This Buzzy New Chicago Restaurant Just Hosted Common And Jennifer Hudson—And It’s Already One Of The City’s Toughest Reservations

Looks like this Chicago restaurant is ending 2025 on a high note. Rapper Common and Oscar-winning actress and talk show host Jennifer Hudson, both originally from Chicago, were recently seen having dinner with friends at [Crying Tiger](https://secretchicago.com/chef-thai-dang-crying-tiger-river-north/), a Southeast Asian restaurant created by Michelin-starred chef Thai Dang and the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group. This popular spot has quickly become one of the hardest reservations to secure in the city. Sources indicate that Common, who follows a vegan diet, ordered the Green Papaya Som Tum Salad , made with green papaya, golden tomatoes, bird’s-eye chilies, and roasted peanuts. At the end of the meal, Jennifer Hudson treated herself to the restaurant’s viral dessert, The Crying Tiger. This unique creation, designed by Pastry Chef Juan Gutierrez, is shaped like a tiger’s head and is filled with Thai banana pudding , topped with banana foster sauce. Chef Thai Dang, who also owns HaiSous in Pilsen, shared photos of the couple on [his Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/p/DSgEUqCFC6P/?hl=en&img_index=1) after their visit. Source: https://secretchicago.com/common-jennifer-hudson-seen-at-crying-tiger-december-2025/