🍜 In a dining scene crowded with brimming kitchens and sprawling menus, Chubby Lee chooses the lonely route of restraint. But simplicity isn’t a cop-out — it’s a challenge that they choose to face head on. Simplicity warrants precision and careful curation, and the month-old (but years-in-the-making) establishment proves brevity can be enough with their easy-choice menu selection.

Reservation required? Sounds like a hassle — and, unfortunately for us, it was. Whether out of novelty or general restaurant protocol, entry to the Asian restaurant is only possible through online reservation, and unfortunately a few hurdles came our way: the online form was buggy and most upcoming dates were fully booked. But after a bit of miscommunication, we eventually found our way into the highly stylized, red-heavy, and cozy (yet slightly cramped) fine-dining venue.

With a menu with less than four items per category, our meals were decided in a refreshing two ticks. We skipped the actual starters menu — a couple of edamame combinations and a couple of other fried appetizers — for their solo gyoza dish: chicken and shrimp with coriander and chilli on top. Served in two pairs, the dumplings arrived quickly and were devoured just as fast, aptly hot and satisfyingly supple. The chicken slightly overpowered the shrimp in flavor, but the pairing was ultimately delicious.

Our mains were a choice of their grilled salmon donburi and the chicken and mushroom noodles. The plates were as good as you’d expect from a high-quality dining establishment, but we can’t say they really stood out. The salmon was fresh, zesty, and paired well with the grilled vegetables and warm rice, but the chicken felt bland in a bowl of slippery, savory noodles. Did everything taste fresh? Yes. But, was it memorable? For a catchy name, a well-curated concept, and strong publicity, it didn’t quite match pace.

Credit where credit is due: the food was inarguably fresh and light on the stomach — something of a rarity among mainstream Asian spots — with ingredients that felt clear and authentic. Their menu maintains variety through well-crafted, minimal-leaning dishes. It has everything from essential salads and fresh mini cold cuts to beef, chicken, and seafood mains.

All this to say, Chubby Lee is only a budding eatery but a promising one, and we’ll be keeping our antennas up for it.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find Chubby Lee at Lake Town in New Cairo.

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