Exclusive: America's Busiest Restaurant TAO Opens in Hollywood

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Matthew Kang is the Lead Editor of Eater LA. He has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. He's the host of K-Town, a YouTube series covering Korean food in America, and has been featured in Netflix's Street Food show.

TAO has finally arrived after almost a year of anticipation in a gigantic space in Hollywood. It’s nestled next to the new Dream Hotel, plus sister concepts Beauty & Essex, Luchini, Avenue, and the Highlight. LA’s had its share of clubby restaurants, but TAO is the granddaddy of them all, pulling in hordes of diners at their New York and Las Vegas outposts. In fact, the Sin City version has the highest grossing numbers of any single restaurant in America, and it looks like the TAO in Hollywood just might follow in those footsteps.

Opening tonight, TAO has the same dark, sexy faux-Asian motifs as its other spots, but with a different kind of landmark interior piece: a twenty foot tall Quan Yin statue floating above a koi pond. Rockwell Group, which also designed Beauty & Essex next door, has installed subtle animations to bring it to life during dinner service.

Chef/partner Ralph Scamardella oversees the massive menu of mostly Asian-style fare, with classic bites like the Chilean seabass satay skewers, barbecue pork buns, lobster fried rice, Peking duck for two, and even a full sushi list. It’s a catch-all that might turn some folks off in its scope. But others will appreciate that there’s literally something for everyone on this menu, which might explain why it’s packed to gills every night. Open 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, and until midnight Thursday to Saturday.

Feast your eyes on the interior and book your table here.

Tao Asian Bistro. 6421 Selma Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA 90028