sauce, with the slight kick from the spicy italian sausage. I absolutely adore egg yolks on top of dishes and this was no exception (I wish there was just a tiny bit more - perhaps a second egg? But I feel that would be a little too much for most people). The crispy daikon/lotus crisp was a deliciously enjoyable crunchy contrast to all the soft udon and spicy italian sausage. Definitely strongly recommend everyone who visits Inspire to try this dish!

Banana Leaf Salmon ($22)

atlantic salmon in banana leaf, coconut rice, seasonal vegetables with kaffir lime leaf, citrus buerre-blanc

My mother had this dish and she was extremely happy with it - she said it was very flavourful and delicious. 

Pulled Pork "Grilled Cheese" Pizza Pie ($15)

time-honoured braised pulled pork, fresh homemade waffles, aged cheddar, pickled diakon, fresh herb

My father had the Pulled Pork Pizza Pie and he said was quite good, though albeit on the smaller side and he wasn't really full after eating this. The waiter recommended to him and mentioned that it was on the slightly smaller side but hypothesized that it would be "just the right amount" without overly filling him up. Perhaps for a lunch portion it's filling enough but my family enjoys a heftier portion at dinner.

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This was my first visit to Inspire Restaurant and was pleasantly surprised with my experience. Inspire Restaurant is definitely one of the hidden gems in Markham and I would definitely recommend it to all my family and friends. The restaurant was neat and clean with a relaxing atmosphere. The service was wonderful and the wait staff were all knowledgeable about the menu and made great recommendations.  All the wait staff were happy and eager to please. One of our waiters even told us that it was his first day (didn't show at all!) and that he only started working at Inspire because he loved the food so much! The menu is featured a unique and variable range in Asian and Western cuisine. Food was beautifully plated and deliciously rich in flavour. Only downside was that some of the dishes were slightly on the small side, but we were well aware as the waiter informed us before hand.

Inspire Restaurant

144 Main Street Markham N #1

Markham, ON L3P 5T3

(905) 554-2889

website :: menu

Lee :: Winterlicious 2014

Winterlicious Menu

Ginger Twist Tea

The tea didn't really have much ginger flavour to it and was quite diluted. Tasted like hot water with a minty aftertaste. I wouldn't recommend ordering this tea. 

Singaporean-Style Slaw ($20)

option to add salmon sashimi (+$8) or tuna sashimi (+$10) *contains nuts and serves 2

Loved this slaw! The presentation is quite appealing. The slaw arrives as pictured (above) and the server then dissembles and mixes it for you. Since the restaurant was quite loud I was only able to catch the following ingredients: japanese plum dressing, green onions, taro roots, cucumbers, tomatoes, sesame seed, roasted peanuts, fried shallots, rice vermicelli (and more). It was very refreshing, crunchy, and extremely tasty. It is essentially pho reincarnated into a crunchy salad. 

Cheese Burger Spring Roll

smoked chili mayo, pickled vegetable & lettuce wrap

Of all the dishes we had, aside from the slaw, the pickled vegetable and lettuce wrap was my favourite part of the meal! It was extremely tasty and well marinated. Absolutely delicious. The spring roll portion was also good, but nothing spectacular. 

Caramelized Black Cod ($29)

Cantonese preserves, miso mustard, dim sum turnip cake

For me, black cod in restaurants is always delicious. The Caramelized Black Cod was no exception. It was delicious but not outstanding (in comparison to the other black cod dishes I've had in the past). The dim sum turnip cake was an interesting combination to add with the cod. I never would have placed the two together. The turnip cake was also good, but personally, I would prefer to have each individually - one a dim sum and one a dinner. The portion of the black cod was also on the smaller side.

Bangkok Curry Beef

vermicelli rice noodle cake

The curry was quite tasty - very fragrant and flavourful. The curry had strong notes of coconut milk, which I quite enjoyed. The beef was tender. A good dish generally, but if I wanted curry, I would prefer to go to Khao San Road or Sabai Sabai. Those two locations offer much better curry for a lower price.

Jerk Spicy Pork Ribs

Scotch bonnet sauce, ginger & mango

I was expecting this dish to be extremely spicy, but surprisingly it wasn't at all! The meat was wonderfully marinated and covered in deliciously sweet sauce. The steamed bun was a great compliment with the dish to either soak up the sauces or to eat with the meat.

Dessert Trio

coriander infused chocolate mousse, lemon curd, local peach & apricot sorbet, and crispy rice & french wafer

I was disappointed by dessert! All the entrees were delicious, but the dessert trio did not hold up the standard that the entrees' set. I didn't really care for the coriander infused chocolate mousse (though it was interesting conversation topic that coriander was an ingredient) and the lemon curd tasted like mango pudding. I did really love the peach and apricot sorbet and the crispy rice. I wish that those two together were served as a dessert option in a larger portion.

Banana Fritter

in caramel peanut sauce

The caramel peanut sauce was a little to heavy for me - though it was more like nutella with peanuts in it. The banana fritter (a defried banana) was yummy.

Set Menu for $45 + taxes & gratuity.
Tea, slaw, and cod was not included in Winterlicious menu and was ordered a la carte.

Restaurant Sign

There isn't a visible "Lee" sign, so if driving to the restaurant for the first time at night, the door is indicated by a neon red "RESTAURANT" sign.

Overall my experience at Lee was good. Perhaps due to the Winterlicious rush, the service was extremely slow. I booked reservations online for 8:15pm via OpenTable. I arrived at 8:00pm and was seated 8:45pm. Food wasn't served until 9:30pm and the tea took 30 minutes to arrive. Dinner ended at 10:45pm. It was difficult to get a waiters attention throughout dinner service. Additionally, the hostesses seemed quite distraught carrying jackets around the restaurant, downstairs, and into the kitchen (???). I understand with the space constraints at Lee that the coat check service was necessary, but having witnessed the unorganized storage of the jackets, I'm glad I held on to mine. The atmosphere is also quite busy and loud, so if you are to bring a date here, you might have to talk loudly to get your message across. If I were to return, I would most definitely try Lee during its regular season opposed to Winterlicious. Overall, the dishes were quite flavourful and super tasty. If this is Chef Sursur Lee's food style - I anticipate my first visit to his other restaurant, Bent.

PS: On a completely unrelated note - the atmosphere and the wait staff was somewhat reminiscent to my televised guilty pleasure - Vanderpump Rules. It's a trendy place to go and eat and the staff were pretty attractive? Hahaha - just something random.

Lee

601 King Street West

Toronto, Ontario M5V 1M5

416.504.7867

website