Restaurant and nightlife company TAO Group on Sept. 17 opened TAO Asian Bistro & Nightclub in Chicago. The 34,000-sq.-ft. space, located in a historic 1892 landmark that was originally home to the Chicago Historical Society, includes a 275-seat, Pan-Asian restaurant and two nightclubs upstairs.
TAO Chicago’s signature dishes include the Satay of Chilean Sea Bass, Lobster Wontons, Peking Duck, Crispy Snapper in “Sand” and Tuna Sashimi Pringle, as well as new steak and omakase sushi offerings.
The beverage program caters to Asian tastes with creative, approachable craft cocktails. For instance, the Phuket mixes whiskey, Aperol, plum nectar, lemon and a hint of Chinese 5-spice, while the Tokyo Rose combines a tequila and mezcal blend with fresh cucumber juice, aloe vera liqueur and cold-pressed lime; it’s finished with a togarashi spice rim.
TAO Group was founded by Rich Wolf, Marc Packer, Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss in 2000 and now includes operations in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Singapore and Sydney, Australia, and a number of different concepts. TAO Chicago is the just fifth iteration of the TAO brand in 18 years.