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When Susur Lee announced he would be closing his flagship restaurant to take a shot at culinary fame in New York, the media maelstrom was intense. "Is this the end of fine dining in Toronto?" they asked.

While Lee's run for the border is a great loss for the city, his absence will give some of our other chefs their rightful moment in the spotlight. As for the end of fine dining: they'll have to pry the champagne flute from my cold, dead fingers first.

An evening of fine dining with my father is an annual birthday tradition that began in 1997 at Lotus, Susur's first solo restaurant. To celebrate No. 38, we return to Lotus's former quarters, now home to Amuse-Bouche, the culinary playground for chefs Jason Inniss and Bertrand Alepee.

The cosy dining room at 96 Tecumseth St. combines the creaky charm of an old house with modern touches such as burnt orange walls and abstract paintings. The a la carte menu is augmented with a degustation du chef ($95 per person), a perfectly paced nine-course extravaganza that shows off the considerable talents of this dynamic duo.

Doing justice to their name, the amuse is a scrumptious canape of duck rillette crowned with sticky fig jam. Before we can beg for another, the second course arrives, a ceviche of kingfish flecked with a pink brunoise of rhubarb. Tiny cassava crisps balance the dish's acidity while adding a welcome crunch.

Lamb carpaccio is surprisingly delicate thanks to a light cure that tames the meat's gaminess and yields a silky texture similar to bresola, an air-dried salted beef eye or round. A cylinder of jellied mushroom consomme resides in the centre of the plate with earthy truffle vinaigrette complimenting both flesh and fungi.

Giving a playful spin to an old-school hors d'oeuvres, a plump, unbelievably succulent scallop is wrapped in house-cured duck prosciutto and roasted to perfection. Nestled in a chickpea puree, a raisiny Marsala reduction adds a touch of sweetness.

Venison tenderloin is enrobed in house-made wild boar bacon, which keeps the meat moist and adds a whisper of smoke. A tart red currant sauce is given an unorthodox twist of Sichuan pepper, but hits the mark.

The cheese course provides the lone false note. Beemster is refashioned into a dense cake, crowned with an odd white asparagus panna cotta and bullied by a smoked tomato coulis.

Sommelier Sarah Lyons has put together a concise wine list packed with hard-to-find gems and boutique producers. My only complaint is that Niagara could be better represented.

Desserts, the domain of Alepee, are nothing short of spectacular. A white ceramic tile is placed in front of each diner with two different creations at either end. With such decadent dainties as white chocolate and avocado soft cake and popcorn ice cream, these are not your average sweets. But Amuse-Bouche is certainly not your average fine-dining experience.

Amuse-Bouche

96 Tecumseth St. (King Street West and Bathurst Street)

416-913-5830

www.amuseboucherestaurant.com

Dinner for two with wine, tax and tip: $210