Red Light

Went here with a friend for their extended restaurant week.
Drink:
Blood Orange.something. Tasted like grapefruit juice with a hint of lime.
Appetizer:
Standard pork wontons. The hoison and cognac sauce saved it.
Entrée:
Emerald Prawn Curry. Tasted like a more Americanized version of green curry I ate at a normal Thai restaurant.
Dessert:
Flourless chocolate cake with strawberries. If i didn’t know how easy it is to make it, I would be more impressed.
5 stars for interior design and ambiance.
4.5 stars for service.
3 stars for the food. Way too overpriced for the quality of food in my opinion.

I am so glad I didn’t read the reviews here before my husband and I dined here on Saturday night. We loved it! I am really surprised at the bad reviews. Our waiter, Victor, was phenomenal. He was very attentive, but not overbearing. He anticipated if we needed something. This was so nice to go out and enjoy the food, service and ambiance. Having a 2-​year old, we do not get out alone very often.
The food was fantastic. Their Pad Thai is now on my top 2 list now of best I’ve ever had — and I order Pad Thai at every Thai or Pan Asian restaurant I go to. The coconut soup (Dtom Khaa Gai) was awesome. I just found a recipe online to try to replicate it (or come close). I could have just had bowls and bowls of this soup for my meal… I may do just that next time. I cannot remember what my husband ordered, but he enjoyed it — it was a little on the small side (portion). He had sweet rice with it that was very good.
We plan to go back here very soon!

Dinner here with my wife and a friend was great… twice.
Love the atmosphere /​ambiance. Friendly wait staff. Drinks are reasonably priced. Dinner was excellent.
Maine Lobster Mango Rolls = THE SHIZZZ!!! Excellent appetizer. Crispy, sweet, and then there’s lobster. You can’t miss.
Dtom Khaa Gai Soup — oh so tasty. Definitely worth it.
Wrinkled Green Beans — healthful and heavenly, if a little greasy.
I have had several of the main dishes and all are prepared in unique ways, Asian fusion is the right description and every dish has a twist, very flavorful and some pleasantly unexpected flavor surprises.
Great place to go with a good sized group. Not an «intimate» setting.
I know this is weird… but I love their bathrooms. Very unique as well.

I was fortunate to come here for a business dinner in October and immensely enjoyed the family-​style dinner that we all sat down to. The wine was pouring, the energy was way up, and it was so nice to be able to have friendly business chats in the private room on the 2^nd floor.
When the food came out, the room got noticeably quieter because we were all very excited to dig in. For appetizers, we enjoyed some delicious egg rolls. For the main course, we had plate after plate of wrinkled green beans (personally, I wouldn’t include the word «wrinkled» on my menu, but the green beans were too tasty covered in garlic and soy caramel to notice the less-​than-​delightful word), a steak and fish option (both delicious), and plenty of other side dishes like fried rice. I recall that there was soup as well.
All of the flavors blended nicely to produce a very tasty and accessible (for those crazies who don’t like Thai/​Asian food) menu. We all left feeling happy and satisfied, which always makes for good business!

We came with a coupon and thought the name was weird. However, the interior décor is even weirder. I felt like I was in a red circus, which is too distracting. We ordered
emerald jumbo prawn curry — ok, VERY spicy
duet of pork — ok, could be better
jackie’s chocolate bag — the best thing in this meal!
I didn’t think the price matched the food portions, and I still can’t justify paying a lot for Chinese food. Even though it is technically fusion. It also doesn’t help that the manager of the white sox was sitting across from us with his YOUNG date, and were getting special attention from the chef. She personally served him & gave them mountains of food that they didn’t finish! While we had barely any food! AHHHH!!!

We went into Red Light on Friday since we had a You Swoop coupon. The reviews here are pretty good so I expected a little better.
We split the lobster roll appetizer, which weren’t very good. We were deciding between those and the shrimp app, and asked the waiter his opinion. Perhaps he liked neither or didn’t have an opinion, but his answer was ‘the lobster rolls are definitely the most popular appetizer.’ Which I now realize didn’t answer my inquiry.
Anyway, the lobster rolls weren’t good. They were mostly just weird — it was like an egg roll, but with lobster and what looked/​tasted like mushrooms and served with mango slices and a sweet/​sour-​ish sauce. It was like a big plate of WTF. Now I know what my mom meant when she said being popular isn’t everything.
We also split the kung pao chicken and the beef curry. Both were decent — the chicken was spiced well (though not spicy at all) and the curry had a nice flavor. They give it to you with about 2 ounces of rice, so we had to ask for more, which was weird. While decent, the entrees were certainly not portioned nor prepared to their listed price — it was something like $ 20 for the chicken dish and $ 24 for the curry. $ 24 effing dollars for a plate of curry? Are you serious?
Fortunately we had the Swoop, but knowing the price/​quality ratio I probably won’t be back. Service was good, but not that good.

I stopped here with a friend for a nicer than usual lunch, because sometimes McD’s just doesn’t cut it — ya, I live large. We decided on the lobster rolls and ahi tuna as our appetizers, and both were tasty. Our entrees, the grilled hangar steak and crisp chicken, were ok and nothing special, although the wasabi mashed potatoes that came with the hangar steak were just cool and unique enough to be worth the try.
Also, although we told the waiter we would like to be in and out as soon as possible it took us 15 minutes to flag him down to get our check. When we finally did, we said we’d like to try to fit in dessert and it took him another 10 minutes to bring us the dessert menu. So ya, unfortunately I got dessert-​blocked. Anyways, our two appetizers and two entrees set us back $ 50, which was a waste for a so-​so lunch. That said, this place could be three star worthy with the right server and food selections. On a side note, after our meal I called Red Light a number of times requesting a faxed copy of our check and was totally ignored. Not cool.

I came here for post dinner drinks/​desserts. The smells in this place are. strong. There’s a strong scent of spice in the air.
The service was great, our waitress super nice. She was accommodating, even though we only planned to stay for drinks and desserts.
I had the 2009 wine from Languedoc, my friend had the pino gris. My wine was flavorful and robust, hers. tasted like it had been opened yesterday, left open and forgotten on the counter, and hastily chilled in the last hour. In other words, ew.
We shared the Chocolate Peanut Butter Raspberry Tart, the Coconut-​Banana Cream Pie, and the Condensed Milk Pound Cake. My friends enjoyed the dishes, but I thought the tart and the cake were a bit too rich. The coconut sorbet that accompanied the pie, however, was amazinggggggg.
An O-​K experience, but not somewhere i’m rushing to come back to. I’d probably choose from another one of Randolph street’s many choices.

I agree with the other reviewers who mention that Red Light may have once been a great restaurant, but these days it is a sad reflection of the promise it once held.
After an absence of several months, I went to Red Light with my girlfriend recently to give it another try and we were disappointed by all aspects of the experience — incredibly poor service, mediocre food in meager portions, poor value.
We made reservations for a Monday night and were seated almost immediately, but then we sat at our table for 20 minutes before the lone server assigned to the outside tables (and several more inside, apparently) stopped by for our drink orders.
We placed our orders all at once because we could see she was slammed and 20 minutes later we received our drinks. 20 minutes after that we received our appetizers… and 30 minutes after that (yes, we had been seated for an hour and a half if you’re keeping score) we finally received our entrees… and one of orders was an item we hadn’t ordered.
The whole experience reminded me of an episode of Fawlty Towers with John Cleese, where everything that can go wrong DOES go wrong. Bottom line: Red Light is now a «see and be seen» kind of place that seems to have abandoned its commitment to decent food and service.

Although this place has a great location and great ambiance the food is average at best. The plates don’t have a authentic feel at all. The flavors are was washed out and nothing out of the ordinary.
The dishes are too expensive for the amount of food that is given.
wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

Gosh I really want to like Red Light. But I have to take some points off for my drink. Following my hostess to the table, I took one look around and I saw that almost every woman was drinking a yellow martini. One quick look at the menu and I found that it was mango martini. I had to try it. But I am not sure what the big fuss was about. It almost tasted like an overpriced ($ 11) 7 eleven slushy with a dash of alcohol and a frozen blueberry in the middle. On the other hand, my husband’s drink was really good a combo of gin and ginger together.
The food was excellent. I like the Asian/​Indian combination.
I had the Mee Gha Ti, thin noodles in a coconut curry sauce with chicken. It is definitely a unique taste of Indian/​Asian fusion. Very different and something that I would not be brave to cook at home.
I also had a taste of my spice loving husband’s dinner, which this time was Shrimp ninety– nine; spicy shrimp in orange, cranberry sweet chili sauce with crispy egg noodles. It was good.

eh eh eh, it was all just eh. Went here for a Valentines dinner because we realized we were there 4 years ago for Valentines and had a good experience 4 years ago! We had reservations, of course, but were seated in the front by the door which during a Chicago winter, not too pleasant. They offered to move us, but I was like whatever. What I don’t like about this place is how claustrophobic you feel sitting right on top of your neighbor, not my idea of a romantic setting. Oh well.
The food, well it was all just eh, nothing horrible, but nothing fantastic, Even the chocolate bag was better a couple of years ago, or maybe my tastes just changed. We got the lobster egg rolls which were eh okay, kinda flavorless, the mango did not do it for me. The pad thai was a little too sour and too much on the saucy side so also did not do it for me. We decided to try the tempura sweet potato fries and thought that was going to give us both a heart attack, like way over done. We had like a couple and left the rest. Overall, there are better asian-​thai places in the city, and this place is overpriced for what it is. But I guess their home made ginger ale was pretty unique and we liked that. And the chocolate bag was pretty good compared to other desserts. So would I go here again, hmm, maybe in another 4 years :)
And the service was decent, not the best we’ve had, but it could have been worse. Overall an a-​okay experience.

«515 Bonding TIme». That’s what my old college roomies dub our various get togethers. Cute, no?
On this cold Sunday night, we decided to visit Red Light (since we tend to disregard West Loop!). As soon as the (awesome) waiter asked if we wanted ‘shots of tequila’, I was impressed and knew it was going to be a great experience! We were also lucky enough to sit at a ‘Chef’s Table’, which was located in front of the open-​kitchen. Nice view of all the completed entrees coming out!
The décor in Red Light is Asian-​esque, but with a modern, vibrant red flair. It’s similiar to what you’d find in Marche or Opera, but with it’s own Asian/​French fusion style.
And, that’s pretty much how you can describe the food! The lobster/​mango spring rolls were tasty and had a unique flavor (although the portion size was a little small for the price). I ended up ordering the Emerald Jumbo Prawn curry (delicious and spicy!). Huge pieces of prawn and just the right amount of kick to the curry. I loved it! It comes with a side of white rice, but there’s actually a mound of sticky rice underneath all the curry. I mistook it for fish, whoops. My friend enjoyed the Asian paella (fresh seafood mix with a basmati-​esque rice). Oh, and there was a heaping pound of green beans, which were a little on the sweet side. Therefore, that was a win in my book.
Our other friend took advantage of the $ 21 sampler platter (salmon papaya salad, shrimp and pesto pasta and coconut sorbet). A little less Asian influence to her meal, but really good nonetheless. Not to mention a good deal!
As for desserts, that was one of the highlights of the meal. The ‘chocolate bag’ they have on the menu is perfection. It’s literally white chocolate mousse and whipped creamed — encompassed by a wall (or a ‘bag’) of hardened chocolate. Whoever thought of that creation was a genius.
Red Light’s manager is ever-​so-​charming, too. He checked in with us, joked with us and even sent over some berry pound cake for us to try! (Tip: It pairs magically with a glass of moscato.) Lovely, darling service at its finest!
So, stop in! If not for a full meal, indulge in a delicious dessert, lobster roll or a fab drink! (Red Light Manhattan, what?) You’ll be happy you stopped in, I promise!
(Want a discounted gift certificate to Red LIght? Check out
and sign up!)

We came earlier than our scheduled reservation but were seated immediately. Service was prompt and our waitress tended to us quickly and frequently in the beginning. We opted to try the sampler menu (offered Sun-​Thurs). The menu has changed from what is listed online. The sampler menu we had was
a salad with mini crab cakes (it tasted only ok)
shrimp with pesto egg noodles (very tasty)
a coconut sorbet (very fresh)
We also ordered the
steamed dumplings with hoisen sauce (delicious!!!)
seared ahi tuna (good without the wasabi sauce)
chocolate bavarian mousse cake (delicious!!!)
Service was less attentive towards the end of the dinner. However, the restaurant gets bonus points for accomodating my friend’s wish to eliminate the wasabi sauce on the seared ahi tuna after she had already had a few bites of the meal. They gave my friend a whole new dish without the sauce. Great customer service!
We used a groupon and paying with it was quick and easy.
They offer valet parking here, but metered street parking is available near the restaurant.

When a bartender doesn’t have the right ingredients to make the drink you request (a common drink with only two ingredients), switches ingredients, then tries to tell you his is the right way — that’s bull. Even when you call him on it and he then provides you free drinks, it still bull. I won’t be stopping at Red Light to drink at the bar.
But I will be there to eat! It’s clear why this is considered one of Chicago’s top pan-​Asian restaurants (one of the country’s 10 best Asian restaurants, according to Bön Appetit). Chef Jackie Shen clearly deserves all the accolades she’s received. We had a fantastic meal.
We both started with the dtom hkaa gai soup — coconut broth, chicken, straw mushrooms, and galangal. Most pan-​Asian and all Thai restaurants have a variation of this soup and I love to try each chef’s version. This one was very refreshing, light on the coconut side, not too filling. For entrees, my wife went with the fish special and I had the spicy pan seared diver scallops with porcini mushroom polenta. The sauce with the scallops was delightfully spicy — the first bite sets you back a bit, but by the third bite you’re use to it. It had a coconut base and gave a terrific Asian taste to the scallops and polenta. A generous serving, I had plenty of time and plenty of forkfulls to enjoy all the different flavors.
We only had one option for dessert. There are multiple choices, but how can we be foodies in Chicago and NOT have had Chef Shen’s famous «Jackie’s Chocolate Bag.» It’s a «bag» made of dark chocolate, filled with Belgian white chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries, with a raspberry sauce. One was enough for the two of us to share. It tastes just as good as it sounds and its fame is well-​deserved. We’ll probably never find out what any other desserts on the menu are like — this is too good to ever pass up.
The wine list was nice and we had a great Austrian Huber Gruner Veltiner to go with the meal. Service throughout the meal was fine, not exceptional, but fine. The décor — well, I’ll let you decide for yourself. It didn’t bother me, but it didn’t impress me either.
If we didn’t have to walk past the bar on the way out I would have forgotten about how poorly the visit had started. Red Light’s food has five star potential and that’s reason enough to go back.

Went here for an anniversary dinner. Was hopeful because of the special vegetarian menu, but since the whole menu is small, you never know.
First of all, the décor is awesome. Its like being in Captain Nemo’s giant submarine. All the tentacled wrought iron and dark wood and heavy curtains, but big windows.
The staff were all super friendly and helpful. We had interactions with a few different people and they were all in top form. Definitely high-​end service. The main server asked us if we had any food allergies or issues before we even said anything. He said that only two of the vegetarian menu items were not vegan, and both can be made without egg. He also suggested a good virgin cocktail that was really good. I forget what it was but it was super tart.
The food was excellent. It was like home-​style food taken to a high level. It reminded me a lot of Saha in San Francisco.
The fried artichokes were super light, and reminded me of fish, oddly. The sauces were all excellent. The soy was very rich and umami; the passion fruit was tart and bright; and the «really hot» sriracha was actually pretty hot.
My wife and I split the kung pao tofu and the pas see-​you (without egg). Both were very good and large portions. You could bring it home and have another meal easy.
Unfortunately they dont have vegan desserts. But this time I had no room.
I had a gift certificate and they had no hassle with it. I also asked about their frequent diner mailing list thing and he explained how to get ‘credit’ without being annoyed. I mean, look at all this poor guy put up with: If that’s not service I don’t know what is.
Definitely will be back, even without a certificate. Maybe I won’t get a $ 11 cocktail, but then I usually don’t get more than water typically anyways.

Not much I can say about this place. We went in on a Monday night, after dinner, hoping to sit at the bar and talk a bit more — not ready to go back to the hotel. So, we headed here to find that they don’t serve alcohol after 9pm. (I’m hoping that’s only on weekdays).
But, I’m still rating it because the bartender was really helpful. He suggested some other places for us to go to, and talked to us for a bit while we waited for the rest of our party to meet us there.
Restaurant is cool looking — has a big Buddha in the middle, and menu looked good.
Hope to have the chance to try it next time I go back.

I went here with 8 friends for a Friday night birthday dinner. Overall it was a good experience, just not a great one.
The positives
Great service. Our server handled our large group quite well, although he was a bit overzealous as he pushed appetizers :) Regardless, he was a nice guy, attentive, and there was good bus’ing from the bus staff.
Fun atmosphere. Bright colors and spacious. Although not sure I understand why there is a zombie mural.
Delicious sweet potato fries. Although def salty like Demetrio P mentioned.
VERY accomodating for the reservation. Another restaurant killed our reservation bcs we had 9 vs 8, so we had to change locale the day or so before Friday. My friend making the res had negative experiences deaing w/​Carnivale and Publican, but Red Light was really nice. She did have to sign a 2 pg confirmation complete w/​credit card to make the res that big. She would have been charged $ 50/​head for no shows. OUCH (so maybe this part is a bit extreme).
On to the negatives.
–1: Weak Mango Martini: It was like drinking a mango slushi… Tasty, but I highly doubt there was actually any citrus vodka inside. It was however very pretty :)
–1: Poor to mediocre Pad Thai. The $ 7 order of Pad Thai from Thai Classic delivery is 3 times better than the $ 20 Pad Thai at Red Light. The flavor was just off — maybe too much lime and cilantro? I’ve had a lot of thai delivery in the US and a fair amount of it in Thailand and this is hands down the worst pad thai I’ve ever had. I prefer the shelf stable $ 3.75 Annie Chung Pad Thai from the grocery to this. I did however really enjoy the sliced cucumbers around the plate :) They were yummy for snacking.
Other than the dessert, I didn’t hear anyone rave about their food so I’m assuming it means the others had OK dinners, thus my logic for A-​OK.
PS. Mac Daddy — Sorry to disappoint you w/​this review– that there isn’t anything outrageous to write about :)

My friend rented out a private room here to celebrate her birthday. We were served some tasty «pan-​Asian» appetizers including — vegetarian & meat spring rolls, two types of fried potstickers, sesame-​crusted shrimp, crab cakes, peanut chicken satay, and portobello mushroom kebabs. The crab cakes were my favourite — soft, perfectly panfried, with some spicy mayo accompaniment. The potstickers were good too — hot, nice chewy skin, with sweet & sour dipping sauce. The only thing I didn’t like as much was the tart mustard sauce served with the spring rolls.
The bartender was super nice, gave us heavy pours, and prepared all drinks with a smile. The room was spacious, romantically lit, with plenty of little tables and chairs. Great place to throw a party!
I would come here again to try the dinner food.

My friend and I were in the mood for Asian fusion food and heard decent things about Red Light. It wasn’t hard to spend $ 50 on a meal here: tempura sweet potato fries as an appetizer, asian paella for entrée, and dessert. The sweet potato fries were great, and the portion was very generous. I had leftovers, but of course, the crispyness of the tempura quickly faded in refrigerated storage. The paella was ordinary and overpriced. Don’t really have a compelling reason to come back here.
Surprise perk from this weekday visit: a $ 50 no-​strings-​attached certificate to Red Light’s sister restaurant, Marche.