🍽️ LA | Dining in the Dark at TAO

This is seriously the darkest restaurant I’ve ever been to in LA. I even saw a table of middle-aged foreigners all turning on their phone flashlights to read the menu—hilarious! 😂 We ordered: 🥢 Appetizer: Spicy Tuna Tartare on Crispy Rice Exactly as described—crispy rice topped with fresh spicy tuna. Probably the most impressive dish of the night. 🥩 Main: American Wagyu Rib-eye (Medium Well) Served with six different sauces. The steak was quite fatty and filling—recommended by the server as a daily sell-out (though I’m skeptical). I originally wanted the Beef Mongolian, so maybe next time! 🍚 Side: Shanghai Fried Rice Wrapped in an egg crepe with pork and shrimp inside. Flavor was decent, but the rice was a bit hard. 🍪 Dessert: Giant Fortune Cookie Not recommended unless you have a serious sweet tooth. The cookie itself was overly sweet, filled with both dark and white chocolate mousse—way too rich after a couple of bites. I’d skip this and try another dessert. Overall, TAO feels like a Chinese-Thai-Japanese fusion spot. 💰 Around $100 per person—mains are pricier, portions are generous. While it gets tons of hype online, I found it just okay—not mind-blowing. The ambiance and decor are definitely unique—rare to see such theatrical interior design. Worth experiencing once, but maybe not worth a long wait. 📌 Tip: Make a reservation—I wouldn’t wait in line. Street parking is scarce; we parked in a lot across the street for $25. #LosAngeles #LAEats #VibeDining #RestaurantRecs #StudentEats #LAFood #WhatToEatInLA #FoodDiary #AtmosphereGoals