"Formerly Lees Den, Lee’s in Rice Village has transformed into a cocktail bar with expertly balanced drinks and small plates. You can see every table in the space’s dining room from the host stand, but it never feels cramped. It’s a speakeasy-type spot you’d keep in your back pocket to impress someone on a third date. Each table is full of gin and tarragon cocktails with glittering daisies in the center. And folks are taking down buttered crab rolls packed with shredded crab and briny trout roe. The mini hamachi tacos have a burst of umami flavor that inspires you to order a second plate. If it's a multiple-drink night, order one of their “small sips” cocktails like the Appleteeny. And after 10pm, you’ll gain access to the late-night menu, which can only be read with their 3D decoder. Food Rundown photo credit: Gianni Greene Appleteeny Start your evening with this drink. It tastes like a liquified granny smith rather than a syrupy apple imitation. There are about four sips worth of cocktail in this chilled glass, but that’s really all you need. photo credit: Gianni Greene Crab Roll These two rolls are filled with shredded crabmeat lathered in a rich aioli. The little bursts of trout roe balance out the crab and keep the dish from becoming too heavy. photo credit: Julie Soefer Hamachi Tacos We love the miniature crunchy corn tortillas surrounding the soy-coated bits of hamachi. And while the decorative bed of kernels is more decorative than functional, we’ll take on the social faux pas of picking through them to make sure no fish is left behind. photo credit: Gianni Greene Sweet Potato Dumplings The crispy skin is 90% of what makes these dumplings exciting. But the filling is a little skimpy, so feel free to skip this one." - Gianni Greene
