Chef Thai Dang, who gained national attention for his upscale Vietnamese cooking at HaiSous, is turning his attention to the broader flavors of Southeast Asia with a new restaurant. On Tuesday, October 14, he and Lettuce Entertain You are opening Crying Tiger, a River North restaurant in the former Hub 51 space that pays homage to the dishes Dang and his team grew up eating.
One of fall’s most anticipated restaurants, Crying Tiger explores the interconnected traditions of the region. “There are dishes that are influenced by Laos, and Laos is next to Cambodia, and Vietnam is right there. We share a lot of commonality in our recipes and the use of fish sauce, citrus, chiles,” Dang says. “We’re drawing inspiration from so many countries and cultures, but we want to do great food that people can recognize — just in a different way.”
Dang and managing partner Amarit Dulyapaibul, who grew up in his family’s Thai restaurants, traveled around the globe to research and develop the menu. At Crying Tiger, familiar dishes get playful twists, like the clay pot lobster pad Thai. Instead of the usual plate of noodles, the kitchen cooks the dish in a wok before transferring it to a clay pot, where the heat creates a smoky, crispy layer at the bottom. Hong Kong-style pork belly gets an upgrade with a drizzle of herbaceous nam jim sauce.
“You get this nice, crunchy texture. This soft, succulent pork belly with lime, chiles, garlic, and fish sauce, and it’s just delicious,” Dang says.
Other highlights include prawn toast — youtiao, or Chinese fried dough sticks, stuffed with a savory shrimp filling — and a lineup of curries prepared entirely from scratch, using pastes imported from Thailand. Desserts bring a modern spin to traditional Southeast Asian flavors. Lettuce Entertain You pastry chef Juan Gutierrez, winner of Netflix’s School of Chocolate, is whipping up treats like a toasted coconut sundae finished with rich palm sugar caramel, along with other sweets that nod to the region.
Crying Tiger’s beverage beverage director Kevin Beary’s (Three Dots and a Dash, Gus’ Sip & Dip) cocktail menu features Southeast Asian ingredients such as a coconut fat-washed sbagliato, a Thai tea milk punch clarified with cognac, and a coconut water cocktail with Scotch and pandan. The menu also includes nonalcoholic options like spiced Vietnamese iced coffee and a salted mango limeade on shaved ice. The wine list highlights over 75 selections from Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, while Thai pale lager Singha serves as the house beer.
Lettuce Entertain You collaborated with London-based David Collins Studio, the designers behind the group’s striking Tuscan steakhouse Tre Dita, on Crying Tiger’s space. The interior bursts with greenery and vibrant colors. Many elements are custom-made, including light fixtures from Hong Kong. Dang’s family in Vietnam built the chairs. One surprising detail ties Chicago to Southeast Asia: The team discovered that the accordion-style security gates commonly seen in front of businesses throughout Thailand and Vietnam are actually manufactured by Chicago-based company Acorn Wire + Iron Works. Crying Tiger commissioned a custom set for the restaurant.
There’s also a winter garden — an enclosed year-round space filled with plants and Southeast Asian art. “We want you to feel like in the winter, you could still sit in there and feel transported to warmer weather,” Dang says.
Dang’s partnership with Lettuce Entertain You marks a full-circle moment. He started his Chicago culinary career at the company’s Michelin-starred L2O before branching out. Following a tumultuous stint at Embeya, where he was defrauded by an owner, Dang and wife Danielle Dang launched HaiSous in Pilsen in 2017. This past spring, Dang was a finalist for a James Beard Award in the category Best Chef: Great Lakes.
Dang says he’s thrilled for the opportunity to work with talented colleagues like Gutierrez and Beary at Crying Tiger. “It’s been an amazing feeling and journey,” Dang says. “I started with nothing, and now I’m building this crazy restaurant out with a whole infrastructure and team in place so that I succeed. How could I not be excited?”
For now, Crying Tiger will open for dinner only, with the possibility of expanding service later down the line. But Dang is embracing the present. “People ask me if I’m stressed — no way,” he says. “What exists is this moment. I’ve learned to live like that. I don’t take anything for granted, because I know where I came from.”
Crying Tiger is located at 51 W. Hubbard Street; open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Jeffy Mai
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