Crying Tiger has been the topic of so many different Chicago food conversations I've had since it opened in October 2025. I've been wanting to try it, but honestly, I was waiting for the hype to die down a little. Getting a reservation here is still really difficult. When my uncle called me mid-day and asked if we wanted to meet him for a lunch reservation he had, we were really excited to check it out.
When we walked in, the restaurant was a lot smaller than I expected, but beautiful nonetheless. It's swanky (if we're still using that word), has gorgeous decor, big booths made for group dinners, and a great, lively bar. Crying Tiger also recently opened a speakeasy in the lower level called Kitty's Cosmopolitan Club, where the former Sub 51 used to be. I'm already planning a return trip just for that.
Our waiter was one of my favorites I've had in a while (shoutout to Grant). He walked us through the menu in the most descriptive, engaging way and genuinely sold everything so well. He pointed out a few must-tries, so we followed his lead and ordered a spread of shareable dishes.
Overall, it was a great experience and I'm really glad I got to try this place sooner rather than later. Here's everything we ordered:
Cocktails — Haku Vodka Salty Dog & Salted Mango Limeade with Tequila: Both of these tasted as good as they look and were equally refreshing. I was originally leaning toward the Thai Coconut Colada, but since I don't love overly sweet drinks, I asked Grant what he'd recommend instead. He suggested the Salted Mango Limeade with a shot of tequila which was a great call.
Prawn Toast: One of my favorite appetizers we ordered. These came out as crispy little sandwiches that were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. They were served with a herb nam jim for dipping. The sauce reminded me of a chimichurri but with its own distinct flavor.
Crispy Hong Kong Pork Belly: My favorite of the three appetizers we ordered. The pork belly is slow-cooked and has an incredible crispy skin with rich, melt-in-your-mouth meat underneath. The flavor is bold, especially with the garlic herb nước chấm it's served with. It's a tangy, slightly spicy dipping sauce made with fish sauce, chiles, and lime that cuts right through the richness of the pork belly. I also thought it was a great portion to split between a few people, too.
Goi Ca Tuna Tartare: The presentation on this dish was beautiful. The tartare came served in a half coconut shell with crispy sesame chips on the side. I loved the chips and thought the tartare itself had a really nice herby and coconut flavor. That said, I do wish the portion was a little bigger and that there was more sauce. A lot of it settled to the bottom, so it was hard to get consistently good bites.
Rolled Rice Noodles: Out of the heavier dishes we ordered, this was my personal favorite. The hand-rolled rice noodles are seared so they get that perfect crispy edge on the outside while staying soft and chewy on the inside. They're tossed with roasted maitake mushrooms and Chinese broccoli. The whole dish had this savory, slightly caramelized richness. The Thai basil and fresno chili added just enough spice to balance it out the richness of the dish. I would definitely order this again.
Shaking Beef Bò Lúc Lắc: Our waiter described these as "Vietnamese nachos," and I think that's a pretty good description. The beef was cooked perfectly and paired really well with the crispy potato chips. Fair warning though — this dish comes with bird's eye chili, and if you happen to get an extra spicy one like I did, brace yourself. I have a pretty high spice tolerance, but this was on another level for me. The flavors on this dish were great, just I'd proceed with caution on the peppers.
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