6421 Selma Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028
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Lets just start off by saying that TAO is our RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR FOR 2018!! Out of 5 stars we wish that we could give this restaurant a 6 or higher!! The service at TAO was the best service of any restaurant we have ever eaten at. As soon as we got seated our waiter quickly came by our table and asked for our drink order. Minutes later our waiter came back with our drinks. The waiter also helped us pick out what we should order since we hadn't been to the TAO in Los Angeles before. This was one of the few restaurants we've been to where everything we ordered tasted fantastic. Besides the spectacular food, the atmosphere was perfect! From the outside TAO looks very dark and cool looking with a giant wooden door at the entrance. Once we walked inside, the only thought in our minds was "WOW".
^ Outside sign
^ Inside decor
Beautiful asian style. Well done!
^ Interior Dining Hall
The moment you walk inside you feel like you entered heaven! The space feels so grand and very tastefully decorated. Right away your eyes go to the enormous Buddha statue in the far end of the dining hall. Throughout the evening, different colorful images are projected onto the statue that are so striking and beautiful that you feel like she's alive. The coolest part of the dining hall is how it is tiered, where you can dine like you are on a different height, looking out over everyone else. The vibe was super chill too. The music was at a level that was just right and fun. There is usually a DJ that mixes music from 9pm on, but even before that it was a great mix of songs from the 90's till today. The place definitely has a clubby feel! You feel like dancing right in your seat.
The restaurant has a great menu, full of choices, but since we wanted to sample different things, we ordered these wonderful selections below:
^ BBQ Pork Buns
We honestly never ate Pork Buns before, but we can say that the texture was soft and chewy and the meat and mushroom filling was super tasty with a bit of a spicy kick. It was served with a soy sauce on the side. Would definitely order these again!
^ Shrimp Tempura Roll
This amazing, tasty roll was served in a large bowl. A cut roll of veggies wrapped in seaweed and rice lined the bottom of the bowl and a heaping amount of crunchy flavorful large tempura shrimp was layered on top. A dipping sauce was served on the side.
^ Pork Potstickers
The potstickers were beautifully presented. The dough wasn't too doughy or chewy, but just right. They were perfectly fried and crunchy on the outside. They were very flavorful and the sauce was delicious too. Although they were a bit spicy for us, the heat wasn't too bad. Would definitely order them again.
^ Yellowtail Jalapeno Sashimi
We had them leave out the jalapeño though. It was simple, fresh and delicious.
^ Tuna Pringle
This is not your ordinary Pringle. In fact, when you taste it you realize that you just had the best Pringle ever!!! The Pringle chip had just the right amount of crunch that didn't break the entire chip into pieces when you take a bite into it. It had just the right amount of saltiness, layered with a slice of fresh tuna, sliced cherry tomatoes and some amazing tasty truffle oil with micro greens as a garnish. All of that combined tasted like Heaven! Another fact about these Tuna Pringles is that they are unique, created by the Head Chef and only made and served in the TAO in LA. These are definitely not for sharing...tell your dining partners to get their own! We would have ordered more, but we were so stuffed already and wanted to leave room for dessert :)
^ Salmon Avocado Roll
We thought it was scrumptious. It tasted so fresh and buttery.
^ Crab and Lobster Egg Rolls
SPECTACULAR! What makes these unique are that they are New York City style egg rolls, not tiny little spring rolls. The large egg roll was deep fried and crunchy. There were large delicious pieces of lobster and crab mixed with an assortment of veggies that were super delicious! The duck and sweet chili dipping sauces were delicious, but we could eat them just as they are. Love these!!!
^ Mochi tasting
The Mochi tasting is the best way to sample the different flavors of mochi. This dessert comes with 6 mochi and a beautiful flower in the middle. All of the mochi were soft and chewy and the inside was so cool, light and creamy.
^ Molten Chocolate Cake
Chocolatey, gooey, warm, yummy, super DELICIOUSNESS with a large scoop of salted caramel ice cream and cherry sauce on the side! Need we say more?
^ Extras
These cute little chop stick holders had "stolen from TAO" printed on the underside...what are they trying to say?????
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Overall this is one of the best restaurants we have ever eaten at! Everything at the TAO in LA was amazing. The service was perfect, the atmosphere was beautiful, and the food was out of this world:)) We are definitely coming back for more!!
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