Le Lan
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 280-9100
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Chicago Avenue
- Directions:
- El: Red or Brown Line to Chicago
- Best of Citysearch:
- Romantic Date Spot 2008, French Food 2007, Vietnamese Food 2007
- Hours:
- Mon-Wed 11:30am-2pm, 5pm-10pm, Thu-Fri, 11:30am-2pm, 5pm-11pm, Sat 5pm-11pm
Message from Le Lan
Frenchvietnamese
- Authentic Atmosphere
- Online Reservations
- Unique Cuisine
Paid advertisement by Le Lan.
Editorial Review for Le Lan – by John Gerard McLaughlin
The Scene
A large painting of a dragon on a backdrop of creamy whites and blues is the centerpiece of a spacious room simply detailed in brick and dark walnut. Tables are set with candles, orchids (Lan means orchid in Vietnamese) and bamboo-patterned flatware; the ambience is relaxed and conversational, the crowd stylish and professional. Knowledgeable servers field menu queries with ease and thoroughness.
The Food
The revamped menu offers a taste of a variety of Asian cuisines, from Executive Chef Bill Kim's (Charlie Trotter's, Trio) outstanding Korean-style sizzling short ribs to the deliciously chilled soy, balsamic reduction and basil oil-flavored Japanese soba noodles in the seafood salad. Passionfruit orange vinaigrette adds complexity to rich Asian squash dumplings served with smoked bacon and toasted garlic. The moist grouper filet, cooked in a banana leaf, is topped with a surprisingly mild but flavorful red Thai curry paste and a sprinkle of togarashi spice.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
The ExtrasChef Kim offers a tasting menu upon request.
When to GoA three-course fixed price menu is available all evening on Tuesdays and from 5pm to 6pm Monday through Friday.
Private RoomsAn upstairs dining room accommodates up to 60 guests for private parties.
User Reviews for Le Lan
03/17/2008 Posted by JeanetteQFR
Wow, talk about A+ service! My husband and I went there for our 4th Anniversary and were blown away by the attentive and thoughful service. Our menus were personalized and we were given a number of complimentary tastings. For an appetizer, we ordered sashimi over an avocado puree complemented by bl**d oranges and wakame. I tried my best not to lick the plate. For an entree, my husband had the NY Strip Steak, drizzled with curry butter or something. Don't quote me on that. It was served with sauteed greens and a red coconut rice of sorts. Honestly, my husband wasn't very excited about the steak - gave it a so-so review:( He really, really wanted to like it. But, he loved everything else. I, on the other hand, had the bouillabaise which consisted of 10 different types of seafood. The broth was very tasty and light. I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed eating all of my husbands sides. Oh, and I had the coconut polenta cakes over habanero peppers. That was pretty tasty as well. It would have been better if I had some type of sauce drizzled over it. And for dessert, we had gingerbread with spiced pear puree and ice cream and probably a few more goodies that I can't remember. The flavor was rich, but the bread was too dense for my taste. I still ate it all. They did give us an anniversary Creme Brulee - which was divine. Overall, I loved the service. I thought the value was great because of all of the extras. Otherwise, it may have been just slightly overpriced - just a tad. And I can't guarantee if you'll get all the extras. The food was good for the most part. I didn't want to stop eating:)
04/08/2007 Posted by vikarad
We went to Le Lan to celebrate our anniversary, and I had called a month in advance for reservations, letting them know we were celebrating. I also asked about veg food options before making a reservation and they assured me that they did vegetarian all the time and had plenty of options. When we arrived, we had to wait 15 minutes for our table. Then they gave us a table in the corner (they have a cool round table on one end, that of course, they didnt give to us). Although the food was good, I was disappointed that they actually only have a couple dishes that were veg, and only 1 entree option. So although the decor and atmosphere was nice, I would not recommend this place esp if you are vegetarian. There are plenty of other options in Chicago with better service and great food.
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