Embeya is a tough review, because our experience there is partly our fault and partly the restaurant's fault. Â We went with another couple last Friday night. Â The space itself is nice and open and modern and trendy, in line with what we usually see in a new fancy restaurant in downtown Chicago. Â Our hostess was quite possibly the most friendly hostess I've ever had in my life. Â She happily took our coats and bags (the two boys had come straight from work), genuinely welcomed us to the restaurant and seemed really excited that it was Friday and she wanted us to enjoy our Friday evening out. Â I'm used to a less interested, slightly more snooty greeting at a place like this, so it was a pleasant surprise.
The cocktail menu was interesting enough, but we opted for a bottle of wine for the table.
The menu is designed for sharing and is best appreciated by sharing. Â We foiled ourselves a little bit, as our other couple preferred going single entrees for each of them, and my fiance and I ended up ordering 2 small plates and 1 entree to share. Â I recommend going with a group and sharing across the table, to be able to really explore their offerings.
That said, the items we did try were good but not amazing. Â Our friends ordered the garlic chicken and the monkfish entrees. Â I didn't try the garlic chicken but it was described as mediocre and really really garlicky. Â I'm sure garlic chicken was probably not one of their marquee items, and one of those dishes you put on the menu to have a basic entree available to people. Â But it still should be made well. Â It could have been cooked better and the flavors could have been better balanced.
My fiance and I went with the shrimp dumplings, the cured salmon, and the monkfish. Â The dumplings were very tasty and served lettuce wrap style. Â Nothing mind-blowing, but really how much opportunity is there to blow someone's mind with shrimp dumplings? Â The cured salmon was also very tasty, but I would have preferred larger chunks. Â The salmon was cubed very tiny which made it difficult to pick up with chopsticks and you weren't able to experience the full flavor of the salmon with such small bites. Â
The monkfish accompaniments were excellent. Â The curry it was served with was perfection (and drinkable) and I appreciated the spaghetti squash and sweet potato as a nice change (though my fiance thought the spaghetti squash was a bit weird and would have preferred standard noodles). Â The problem with the monkfish was that it was overcooked. Â Monkfish is one of my favorite fish but it is supposed to be cooked just enough that each piece is full of flavor and melts in your mouth. Â In this case, the monkfish was chewy and almost rubbery and we had to cut each piece with a knife, rather than just a fork. Â For me, this was the big disappointment of the night.
Our server was nice enough, but seemed annoyed with us at times. Â Again, this was partly our fault. Â We took a bit long in deciding on cocktails or wine and then again on our food choices. Â On the other hand, if we asked for just a minute to decide, our server would literally come back 20 seconds later and seemed annoyed that we still weren't ready. Â "A minute to decide" means at least a full minute, dude. Â He also seemed annoyed that we didn't go the full sharing/tasting route with our ordering. Â I understand that we were going against the way the menu was designed, and I was against this as well, but we're still the customer and we still get to choose how we want to order. Â So it would't hurt to hide your annoyance a bit. Â However, whatever our server lacked in pleasant disposition, the hostess more than made up for.
I would give Embeya another try someday and go back to sample a better variety of the menu. Â But I thought the execution of the few items we had could have been better. Â Chicago has a lot of other options out there for $60-70/per person that I'd rather try before going back.
If you don't get past the first sentence of my review, just know that Embeya is now in my top 3 favorite restaurants  that I have ever eaten at in my life -- and I have eaten at a lot of amazing restaurants.
This weekend my parents were visiting from Montana and had a friend recommend that we check out Embeya. Â His recommendation was spot on. Â Not only did Attila (the director) personally recommend wines and check up on us throughout the meal...the food was to die for. Â The Shrimp Dumplings were an instant favorite along with pretty much every other single dish from Prawns to Noodles w/ Baby Scallops to Monk Fish ("poor man's lobster"). I am not a fan of brussels sprouts, but when I tasted them at Embeya they melted in my mouth and thoroughly enjoyed them...I will no longer avoid brussel sprouts like the plague, haha. Â The califlower was also one of my favorites and if you are getting a desert you have to try the Cream Puff Top -- DY-NO-MITE! Â Â Â Â
My family is Catholic and since it was a Friday during Lent, we had opted to go with the strictly seafood options -- Salmon, Prawns, Shrimp Dumplings, Noodles, Monk Fish, etc. Â My father who would have just have rather ordered the Ribs or Lamb Shank joined us in going the no meat route and said that "this was the best Lenten meal I've ever had in my life"....coming from a guy who does not give compliments easily and never gets too excited over skipping out on red meat. Â Nice work to all the staff at Embeya!! Â Thanks Attila and Komal for making our dining experience one to remember!
This is a great space in the West Loop, long sleek bar, open kitchen where you can watch your food being carefully and artfully prepared by the chefs. Overall, some very well presented, well prepared food, with some interesting ingredients.
We started with the sea snails, stuffed with shrimp, lemongrass and black garlic. A very well presented dish, the sea snail shells make for visually pleasing presentation, stuffed with sweet shrimp, touch of lemongrass and a tart dressing.
We then had mussels, with coconut and lime. Â Mussels were perfectly fresh, the broth rich and tasty with
scallion for sweetness.
A perfectly roasted chicken, crunchy skin, super moist chicken, even the breast, well seasoned and with the scallion, a play on the sauce used in Hainan Chicken rice. Â Possibly one of the best chicken dishes I've had, rivaling the slightly more complex chicken dish at Ruxbin (the confit like leg at Ruxbin probably has this one beat).
we came here just for drinks on a friday night, and it was a great stop. Â the bartenders were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their drinks and gave great recommendations from their specialty cocktails. Â we just had dinner before stopping over here, but the food smelled great! Â we'll have to come back some time and try the food.
Review Source:Five stars all around: service, food, drinks, ambiance and everything else!
Came here last night with 3 friends for the first time and had an excellent experience. If I wasn't a broke college student, I would definitely come here a lot more often.
I had the mussels with a side of sticky rice which I couldn't get enough of (definitely get the rice with the mussels) and a tendron & lime cocktail to drink. Tried some of my friend's lamb shank and ribs, also delicious.
Worth trying, go!
I went to Embeya with a group of six during Restaurant Week. It was by far the best Restaurant Week experience I've had. The service was fantastic and we got to try a great assortment of food. But first, let's start with the cocktails.The smoke and barrel is one of the most fascinating and delicious cocktails I've ever had. The tendron and lime was also awesome, if you like coconut. Dishes that stood out were the quail, ribs, bok choy and papaya salad. The exotic fruits were weird but fun to try! The atmosphere is lovely, but cozy too. I will be back, hopefully for Simple Sundays!
Review Source:With the rave review here, i really want to like it. However, the place was just ok for me. We had papaya salad for appetizer. I know it's fusion but nothing reminded me of  the thai papaya salad. There was no spice. It is a cold salad with strong scent of sesame oil. I was actually thinking of some chinese cold salad having it. I had lamb shank for entree. The portion was huge. It was too meaty and bland for me.
cocktails there were great! (but i probably won't go back there for food again)
Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of Asian fusion. It's typically too difficult for a restaurant to fancify this kind of food to a level where the influence is still recognizable, but merits spending 2-3 times what one would spend in an ethnic neighborhood. I find that Asian cuisines tend to be at their best when served in environments that make you question how recently the health inspector has paid a visit. There are exceptions to every rule, however, one of which is Embeya - this is the rare gussied-up Asian joint that hits the mark.
The theme here is upscale Vietnamese-influenced food. Summer rolls ($9) are filled with sumptuous pork belly and are served with a spicy peanut dipping sauce that merits eating on its own off of chopsticks. Tongue ($12) is served with a melange of picked vegetables, candied orange, and watercress - a delicate melange of flavors that play surprisingly well with one another. Ribs ($18) are served in hefty portions, and are glazed in a piquant tamarind sauce which manages to be just sweet enough. They're somewhat difficult to eat, but tasty. Side vegetables are simply prepared with interesting twists - brussels sprouts ($6) are roasted to a pleasant crisp and served with fish sauce, and cauliflower ($6) is served with red chili and topped with a lava-y one hour poached egg. For dessert, grilled pineapple ($7) is served with chili salt and coconut ice cream - a perfect, if somewhat lilliputian cap to an excellent meal.
Pricing is high but not exorbitant for the caliber of food. Service is somewhat awkward - our waiter forgot to bring the whiskey list when I asked, which added 10 minutes or so of waiting, and then gave me a hairy eyeball when I asked for the check while ordering dessert. Cocktails are alright but somewhat watery and not worth $12. Had these last two factors been on par with the food, Embeya may well have earned a five star rating from me. As it stands, Embeya offers an excellent dining experience; unlike most other Asian fusion restaurants, I didn't spend my meal here thinking about how I'd rather be dining on Canal or Argyle for a fraction of the cost. I'd highly recommend it!
They're still working out a few kinks. The servers help each other out in a sort of "team," and so sometimes you could be overlooked for a spell. But there is a genuine desire to get it right, and I have faith that they will.
The food is already there. We had about a dozen different things, and not only were they all good, they went together like a symphony. Accompanied by one of their many Rieslings which go great with the food. . Ask the manager to recommend one for you. It's his passion, and he will gladly do so.
With the minimal but magical decor and the bright and sweet/savory food, it was a little like eating in fairy land.
If you're in the mood for Asian fusion, definitely go!
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! Â Love this place. Â For starters, we had the world's best server. Â Articulate, knew the menu well, made excellent recommendations, attentive without hanging around too much, and he just had this all around pleasant demeanor that made you feel welcome. Â Thanks for a superb experience!
I usually prefer smaller, quieter restaurants but I loved what they did with the space here. Â Perfect, chic, neutral decor. Â It felt open and light, bursting with energy but in a way that's appropriate for dinner. Â It was loud but we didn't have to yell to hear each other. Â Again, all around pleasant.
The food: to put it simply, wow. Â We found every single dish cooked to perfection, full of flavor, and incredibly well balanced. Â What I loved the most is that none of the dishes were very heavy, even the ribs. Â BF is still raving about the garlic chicken and grilled quail. Â Suzuki was wonderful, and I really loved the bok choy side with the fried rice. Â And the shrimp dumpling. Â And the exotic fruit. Â Okay, let's be honest here...I would highly recommend everything we tried, which was most of the menu, including the beef tongue with its perfect grill marks. Â Delish!
One of my favorite parts of the meal was the durian fruit. Â I first learned about durian on Chopped last year and my curiosity has only grown since after seeing it on the Food Network multiple times. Â How cool that we got to try it!
This place is for sure over rated! Â The service was terrible. Â Our waiter greeted us about 10 minutes after we sat down, asked us for drinks and then forgot two of the other guest at the table. Â
We were there for restaurant week so the meal was pre-set, and we said he could  go ahead and start the order right away.  About 20 minutes  later we received the appetizers - waiter checked in - and was never to be seen again.  We received our entrees not too long after, food was ok - rice came out cold - but couldn't find the waiter to send anything back.  The Ribs were fatty with little taste.  Chicken dish was good.  At the end of our entrees - when everyone was done we found another staff member to get us more drinks (serve still not around). Â
Plates were cleared and table was set for dessert - 45 Minutes later...still no dessert we asked for a manager. Â The manager apologized and told us he would check on the dessert (mind you the dessert was a cream puff and fruit)...10 minutes later the dessert came and the manager brought Sherry - that nobody was interested in drinking. Â The attempt was nice, but wouldn't you look at the table and possibly offer the drinks that everyone was drinking? Â Or ask if we like Sherry???
I think the most disappointing things, was the waiter was never around to tell us about the food. Â The "exotic fruit" was super exotic and delicious but we had no clue what we were eating...and to find anyone to answer any question it was pretty much impossible.
We arrived at 7 pm and didn't leave till 10:30. Â I am all about long, enjoyable dinners, however this was just painful.
Unfortunately, I do think that sometimes food (if delicious enough) can make up for the terrible service, but the food was subpar at best. Â Tons of better restaurants in the city that I would prefer to go then coming back here. Â Probably a 1 stop shop and I will never be back.
At first, I swore off Embeya when they canceled my reservation during restaurant week, BUT a friend wanted to go check it out so alas, I did. Â I truly feel that its a 3.5...DAMN you YELP for not giving halves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The space is nice. Â Its surprisingly loud in the restaurant and we had the world's quietest server. Â It's got some charm to it for sure.
I would have to say they definitely plug the top 100 best things to eat in Chicago...the ribs. Â We didnt bite. Â They have a great selection of wines that are reasonably priced. Â I didnt really look at the drink list...although supposedly they have a good one.
The menu is just big enough with a lot of selection to please us. Â So we decided on a bunch of things to try out.
Forbidden Rice-it was excellent! Â The perfect combo of savory and tart. Â I wasnt expecting it to be so good.
Green Papaya-also very good. Â It was light, crunchy, refreshing. Â Mmmm!
Tofu-was disgusting. Â We actually sent it back. Â I am a tofu fan. Â I was vegetarian for about 10 years and I thought this was one of the worst dishes I have ever had. Â AVOID
Cauliflower-although good, I felt that they really skimped on the cauliflower. Â There was too much egg and not enough other stuff. Â For $6, I was expecting a little more. Â It was OK
Noodles-YUM! Â Again, it was spicy and delish. Â They only thing that I didnt like, if i remember correctly, the scallops were chopped up...not a fan.
Dessert-we had a coconut ice cream with some other stuff. Â It too was way better than I expected.
Overall, I felt that the food was a hit or a total miss. Â There wasnt anything inbetween.
The service...although our server was super nice...I felt a little neglected in the corner table that we were at. Â My friend would have probably had at least two more drinks if we would have had our server come over more and check. Â It was almost like we were flagging him down. Â To his defense, we were chatting it up, but its his job to see if we need anything.
Overall, decent dining experience.
My husband and I shared several dishes. Â Unfortuantely I was underwhelmed by them all. Â We started with the green papaya salad with culantro, crispy shallots, beef jerky. Â My husband liked the beef jerky twist on the dish, I did not. Â My hubby had the garlic chicken and thought it was rather mediocre. I had the noodles with Maitake, Chinese celery and bay scallops. This seemed like just another noodle dish. The ingredients meshed so that it just tasted like what I might get at Noodles and Co. The space is rather cool, the service was fine, but the food was just not working. Â Nothing stood out.
Review Source:Embeya is a sexy city dining experience, Asian chic, with a touch of whimsy. Progressive and contemporary, the food is served tapas-style (small portions to be share at the table). The clientele is a mix of urban sophisticates and suburban executives, with a sprinkle of poseur hipsters and Jersey Shore wannabes.
Our party of six was given the option of ordering our choices from a variety of amazing dishes to share, or the "Sample Tray," which is a selection of dishes offered at Embeya, chosen at the whim of the servers. I do not eat gluten, and our server, John, assured us that they could make most dishes gluten-free. We were lazy and chose to try Embeya's "Sample Tray," gluten-free. Â
We ordered our drinks to start. I had the Sato Zuke, a delightful, delicious ginger/gin beverage with an amazing kick. The wine selection was expansive and one of our friends, a wine connoisseur, was very impressed. (I was very impressed by the sommelier, but for my own reasons). Â
The hot and cold appetizers started to arrive at our table -- delicious, delectable bites of wonderful --two-to-three dishes at a time. So many came so quickly that I soon lost track of everything I tried, but I do remember specific dishes such as the fried oysters (to DIE for), juicy, flavorful prawns; baby octopus with grapefruit; firm, fresh, cured salmon (yum yum yum) and my favorite, lettuce wrapped balls of exquisite oral orgasms (I don't remember what they were; shrimp dumplings, I think. I sort of blacked out while eating them and fantasizing about the sommelier). Â
Stuffed on appetizers, we were alarmed to learn that a lot more food was coming in the form of entrees. Â We all ordered more drinks (two each that evening) as the servers expertly cleared our dishes and filled our water glasses. Â
After my second drink arrived, things started happening very quickly. Food came flying at us from all directions, assisted by numerous servers. At one point our table was surrounded by efficient, friendly people bringing us the most amazing platters of artistically created masterpieces: lamb shank (I didn't get to try it - too full); ribs tamarind (expertly seasoned and prepared, according to my date); melt-in-my-mouth monkfish, with rice noodles and creamy, tasty curry sauce; quail, with an amazingly simple yet magical sauce; chicken that tasted like cage-free heaven; sticky and fried rice, and a variety of vegetables. Whew! I was in a food coma but quickly snapped out of it when the check was put before us. With tip, the total was $120 per person.
We soon realized was that "sample" doesn't mean smaller bites of everything; the quantity of food and the price we ultimately paid seemed to suggest that "sample" means full-size plates of everything on the menu. The sticker shock didn't take away from the amazing experience of the food, or the beautiful ambience, or the professional friendly efficiency of our servers. But we learned a lesson, and now I share a warning.
Embeya is a magical restaurant experience. Just be prepared to pay for it (you will not be warned ahead of time).
I made a reservation for Embeya about a week in advance. Â When we arrived, 4 minutes early, we were told that they had no tables at this time and to please wait in the bar area. Â As we stood around for several minutes, we noticed other people with reservations coming in being told the same thing. Â To me, it means that they were intentionally overbooking and then sending people into the bar to spend additional money on drinks while they wait indefinitely for their table. Â Not cool.
Additionally, I'd read reviews that the noise level was pretty tame at Embeya, and I was SHOCKED that it was actually one of the loudest restaurants I have ever entered. Â It was so loud it was unbearable, and we felt like we were at a rock concert. Â
So, we booked Publican on the iPhone and bolted Embeya. Â Good decision.
I was really excited to try Embeya. From the outside it seems like a sexy, romantic, intimate restaurant. I was however, a bit disappointed by the inside. It's very large, and has an almost corporate/cold feeling to it. It feels more like a pf chang's (no offense)...meaning that it's just HUGE and offers a spacious more professional experience, rather than the vibe of a smaller, more romantic spot. The decor is fancy, the servers are as well. Ours was a bit over the top, acting like it was a theater performance more than a personal interaction between humans in a restaurant. It felt strange for sure. The bus boys were awkwardly and annoyingly lurking around waiting for us to finish our plates and offer clean silverware. Some people may like this style of professionalism, but I do not.
The food was the redeeming factor in this experience. It was delicious, although I couldn't exactly tell you what we ordered. It was very very good and full of high quality. ingredients and meat cuts. I wish I could come back for this food but I will not because the place is just awkward.
I promised that I would reserve my 350th for Embeya, so here we go! Â
Have you ever stepped into a restaurant and it was as if they took a bunch of your favorite things and put them in one place? Â Yeah, that happened. Â Lemme break it down for you:
1. Asian fusion. Â Very, VERY good, well-thought out Asian fusion. Â Chef Thai just killed this menu. Â Thai style mussels. Â Need I say more?? (Oh yeah, and the prices are VERY reasonable for what you get. Â This meal would be MUCH more and WAY douchier in River North. Â just sayin...)
2. Â The decor is classy but very welcoming. Â I LOVE that they left the loft ceiling, it just adds something to the ambiance in the dining room. Â The kitchen is open and some guests were walking up and talking to the kitchen staff and they were very warm and friendly.
3. Â The drink menu and bar staff are on point! Â Danielle, the drink coordinator was fantastic and nailed the flavors. Â I got one made of beets (I'm a sucker for beets, what can I say??) and it was delicious. Â They were polite and didn't fuss when we wanted to make small changes to the drinks (no gin in this house, sowwy) which can be a problem when you mess with someone's specialty drinks sometimes. Â David, the bartender was attentive and welcoming and didn't hover. Â The SAs were also on their game which can make or break a dining experience.
4. Â The neighborhood. Â We used to live over here and we just love the vibe in this area. Â It's close to everything but it lacks a certain hustle and bustle and it leaves out all pretentiousness. Â Important note: it takes a special kind of place to pop up a few doors down from my favorite place, Sepia, and not offend me with it's inferiority. Â I'm not gonna lie, I'm usually defensive as hell and ready to hate on anyone willing to challenge Sepia's Fulton River District reign. Â However, I must say: Well done, team. Â Well done.
5. Â The music. Â I'm VERY picky about when it is and isn't appropriate to use good alt rock in a dining establishment. Â This is one of those places that it is fancy enough to come here for a special evening out, but they add small touches to make it work. Â FOR EXAMPLE: they do striped shirts rather than white ones, they left the ceiling lofty, etc. Â Those small things take the fancy edge off and make it all, just, fit.
I can't wait to come back for dinner. Â Philly Danielle, I will be emailing you! ;-)
Had a fabulous dinner last night at Embeya, am close to tipping this to the 5-star :) I really loved the food, had fantastic service and I love the decor. I went with my monthly dinner club and it was a group of 6.
MUST TRY:
Green Papaya Salad - a must try, not your average papaya salad and the texture and favors were great
Mussels - So rare to get a good lemongrass flavor. Our server also recod' the rice with the mussels to sop up the broth!
Oxtail w. curry - Yum and the curry is delish
Sakura - I know they change their menu but if this is on their when you go you HAVE to get it. Well cooked, delicious, very authentic
Cauliflower - with a poached egg - YES
Fried Rice - Something that looks so simple (no meat/veg) has really complex and delicious savory flavor
Pineapple/coconut ice cream dessert - YES. The diff textures of the grilled pineapple, cool creamy coconut and crunchy peanuts was so good
Cream Puff - Not your average cream puff, this is something to remember.
JUST OK:
Shimp dumplings and oysters were ok, not special, a little forgettable
RIBS - WEre talked up a lot but just OK to me. They were definitely tasty but nothing made them stand out to other ribs I've had.
So, notice the must try list far outweighting the just ok list :) Also the cocktails were delicious. The vodka/coconut cocktail I had was so light and refreshing!
Plus I got a chance to meet the owners, Attila was working the hostess stand and was such a gracious host. Gave us tons of insight on the decor, I also asked about the very sexy stemware! Hope to see this place to continue to do well and can't wait to go back!
Was told by a friend, this place is good. Â Good? Â Really/ Â It was GREAT! Â One of my top 5 meals in the last few years for sure.
To start, the green papaya salad is fantastic. Â It has small pieces of beef jerky and when you pair a bite of the salad with the beef, the layers of flavor are exceptional. Â
Another exceptional dish is the tofu. Â It is under the hot starter menu. Â Again, the layers of flavors were astounding. Â This, along with the garlic chicken, just blew me away. Â And I must not forget to mention the cauliflower side dish. WOW. Â Just wow!
Overall exceptional. Â Don't forget to order the gin/ginger beer cocktail. Â SO refreshing. Â Make you want to be somewhere warm and on a beach!
Thank you Embeya for an exceptionally wonderful dinner! Â
Can't wait to be back.
Overpriced foodie food. Portions are small, the price is not. I'll never understand the thrill of the "shared plates", because it seems like although you get to try many different things, you barely get any food but pay through the nose for what you do. We tried many of the menu items, none of them were that impressive in my opinion ($18 for small medallion pieces of chicken???!!). My favorite thing was probably my cocktail (Citrus Grandis), but at $12 I wasn't having another. The review that said it was 3 pieces of ice and 3 sips is spot on, it was a small drink with a hefty price tag.
The space is beautiful but very loud. If you (and your checkbook) are into fine dining , go for it. But it you're looking to get the best value for your buck I'd try somewhere else.
Embeya - Executive chef Thai Dang's childhood nickname which means "little one" in Vietnamese took this "little" corner space and approached it with a wide range of modern-day Asian décor. The chic space designed by 555 International (they also dressed up Girl and the goat, GT Fish, Balena) and they did a marvelous job. The four breathtaking soft, ivories, air floating chandlers lined the waiting area's ceiling.  The entire space was sealed with off white hardwood floor which created a great canvas to showcase the furniture and the use of calm and warm colors of green, wood, and gray. The bar's counter is white marble, open kitchen, light pencil wood color chairs lined in leather, and a stunning installation of floating glasslike leaves as a chandler piece in the private dining space.
I was with a group of four including myself and we went there on a Friday night at 9:00 pm. The staff's mannerism was very accommodating and pleasant. The receptionist immediately asked if we prefer coat check before walking us to our table.
Now let's get down to food business. First is first: COCKTAILS.
Death of Reposado - aged tequila, Thai chili, pomelo, and shiso foam
Tendron & Lim - vodka, young coconut water, citrus, caramelized coconut skewer
Jackfruit cultivar - cacha, all spice, jackfruit cordial, lemon
To tell you the truth of all the three drinks I enjoyed Deathof Reposado the best. Maybe it's because I'm on this "chili" in my crafted cocktail kick. The Tendron & Lim was too light for me to drink during the winter; I preferred a spicy and hardy drink during this time of the year. Although, my gf enjoyed it!
Small plates: Cuttlefish, Forbidden Rice,
Large plates: Â Thit Heo Kho (quail egg, coconut, roasted shallots), Ribs, noodles
On the side: Steamed rice, butternut squash, and Brussels sprouts
Sad to say I was not extremely expressed with the food. As much as I loved the atmosphere and the space I couldn't fall in love with the entrees. Â The flavors were strong and savory but small plates of home cooked Asian recipes just didn't do it for me. This restaurant is a great place for drinks and the bar just not for the menu.
Made reservations at Embeya for our New Year's Eve dinner and celebration. We wanted something low-key and reasonably priced...with good food of course. Having never been prior to NYE, it was a shot in the dark, but we had a lovely time. The fried oysters were AMAZING and the dessert selection was light (no heavy cakes) and flavorful. I think the roasted pineapple was my favorite. The decor is not overdone (Yay 555!); I would feel comfortable in business casual or formal-before/after-an-event here.
Just a few things I'd improve upon: Our server was incredibly soft-spoken, to the point we were all leaning toward him straining to hear him. There was no music, or if there was the volume was incredibly low, so that wasn't the issue. I also thought for New Year's Eve a few more celebratory steps could have been taken to ensure the guest's good time: perhaps a more official countdown, moving the large front tables out of the way to create room for a small quartet and dancing (I was told there would be music and dancing when I made the reservation), having a floor manager or hostess go to tables offering to take pictures for people (I noticed a lot of people trying to take self-portraits), and not starting to sweep he floor before all the guests were gone.
I would definitely go back for another nice dinner sometime, or just cocktails and fried oysters at the bar. Thank you for helping us ring in 2013!
I really enjoyed my dinner at Embeya, though I didn't expect such a high bill at the end (note, I didn't pick the wine and that definitely could have been what pushed us over!).
The food was delicious, flavorful and portion sizes were quite respectable as well. Â
The atmosphere tends to super trendy, loud and dark, but if you're with a group, this is perfectly wonderful! Â It would be harder for a date spot unless it was during the week, but nevertheless, it was quite fun! Â Drinks were tasty, though one in our group got a martini when he asked for something else...but it was quickly fixed!
Food - 5
Value - 4
Atmosphere - 4
Bathrooms - 5
Service - 4
I would personally give Embeya 4 Stars, but my partner was so fond of our dishes and experience, I'll give it the extra star.
I have to say the service here is unbelievable. Our server, Mitchell, was very enjoyable, welcoming and informative. He knew everything about there updated menue and gave us excellent recommendations based on our taste. Very impressive!
Collectively, we shared:
The Tendron & Lime Cocktail
The Green Papaya Salad
Noodles
Ribs
& Fried Rice
Mango Sticky Rice for Desert.
The Cocktails were a bit bland but not bad. The Papaya Salad was amazing! My favorite dish that we had. It had a great unexpected texture and flavour. The Noodles were good, but I disliked the noodles they used. The Ribs were my partners favorite. They had an awesome Hosin glaze and the tenderness and texture of the meat was mouthwatering. The friend rice was also good. The desert was the best desert I've had in the city. Its light and full of flavour. Its a bed of sticky rice with light coconut foam o the outside. Great! I highly recommend.
Mood is sexy. perfect place for date night.
Literally on the corner of Jefferson and Randolph you'll find Embeya, a good restaurant but not a spectacular one. The menu is rather limited, but I must admit that all of the items we ordered were quite tasty. I should also follow that, though, by letting you know that for the size of the dishes the prices are quite steep.
We ordered the green papaya salad, grilled quail, and scallops. Everything was presented very beautifully with defined grill marks on the quail and the scallops on flaming fire. The papaya salad was average but the quail was really delicate yet strong in flavor. The scallops had a nice taste but the texture was a bit too under-cooked for my liking. My favorite dish of the night wasn't even a main dish we had ordered but it was the japjae glass noodles topped with uni that accompanied the scallops. It was absolutely to die for. I've never experienced that combination before, but they were so flattering together.
We each had a glass of wine, a personalized cocktail that a bartender let us name (the 'Hudson' - we wanted to keep the theme of celebrities and it reminded us of Kate Hudson), and whiskey shot  with kimchi as a chaser. I had asked if they had pickle juice to chase since I have been hearing all about it, but they said no and pulled out kimchi juice. It was great.
The only complaint that I have about Embeya is that one of the bartenders was a bit pushy. Although he was friendly, it felt as if he was constantly trying to convince you to buy more for a possibly larger tip. My friend didn't agree with me on this, but I felt it enough to lower the stars on this review because of it. If I came back, I would probably opt to sit in the dining area rather than the bar.
I will give a 5 star rating. Â We were greeted generously, treated very well, never waited too long for our waiter and before we left, we were asked if they could get a cab or have our car brought out since it was cold. Â That was a nice touch as I have never been asked that before.
As for the food, we had the Green Papaya salad with beef jerky, Scallops, Chicken and Ribs with Sweet Potato Curry and sticky rice. Â All were amazing in their own way. Â And then we finished with the Vanilla Cream Puff and Dragon Fruit. Â
Everything about the night was perfect. Â I'll be sure and recommend this place to anyone who asks.
Beautiful dining area - ethereal and dramatic but not overdone. Â We had a party of four so we had quite a few different things since most plates are shared and on the small side. Â
We had the Papaya salad and the summer roll as apps. Â Both were very good. Â The stuffed squid, mussels and shrimp rolls were also a hit. Â I loved the garlic chicken - tender and they sell out quickly since it's one of their specialties. Â The sea bass melted in my mouth and the noodles with shrimp was very good. Â
The drinks are hand crafted and loved the Tendron and Lime and Our Thai cocktails. Â Very, very good!
Food
Food is good, but nothing amazing. Â Not worth the prices they charge. Â The papaya salad was good, I must admit but there was nothing else I had (we tried all the sides, about 4 of the hot dishes, 2 of the entrees, and 2 cold) that was memorable. Â For dessert, we had a bit of everything - one of the plates was a bunch of fruit that we had to peel ourselves! Â Overpriced and the fruit wasn't even that fresh.
Service
Our particular waiter was fine, but there was an altercation at the restaurant during our meal and the management handled it so poorly. Â Two of the tables were fighting with each other and one of the patrons yelled the c* word to the other patron. Â Really? Â I'm paying this much for a meal where the management can't manage and treat their patrons appropriately?
Ambiance
Ambiance was nice, but didn't make up for everything else. Â
I'll be spending my money elsewhere.
Great first impression! I love trying to new places, and am passionate about food. So, why not, right?
The hostess was very helpful, she asked if we wanted to sit at the bar, or table. She directed us to the bar, which did not have a full shelf. Nonetheless, the ambiance was great. The bartender took quite a while to serve us, we waited a good 5-7 minutes. However, there were not that many people there, so I didn't see a reason as to why it took such a while. Plus, he was speaking with the girls next to us far too long.
I met the director, Attila, who is very charismatic - led us to another table. I requested the table considering I wasn't feeling the bar anymore. He sat us down at a great spot, that was seating with pillows, and took my coat for me. After having some attention, it still took a while for our server to come to us. This gave us enough time to plan out our entire meal. We ordered:
1. Head on prawns - delicious, especially with the calamansi
2. Baby clams - perfect crunch to rice crackers, and good kick to the clams
3. Noodles with rock shrimp - al dente noodles were on point! loved that the sauce did not make the dish "soupy"
4. Side of fried rice - the basil was strong, which I preferred
5. Specialty chicken - I am not a meat eater, but Attila said it was on the house, perfect crisp on the outside. He explained how it was made, and you can definitely hear the pride in their recipes and execution.
6. Sticky mango rice - the coconut milk over the dessert had a meringue texture, very different, light and tangy
7. Max Fred white wine, and a Manhattan
For a Tuesday night, the restaurant was fairly packed. As more people began to fill the space, more attention came our way. I assuming that more servers came to the floor. The decor was sleek, stylish, and clean. This is not a place for a first date, however. It was more of a "just-got-out-of-work-lets-eat" kind of place.
Pros:
The food was tasty and filling
Atmosphere was welcoming (the host and Attila in particular)
Comfortable seating
Cleaned, separated washrooms
Cons:
Server took too long
Bartender took too long
If you and want to bring your significant other here, do so. The music is also just right for conversation.
So beautiful! Â Also I was/am way starstruck.
Came here with a girlfriend from the rec on Tasting Table. Â She was a little late and I was a little early, so I spent the time checking out the menu, the space, and the kitchen. Â Front of house was super friendly and professional; David took my coat (I'm still getting used to this coat business, oh Chicago. Â Oh it's cold here. Â Oh my.) and the hostess took me to a table so I could peek at the open kitchen. Â Love the decor and details. Â It was pretty empty when I came in (around 6 on a Wednesday night) but filled up to half-full or so by the time we left.
Started with one of the cocktails, like a Moscow Mule but with way more ginger. Â Quite tasty and refreshing, loved the lime. Â It took my drink a while to come over, but there wasn't anything going on over at the bar that I could see. Â Maybe it just takes a long time to make? Â My friend ended up getting the same thing and it also took hers a long time.
Anyway, FOOD: loved the mussels, tons of spicy lemongrass and creamy coconut broth. Â Friend said they were the best mussels she'd ever had. Â I also really enjoyed them. Â Wish there was bread to sop up the delicious sauce; we were uncivilized and just drank it! Â Yum! Â
Also enjoyed the green papaya, which was thinly shredded with a delicate and sour dressing, some basil leaves (could've used more, I think), some beef jerky bits, and those tasty fried onions. Â Pretty big portion, as were the mussels! Â A good start!
I loved the fried rice, with bits of char and oil and just I don't know why it was so yummy it is just yummy and you should try it. Â It's not how you normally think of fried rice with tons of stuff in it, just rice with some flavor magically put in it. Â
Garlic chicken... sort of disappointed. Â Very garlicky, and I liked the little medallions mixing white and dark meat, but it was just a bit too dry. Â Least strong part of our meal.
We were way too full by the end, so two apps and an entree seems like a good size for two. Â All the food is family style, which is important to remember, except for maybe the scallop, which is $12 for one scallop which is on fire! Â We did not have it, but saw some people get it. Â I was happy dishing out $12 for my cocktail, did not need to do that for a single scallop, no matter how good that scallop is.
With tax, ended up being $50, and I totally think we got our money's worth. Â Love love how beautiful the place is.
Starstruckness: as we were leaving, got into conversation with David, who was managing the front with/under Attila (the owner?). Â And then he took us back and introduced us to Thai! Â Aaaaaaah! Â That's never happened to me before! Â It was so cool! Â I'm such a fangirl! Â Didn't even know what to say, so just started talking about Vietnam and how I liked the food. Â
Overall, my impression is 'fancy Vietnamese' rather than 'midscale pan-asian', but whatever floats your boat! Â Tasty and beautiful!
This was our first time in this 6-week-old establishment and we did not know what expect. Of course as a foodie, I love trying out new places, but what I truly enjoy is having someone truly passionate about food and spirits assist me with my food and wine selections. That someone was Danielle, and our night couldn't have turned out better!
OUR DINNER
We started the night sharing "cold" Green Papaya (which a very exotic salad dish with outstanding flavors) and "hot" Sea Snails (stuffed with pork) both small plates were very well done! From presentation to taste absolutely flawless! But then our hearts were stolen by their version of the Pork Belly, which comes with creamy quail eggs and out of this world sauce, that you can mix with your choice of rice and ...oh so yummy! We called Pork Belly "Gangman Style"!
The list of the after dinner drinks (and wine) was also very extensive and then we learned about exotic deserts and fruit Danielle presented us with a bowl of longan (the amazing fruit we never saw prior to last night) their pineapple desert that consisted of marinated fruit, house-made ice-cream, toasted nuts and a touch of chili peppers provided a real explosion of flavors. With this said, we were impressed with their wine list and a VERY interesting menu.
ATMOSPHERE
Danielle Pizzutillo, is the star of the house. She somehow manages to attend to everyone at the bar with each of us feeling that she is there just for us. She mixes the most exotic cocktails based on your preferences and her wine expertise is practically unbeatable! However, based on the comments from other waiters and happy guests, their entire staff consists of wine experts and food enthusiasts. Â
Aside from great service and knowledgeable & yet approachable staff, this place is absolutely gorgeous. This trendy contemporary space has great lighting and comfortable furnishings. From their luxuries restrooms to unique light fixtures - everything is top notch! $10 valet is very convenient
We can't wait to return! Love this place!
Returned for a second visit to find that this place has worked out a lot of the opening kinks, and they are now serving delicious upscale asian fare. The Sea Snails dish has been updated, it is now a seafood mousse steeped in lemongrass rather than the pork. So much better, so delicious. NOW I'm excited to become a regular at this place.
Bonus points for them having a table at the most recent Green City Market fundraiser. They were slinging cocktails out of a plastic bag with a straw, just like you'd find in Vietnam. Awesome.
Can't wait to come back, hopefully to join my neighbors for their Sunday meal!
Lets start with the positives....
1) The space is beautiful
2) The menu is creative and enticing
And then the disappointment ensued....
1) We tried a half dozen or so of the appetizers. Â
*The short ribs were too fatty and grisly
*The mussels were some of the worst I have had in the city.  When you get  a  pot of mussels I expect to get a couple that taste off.  I would say half of mine were no good.
*The clams, stuffed squid, and spring rolls were OK.
* The shrimp dumplings were good. Â I'm not sure how you mess up fried shrimp though.
* My wine was very good. Â It was one of the better Tempranillo's I have had.
2) Our server was inadequate. Â He whispered, which didn't allow the whole table to hear what he was saying and its creepy. Â There were a half dozen of us there and when they brought out the appetizers, which we were obviously sharing, they did not include serving utensils. Â They didn't even provide a large spoon and bowl for the shells when they brought out the mussels. Â We kept having to ask for serving utensils for each dish.
We were making bets on the over/under of this place lasting over a year. Â The competition is fierce in the West Loop. Â It is in the same price range as Avec, Sepia, Province, and the Publican. Â All of those spots are vastly superior. Â I am shocked by so many positive reviews. Â Perhaps it was an off night, or people were enchanted by the beautiful space. Â
Anyways, I wouldn't recommend it but if you really are curious to try it, I would hurry, because this place wouldn't hold up in the West Loop where the bar is consistently rising in the fine dining space.
I've heard a lot of raves on Embeya before I made my way there. Â Now I'm beginning to wonder...
The décor is nice.  It's not as transformative as say, GT F&O, or Girl and the Goat, but nice touches throughout.  Service is friendly and well-oiled for a place this new.  One particular server smiles warmly and shakes everyone's hand if you happen to be in his path.
Enough has been said and written about the green papaya salad. Â I will just chime in and say that it is definitely a knock out. Â Sea snails are fun and interesting. Â I do think though that the snails itself is lost among all the other things in the dish. Â Young bamboo and maitake is like a forest floor, but tasty. Â Thit Heo Kho, a pork belly stew, transported me back to my childhood. Â Mother used to make the Chinese version that is always a treat for me. Â The coconut notes were new to me, and made me see this dish in a new light.
So now, the head scratcher. Â When our waiter was going through his routine, we were told the only dish they were out of was the chicken. Â Fine, that wasn't a must try for me anyway. Â So well into our meal, a party was seated close to our table. Â Some time later, a plate of chicken came out and landed at their table. Â What was that?
Why 3 stars? Â From the look and feel of the place, and the clientele, Embeya could be any pan-Asian party restaurant Chicago has seen a few of (Sunda, and many before it). Â At Embeya, the food is definitely a lot more serious and interesting. Â I won't say it's the best, but a good addition to the scene. Â Not really sure what is up with the Chicken story. Â At the end of the night, Attila was sending port to all tables. Â I suppose that made it better.
I would say 4.5 stars, but will round up to gather more notoriety for this lovely spot.
Definitely the most successful upscale Vietnamese restaurant in the city - and I've tried them all. Â Went with a group of 4 and was able to try a lot of the menu. Â Thai Dang comes from experienced fine dining restaurants and obviously was going for a very high-dining experience. Â
The space is beautiful!! Â Reminds me of area-dining spaces in decor including mix between Sepia and Girl and the goat. Â Went on a chilly Sunday evening, and surprised that we were only 1 of about 5 tables in this vast space. Â PEOPLE, YOU NEED TO COME HERE!
The cuisine is pretty spot on classic vietnamese... no matter how much it's trying to elevate the cuisine, the basic flavors are all very classic vietnamese. Â The ingredients are fresh and are high quality. Â All servings are meant to share.
What I loved:
- Thit heo kho: Â this is a classic vietnamese home dish - something grandma always had sitting in the kitchen which I ate long before I even knew it was called "pork belly". Â amazing strong bold flavor and a juicy/fatty pork belly. Â perfect with a side of rice to mop up the sauce
- Mussels: Â I think coconut based sauce is the best flavor combination with mussels and this version was spot on. Â keep the extra sauce to eat with your rice (and thit heo kho!)
- Garlic Chicken: Â a take on the classic chicken with garlic fish sauce, chicken was so juicy and tender.
What I liked:
- Papaya salad: Â the papaya was cut very delicately lending to a great medium to hold on to that delicious sauce
- Short rib wraps: Â had tasted this at the green city market and taste of the nation this year, so knew this would be a hit. Â
Desserts were really great: Â mango sticky rice and silken tofu flan
Service was good overall, attentive but not intrusive.
The table had cocktails which all sounded great.
Would definitely recommend a bookmark to try this spot... if anything to just hang and have a drink. Â West loop is hot right now and this is one of the reasons why.
Embeya. Â In Vietnamese it means "littlest one" which, according to the bartender, is the nickname of the chef of the newest place to hit Randolph street.
But there is nothing little about this beauty of this restaurant. Â From the moment you walk in the door- you know you are in for a special experience. Â I sat at the long bar to wait for my friend. Â There is a cocktail list that will have even the snobbiest cocktailer rise up and take notice. Â But your favorite stand by drink is likely to be perfectly poured as well.
In one section of the restaurant are long communal tables made of tamarind trees lit from above with beautiful crystal leaf art chandeliers that light the space beautifully. Â We were seated by the window at a four top with a carved wood bench on one side and leather chairs on the other. Â Everywhere you look there is beauty from the teak wood host stand to the "furry" light fixtures to the copper pounded sinks in the restroom- nothing was left to chance.
And the same holds true for the wonderful, "progressive", Asian food. Â We started with two of the appetizers, the green papaya salad and the shrimp dumplings. Â That green papaya salad was not only visually stimulating with it's long strands of papaya (looks like spaghetti), but the beef jerky pieces, cilantro and shallots brought the flavors to life. Â As for the shrimp dumplings? Â I think on my next visit I am not going to share this appetizer- that's how good it was! Â Picture lettuce wraps with shrimp, nuts and cilantro . . . .so good.
For our entrees I had the ribs and my friend went with the beef. Â Both were so tender and delicious and our server, Frances, was spot on in suggesting the fried rice to go with it as it was a great compliment to the hosin sauce. Â And don't picture typical greasy fried rice . . .this was lightly seasoned and had it not said "fried" on the menu, I would never have known it was. Â Speaking of Frances- she was a great server- pleasant, personable and knowledgeable . . .something you don't always find when a place has only been open for less than a month at the time of my visit. Â And for dessert- we went with the jack fruit (I have never had this before but it was quite good, tasting a little like a tart banana) as well as the tofu creme caramel also good.
One of the owners, Attila, comes to Embeya from the Elysian Hotel and his love of taking care of the customer is evident from the time you walk in the door. Â He went out of his way to show off his restaurant and to make sure our evening was perfect. Â And I also got the same level of care from everyone I interacted with from David, the manager who didn't just point out the restroom to me which was what I was expecting but personally taking the time to escort me to the individual co-ed bathrooms which are also beautiful to look at, to the bartender, David, was also great- taking good care of me until my friend showed up.
Dinner for two ran about $140 and if you drive- there is usually street parking available. Â Also good to know is that while the restaurant is open until 11pm- the bar stays open until 12pm on Friday and Saturday nights making it a great place to stop in for a night cap.
So before this new spot at the corner of Jefferson and Randolph becomes one of  the hottest spots in town (and I think it will), get in and check it out.  You won't be disappointed.
My friend, who also really appreciates unique and well-executed dining experiences, went on Thursday and liked it so much, that suggested she go back with us on Saturday.
We were doing an intimate celebration and were happy to get a table on short order. Their cocktails were great, host desk staff and server were friendly and smiling, small plates were good. Being vegetarian, I couldn't try too many of the large plates but noodles, which they prepared with the protein on the side, was okay.
We were chatting over dinner that our benchmark for 5-stars is really high and a place truly needs to wow us to earn all 5. This was a good experience just not something I'm going around town talking about. My friend whose second visit this was also had the first visit impressiveness wear off.
Easily one of the top 10 restaurants in Chicago.
On a whim, my husband and I decided to celebrate our 2nd anniversary at Embeya after we ran into the owner Attila Gyulai - of Four Seasons and Elysian fame - earlier the same day.
The Asian inspired menu is a fantastic fusion of both gourmet and comfort foods. Our six course meal was served family style. Â Every dish was a unique presentation of beautiful, authentic flavors, prepared in a new and different way. Â It's been a long while since I've been so impressed with Asian food outside of Asia.
Cocktails were equally impressive. Â Embeya's mixologist uses fresh and uncommon ingredients such as rye soaked plums, smoked heirloom tomatoes, and shiso leaf foam to create really delicate and delicious cocktails.
And the space! Â It's beautiful! Â Sky high ceilings; simple, elegant base with really special, ornate details and finishes - it is is lavish without being over the top.
A big dinner, dessert and four cocktails later I was sure our bill would be a bit pricey. Surprisingly, it was very reasonable. Â
So excited to have Embeya in our neighborhood. We are fast becoming regulars, I'm sure!
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