TAO

Overcrowded, overpriced, cold terrible food, trust me don't waste your time or money.

There is a school of thought among foodies that good Asian food can only come from restaurants run by Asians. (Or, alternately, by non-Asians who have spent a large part of their life in Asia. See Fatty Crab.) Well, Tao is not that type of restaurant. Their other outpost is in Las Vegas, and much of that city's aesthetic is in evidence here, as well. Everything in the enormous, cathedral-like space is designed to impress, from the large stone Buddha, bathed in alternating cycles of colored light, that dominates the back part of the restaurant, to the gimmicky bathrooms with their waterfall motif. (Speaking of the bathrooms, for those who aren't up on their Eastern philosophy, yin is the female principle, and yang is the male.) Despite silly names like Blue Zen and Pama Sutra, the "designer martinis" served by the ebullient bar staff (between customers, my bartender kept breaking into a dance to the ever-present electronic soundtrack) are no worse than anything on any other drink menu in Manhattan. (Although the Pama Sutra is particularly cloying.) The food ranges from good to excellent. (My lacquered pork was sweet, salty and succulent; easily among the best I've ever had.) The portions are huge - despite sticking mostly to small plates I ended up having to get a doggy bag. Even there, the aim is to wow - my leftovers were presented in a glossy, boutique-style drawstring bag that looked like I went shopping on Fifth Avenue. Tao is not cheap, and it is not on the level of, say, one of the Momofuku restaurants. But it can be a fun experience, if you're in the right mood. Definitely worth dropping by.

I have known about Tao for years but had never been, and my husband decided he wanted to take me there for my birthday. I was worried it was overrated, but we were both really happy with our dishes. The tuna tartar was pretty good, served over a crispy rice cake (could have used a bit more sauce). We also had kung pao chicken and lobster kimchee fried rice, both with exceptional flavor/seasoning. The service was pretty good given that it was packed. My only complaint was having to wait 1/2 hour after our reservation time, but that seems typical at this kind of place. Also, their specialty drinks (which we had to buy while waiting...) were actually pretty good! Pear sparkling sake martini was delish/not too sweet. Overall it was pretty amazing!! I would go back.

So several of my co-workers and I went for restaurant week to try Tao out. Food-wise: I would say that the tempura shrimp was very good with two yummy sauces. I picked the wok-seared sirloin with shiitake mushrooms and potatoes, it was ok the meat was cooked well but there was too much sauce and drowned the meat and the few mushrooms included. There also could have been more mushrooms served with the dish overall. Finally dessert I had the chocolate spring rolls, very rich dark chocolate fried in a spring roll. Not my favorite dish of the night. Service: I would say that the service was prompt and very courteous. At one point the waiter stepped on the take-home leftovers of one of my co-workers while serving the table next to us and they gave her a new dinner. Now that is customer service!! :) Atmosphere: I would say except for the bottle neck at the front of the restaurant in the waiting lounge (way too crowded/noisy), the restaurant was beautifully furnished and of course the sitting Buddha is magnificent. Bottomline: Won't be going back necessarily for the food but glad for the experience.

Had a great experience at Tao last week. Yes, we had a reservation and still had to wait 30 minutes for a table. And yes, we were completely ignored in the bar for the entire 30 minutes. However, once we sat down our waiter was lovely and very attentive. He provided some great recommendations on the food and we had an absolutely delicious meal. Worth the wait.

I almost knew I would be let down with the food before even going there. The atmosphere was cool and upbeat but the food was sub par and as simon cowell says "forgettable!" Grab a drink with a friend or a date but hold on the food. Tuna Tatar was decentttt

as far as im concerned the food was never outstanding and always took too long but unless u r there for the petals the vibe died out years ago.reasonably priced-yes.so dress to impress i bring yr out of town date in.