Tao
New York, NY 10022-1910
Phone: (212) 888-2288
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Madison Avenue
- Directions:
- 4, 5, 6 at 59th St; N, R, W at 5th Ave-59th St
- Best of Citysearch:
- Pan Asian Food 2004
- Hours:
- Mon-Tue 11:30am-12am, Wed-Fri 11:30am-1am, Sat 5pm-1am, Sun 5pm-12am
Editorial Review for Tao – by Kathleen Squires
The Scene
A 16-foot-tall Buddha lords over this 12,000-square-foot, multilevel spectacle where, even after five years, bodies pack every inch from bar to bathroom. Though there's no dancing, throngs of midtown workers and trendy tourists bring out their inner club kids to the thumping deep house music.
The Food
The pan-Asian menu could easily become an afterthought in such a scene-centric spot, but Chef Rick Laakkonen runs a reliable kitchen. The satay of Chilean sea bass brushed in miso, shrimp and green beans in a bright XO sauce, and crunchy spring rolls generously stuffed with duck are impressive, but most of the menu falls short, as with lackluster wasabi-crusted filet mignon and flavorless deep-fried lobster dumpling. Desserts, like the giant fortune cookie filled with light and milk chocolate mousse, perfectly embody the spirit of this over-the-top spot.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Know Before You GoPlan to wait up to an hour, even with a reservation.
What to DrinkHouse cocktails include the Blue Zen, with Bacardi Limon, Malibu rum, blue Curacao and pineapple juice ($10).
The ExtrasLike the music? You can take home a double CD of the restaurant's soundtrack for $25.
User Reviews for Tao
07/05/2008 Posted by Najlani
My wife and I arrived about ten minutes before our reservation and were wowed by the space - which, I must say, was very cool. We chose to wait for our table at the upstairs bar and were again pleasantly surprised by my wife's yummy "mango tamarind martini." The rest of the night was complete dogshit. We were finally seated about 45 minutes after our reservation - nearly an hour after we arrived to be greeted by a boring menu with nothing that jumps out as a "must-try." One dish whose description was rather vague - Thai Roasted Chicken" was described by our water as "roasted chicken" when we asked for more detail. Clearly, you F-ing moron! When we asked what makes it Thai, he replied: "a Thai sauce." My wife, sensing my frustration with this idiot, politely asked the waiter to describe the "Thai sauce." He clarified that it was "not too spicy, but not too sweet." Every dish ordered throughout the night was bad - some on the verge of disgusting, not to mention the terrible service and the tourist trap / bridge & tunnel crowd. Avoid this dump at all costs.
Pros: amazing interior
Cons: terrible service and even worse food
06/29/2008 Posted by guest100
it was my moms first trip to new york and our first trip to taos on a suggestion from a friend that i was meeting there for lunch. she asked have you been there ? i said no but it sounds nice. so we went and met for lunch 1 block away from 5th ave. and around the corner from our hotel my friend and i had the prix fix lunch. not bad for $25. the peking duck spring rolls were delish!! for the entree i had the wok seard sirloin and my friend had the soy ginger salmon it came with some soba.. we were both pretty happy with our picks and for dessert i had the zen parfait!! it was pretty yummy too. it had toffee bits along with some chocolate and vanilla- ish pudding so it was kinda like almond rocha-ish .....my experience was yummy
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