Susur Lee | Biography

Susur Lee recently joined the three-judge panel of 'Masterchef Asia,' which is to be aired this fall

Lee participated in the cooking show Iron Chef Canada, where he competed with notable opponents from across the country. The dishes were to be judged by a panel of culinary experts and industry professionals. He vanquished 20 competing chefs and had a kitchen showdown with Chef Marcus Samuelsson.

By Anuska
Original : November 11, 2021

Susur Lee is a Canadian celebrity chef based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Who is Susur Lee?

Susur Lee is the owner of four restaurants - Lee, Luckee, Lee Kitchen, and Kid Lee. He gained popularity after making appearances on Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef. He currently appears in the judging panel on Food Network Canada’s Chopped Canada.

Is Susur Lee Chinese?

Susur Lee was born on 1 January 1958 in Hong Kong. He is currently 63 years old. Lee is of Chinese descent, and he emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada in 1978.

Career

Lee began his career at 16 when he was an apprentice at a famous Hong Kong hotel. After moving to Toronto, he opened his first restaurant, Lotus, in 1987. The restaurant quickly gained popularity and received amazing reviews for the next 10 years.

He later departed for Singapore with his family to consult for the TungLok Group, one of the leading restaurant groups in Singapore. He then returned to Toronto in 2000 and opened a fine dining restaurant, Susur. For its menu and taste, Susur was soon named ‘One of the world’s 50 Best Restaurants’ by Restaurant Magazine.

In 2004, Lee opened his beloved revolutionary restaurant, Lee. Lee is a sister property to Susur. It has been around for more than 15 years and still remains beloved.

In 2015, he, along with the highway and airport food service company, opened a bistro-style eatery Lee Kitchen at Toronto’s International Pearson Airport. In the eatery, travelers can choose to dine in on the premises or select take-out before boarding their flights.

Lee, along with his two elder sons, Levi and Kai Bent-Lee, opened an upscale grab-and-go counter, Kid Lee, in 2017. Kid Lee is located in one of Toronto’s busiest food courts, where they offer healthy lunch standards with twist cheeseburger spring rolls and Singapore slaw.

Currently, Lee works as a judge on Food Network Canada’s Chopped Canada. He recently joined the three-judge panel of Masterchef Asia, which is to be aired this fall.

Wife

Susur Lee has been married twice. He was first married Mary-Lou Covey, but unfortunately, Covey died aboard Korean Air Lines Flight 007. The flight was shot down by a Soviet fighter jet in September 1983.

Lee married Brenda Bent as his second wife. The couple met in 1983, soon after Lee’s first wife had died. Brenda Bent was the waitress serving him at Peter Pan. Their first interaction was not as pleasant, but later they bonded when Lee returned to Peter pan to work as a chef. The pair tied the knot when Bent was pregnant with their second son, Kai, in 1991.

Sons

Lee and Bent have three sons - Levi, Kai, and Jet.

Levi was born on 15 November 1989 in Canada. He is a YouTuber and grew up playing tennis. Levi was also ranked number 1 in the under 18 tennis prospect in Ontario. Currently, he owns and operates his own restaurant, Bent, in Toronto.

Kai, born on 18 October 1991, is also a YouTuber and is popular for his fashion, lifestyle, and travel vlogs. He also helps his father with his eatery, Kid Lee. Likewise, he owns a restaurant in partnership with Drake called Fring’s.

Jet was born on 31 January 1998. He, like his brothers, runs a YouTube channel. He is also the owner of the mewt shop, where he sells streetwear apparel.

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