A golden tiger depicted over a dark-green tiled wall welcomes diners to Lettuce Entertain You’s newest culinary concept, Crying Tiger. The highly anticipated River North restaurant, located in the former Hub 51 space at the corner of Hubbard and Dearborn Streets at 51 W. Hubbard St., is the first collaboration between the restaurant group and James Beard Award finalist and Lettuce alum chef Thai Dang.
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Dang’s menu is inspired by the culinary traditions of Southeast Asia and the foods he and managing partner Amarit Dulyapaibul ate growing up. Informed by the partners’ extensive global travel and the bold flavors of Southeast Asia, signature dishes include the Chinese donut crispy prawn toast with herb nam jim, crispy Hong Kong pork belly, and stir fry, rice and noodle dishes like clay pot lobster pad Thai and rolled rice noodles with roasted maitake mushrooms. Pastry chef Juan Gutierrez’s dessert menu features sweets like the toasted coconut sundae with palm sugar caramel.
As for drinks, beverage director and partner Kevin Beary (Three Dots and a Dash, The Bamboo Room and Gus’ Sip & Dip) offers an inventive selection of cocktails and zero-proof sips, including a coconut fat-washed sbagliato, Thai tea milk punch clarified with cognac, and a salted plum tequila soda made with blanco tequila, pickled plum, calamansi and Singha soda water. The wine list of more than 75 bottles is comprised of unique and rare grapes from regions like New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, alongside the house beer, Thai pale lager Singha. Plus, a currently unnamed, stand-alone-concept cocktail bar helmed by Beary is set to open in Crying Tiger's lower level later this year.
“When I came to Chicago as a cook for Lettuce Entertain You’s Michelin-starred L2O, I could have never imagined that 16 years later, I would be collaborating with Lettuce as a chef and partner for Crying Tiger,” Dang shares. “This restaurant means so much to me because the menu pays homage to my immigrant family and our culinary traditions. As we explored Southeast Asia, every culture seemed to borrow flavors and ingredients from one another, and we are excited to share the diversity in this type of cuisine.”
Reservations can be made on Crying Tiger's website.