![]() ![]() For our entree, we ordered a pork lo mein dish, accompanied by a side order of tempura asparagus. (We prefer to linger over multi-course meals, which tends to make every meal an event.) We shared the duck spring rolls, the pan-fried chicken dumplings, and the squab lettuce wraps (which were intensely flavorful). Our entire meal at Tao was over in less than an hour, which was too fast for us. Therefore, we had no time to anticipate our food, savor our drinks, or get comfortable. Disappointingly, our waiter delivered all five dishes together as one course, and our food arrived less than 10 minutes from when we placed our order. We ordered three starters to share, followed by one entree and a side dish. Although we knew that Yin is female and Yang is male, and that the Yin symbol is the shaded At the suggestion of our waiter, we ordered five dishes to share (which was too much food, even though we have hearty appetites). The Yin and Yang symbols on the men’s and women’s bathroom doors caused great confusion on which symbol pertained to which sex. Restrooms are located on the basement level, although we heard someone inquire about a handicapped facility on the main level. The general restaurant decor features artifacts from China, Japan, and Thailand. A two-story (16-foot tall) giant Buddha sits in a shallow reflecting pool filled with Japanese carp. (The hostesses, because of their skimpy dresses, should take greater care when climbing the stairs, because they display more of themselves than they probably intend to the diners below.) The restaurant features exposed brick walls. In the main room, Tao offers a variety of seating options: tables large and small towards the center of the main dining room on the street level, smaller tables/semi-booths around the perimeter of the dining room, and seating on a second-floor mezzanine that is open to the main dining area. The main dining room of Tao Uptown is located in an old building that was originally a 19th century stable for the Vanderbilt family, and then later a balconied movie theater, so the space features huge soaring ceilings. Across from the hostess area is a lounge that contains a bar as well as small, low table groupings. Although both my spouse and I noticed the pagers, they did not set off any warning bells that perhaps Tao might not be our type of venue. The greeting area (with no fewer than four somewhat scantily clad hostesses) also includes a table piled high with beepers/pagers (the type of device that chain restaurants provide waiting diners to indicate when they should return to the podium to be seated). In the winter, the property adds a canopy/vestibule enclosure to protect diners from the harsh weather. (Another NYC “branch” of the Tao chain is located in on 9th Avenue in Chelsea at the Maritime Hotel, and two other Tao venues exists in Las Vegas.) A coat check is available upon entry to the restaurant. ![]() Tao Uptown is located on East 58th Street (between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue) in the Midtown East/Theatre District of Manhattan. Tao is open Monday through Saturday for lunch, Sunday for brunch, and daily for dinner. We booked a table using the Open Table reservation system, and the hostess seated us immediately upon arrival despite the crowded restaurant. We checked our Open Table app to find nearby restaurants with availability, and Tao seemed to fit our needs – it had a table available, it was located nearby, and we were familiar with the restaurant name. We had planned to eat farther uptown at a restaurant where we had a gift card, but we realized en route to that restaurant that we did not have the card with us, so we made an alternate plan. ![]() My spouse and I dined for lunch at Tao Uptown on a Saturday afternoon in late December 2014. ![]()
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