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Categories: Chinese, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Near SouthsideRoosevelt (Red, Orange & Greens)
Mon-Wed. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Went on a Saturday night. Service was great and food was yummy! Make sure you ask for a Back room (if dining for two)...I think they are called the Movie Vaults.
The food is worth the visit, we had a fish stew and it was fresh.
The wine list was why I'm giving Opera 3 stars...very expensive. Cheapest bottle was around $40-45 with other options running around 55-70.
I've passed by here a million times and it was only recently that I decided to try it out. The decor took me by surprise. For an asian-fusion type of restaurant, I wasn't expecting the colorful interior, nor the cozy atmosphere. It seems that no matter where you sit, you feel like you're in your own little alcove.
The food was super tasty! Their menu changes every season, so the dragon chicken I had is no longer available. It was just spicy enough to leave that tingle on your tongue, but not overpoweringly so.
The waiter was very knowledgeable and attentive, and I liked how you could watch the chefs preparing your food due to the openness of the kitchen.
I would definitely be willing to come back again!
Amazing food, our waiter was exellent-- he wasn't pushy with anything and really took great care...
The food was presented beautifully, and they did a great job of making sure that my allergies were taken into consideration. Bravo!
My friend after dining at the other Kleiner restaurant, Marche received a $25 coupon for dining at his other restaurants so we decided to give Opera a try. We received a complimentary pea soup from the chef. The food necessary didn't resemble the Americanized Chinese food that I was expecting for a more up-scale restaurant in this category. We all left pretty satisfied with our meals.
We received a gift certificate to Opera and decided to celebrate our 1st Anniversary here. We'd only been once before, a few years ago, for New Year's Eve (which the staff wore costumes of favorite opera characters....sort of bizarre). Anyway, they have a nice, small, but varied menu, including a section of entirely vegan options. Lovely food presentation, nice atmosphere, and kitchy art work. The only thing that left a little to be desired was their orange dreamsicle martini and the orange beef was a little more fried than flavorful (apparently, I was in an orange mood). Everything else was great though and the raspberry sorbet was fantastic.
I tried this restaurant because I had a coupon, and I was rather desappointed, the food is above average ( but nothing very wow ) and it s very expensive, you can definitively find food of this quality at much cheaper price in chinatown
So it was ok for me because I had a coupon so it was less expensive, but I will not come back here
Nick and I decided to come here after work for dinner on a Wednesday night. We had a 50 dollar Groupon and I was not in the mood for cooking! Boy are we glad we checked this place out. Everything was amazing. We definitely splurged with 2 appetizers, 2 main meals, a side and a desert, but everything was absolutely delicious. The "Wok Wednesdays" are a great deal. We shared the Singapore Noodles & Mongolian Beef. Each entre was only 12 dollars each. The decor was beautiful and you even have the option to have a private "vault". This is a small room away from the main dining area. Next time we might try that for a romantic night. Overall, we loved the food & service and will definitely be back!
I was so excited to go to Opera since I sooo love KDK restaurants. Opera is decorated in rich, sumptuous colors with big chandeliers (like Marche) and thick drapery (like Carnaval) lending privacy to certain tables in the back (if you make reservations for a romantic date, ask to be seated in this semi-private area). Like Marche, it features an open kitchen so you can observe the chefs creating their masterpieces, which I always thought was cool. Ambience abounds.
For starters, we selected the beef satay, which sounds so ordinary but was anything but, and the Fragrant Minced Chicken Soong, which was complemented with plum sauce and some chili sauce which was so spicy that it forced us to order many, many martinis to sooth our palate: French Martini, Black Currant Martini, Ruby Peach Martini, you get the picture ;) (**On Fridays, they have a recession special of 2 martinis and 1 appetizer for $15**).
I had their Beef and Asparagus entree, which again doesn't sound sexy but was delicious. I was so full but I couldn't stop eating it. If we hadn't had to make a mad dash for the theater, I would have polished it off and it was a sizeable dish.
My only regret was not being able to stay for dessert. Next time.
They have a relief Fridays deal - 2 signature martinis and an appetizer for 15 bucks... The golden shrimp with glaze was amazing and worth 10 bucks on its own...
The duck 3 ways was not good except for the noodles, that was amazing... The wraps for the peking duck were dry and crusty and the duck itself was a little dry and not that great.
The best entrees were beef short ribs and scallops with pesto fried rice...
The food here is great and the prix-fix specials are a great deal.
The private dining vaults are romantic, architecturally interesting and make for a unique dining experience.
I recommend the cocktails as well.
Went for lunch on Monday and all things considered it was an Ok experience, not impressive. The wait staff was very polite and professional, and the ambiance was not bad either- plenty to look around at. The food on the other hand wasn't so great.
For an appetizer we ordered the spring rolls and the mushroom wontons. The spring rolls were bland on their ownand really needed the sauce it came with. It wasn't so great having to keep "double dipping" into the sauce when the dish was shared. DO NOT get the mushroom wontons! The color of the filling alone is enough to make you gag, the texture of the pureed mushrooms was gross and the flavor was weird. I was barely able to choke down half of one. I kept thinking I was eating a mushed snail.
For Lunch I had the Lunch Special which really is a good deal. It was like $15 for soup, an entree and dessert. I don't eat meat so they offered to give me a small salad instead of soup which was very nice of them. Their vegetable mushu didn't have alot of flavor, but the sauce it came with was very good- so together it wasn't bad except the rice was cold. I wish they would have provided something to keep the wrappers warm though, by the time I got to the second wrapper it was cold and stiff. The creme brulee was leeche flavored, which was very unique too bad they didn't allow it enough time to set and actually be a firm.
I'm not going to give up on this place though, their dinner menu looks better. Also, they have a vegan menu that I hope to check out!
Love the decor! it's just a fun atmosphere. I've been here several times with friends and with my boyfriend and have always had a great time with great service. I was impressed that they inquire at the start to see if there are any food restrictions or allergies at the table. They also have a decent vegan menu, for those that are interested.
I have only been here on a Sunday or Tuesday when they have their $28.95 prix fixe menu. How can you go wrong with an appetizer, entree, and dessert for one low price? There have been times when the full cost of my entree was over $30 so the deal is fantastic! I wouldn't probably ever go on a night where you had to pay full price but otherwise, it's great food at a great price.
Very Good, food. We went on a Wednesday when they had 1/2 price stir fry, it was excellent. My wife would toss more stars then me though. Its all she talks about now.
If you go get the Martini, the best blue cheese olives in the city.
The Pros: Very nice decor. Love the little private coves that you can sit in. There is lots of velvet and rich colors.
Cons: Unfortunately the food is just not impressive. They do sweet and sour Chicken and wontons and spring rolls, peking duck.... they try to do it upscale but they fall into the trap that many restaurants with this type of food do- way to sweet and not interesting complex flavors. I had the scallops with chipotle creamed corn which was the best of the table. I give it 3 out of 5. But the pork/apples dish, the sweet and sour chicken and the 2 vegetarian dishes we ordered were just not good at all. Its all overly fried, greasy and too sweet. The server was ok but pushy and used the word "a-hole" at our table. I dont really mind but doesnt exactly scream classy restaurant when the server curses.
Opera exceeded my expectations and we had a wonderful experience. Everything we ordered tasted great. We had the duck Appetizer which I was honestly unsure about beforehand, but it was cooked to perfection. We also had the orange Mongolian beef and the lemon breaded chicken. I loved the sauces and flavors that each were prepared with.
Pros: Food & service are great! Chinese fusion at it's best.
Cons: The decor is wack. The chairs are way uncomfortable, metal was poking into my back all night.
Wow, this place is really horrible in so many ways. I've never had a shittier experience for the money. Bad food, slow service, shitty drinks, and on top of that a cockroach came out at the end of our meal.
Food: Asian with a French twist - it's creative and flavorful, yet it's still... Chinese food. The drinks offered twists of lychee and lemongrass, the Special Soup Du Jour took about 3 minutes for our server to describe (and was spectacular) and the flavors abounded in our entrees and desserts... but it's still Chinese food. I recommend everything we ordered - the mussels, the spare ribs, the diver scallops, the singapore noodles, the lemon chicken and the kung pao beef... but only if you're out for a special occasion or if you really really really like Chinese food.
Atmosphere: this is what makes it worth the trip. The decor is stellar, there is no pretense, or snooty attitude from the employees, it's a young professional crowd on a Saturday night, and there's no rush; we all felt free to relax and soak up the environment. The little rooms seemed like they would be good for a date, but our group sat in the large open area next to the windows and enjoyed the entire place.
Parking: Valet for $10, although there were some spots on Wabash, heading South.
Price: If you're out for a special occasion, or you really really REALLY like Chinese fodd, then this place is totally worth it. If not, I'd order Take-Out from your local China Hut and save yourself $60. I just can't see paying $25 for sweet 'n sour chicken that you can get anywhere - but you can't get their pan seared scallops just anywhere.
Service: We had a GREAT server who really took his time with us, as it was our first trip the restaurant. He either really believes in this restaurant, or he fakes it really well - he took 3 minutes to describe the Soup Du Jour (which was stellar), he had a great sense of humor, he got all the orders right and kept an eye on our drinks... the host was also down to earth and helpful - it was a pleasant experience overall at the classiest Chinese place I've ever visited.
This is a beautiful restaurant with wonderful service. The food was very good. The appetizers were more memorable than the entrees. We had golden shrimp and lobster spring rolls. We had scallops with chipotle creamed corn and a steak and asparagus dish. The scallop dish was quite tasty but there were only 3 scallops. The steak and asparagas dish was quite good but not as special as the other dishes. It was kind of expensive. If you go for the fixed price special, particularly if you use a groupon coupon, I would give this place 4-5 stars. I downgraded to 3 because it is quite expensive for what it is. If you can go for the specials which I believe are on Sundays and Tuesdays, I do highly recommend the restaurant. It is something to see!
Previous visits to Opera included only drinks and apps at the bar so I was excited to finally sit down and have a meal here. (Although Jimmy is a very good bartender and if you like eating at the bar, this is your place!)
Had a late night reservation and was treated very well from the moment we walked in the door. You could tell they had a busy night and were winding down but they were still very attentive and respectful. Have had many instances eating out late where you can tell the servers just want to get the hell out of there.
Started with the Lobster Spring Roll and it was very good. Believe it or not I'm not a huge fan of lobster and this was tasty. The spicy sauce that it was in totally made the dish.
We weren't that hungry so we asked JL how the duck was. It comes in 3 seperate presentations and every one of them was delicious. After we mentioned that we wanted it, JL informed us that if we took one bite and didn't care for it that he would bring us something else. There is something about a food guarantee that I enjoy and he certainly was right.
The decor alone in this place warrants 4 stars. It is the IDEAL place for a romantic dinner as they have the little side rooms you can reserve. MAYBE NEXT TIME!
Prices make this place perfect for any type of dining.
The kitchen is also in view and the staff was VERY appreciative of our positive comments about the food. GREAT PLACE!
Opera used to be a weekly regular meal for me. Chef Paul Wildemuth was able to work absolute magic to create modern Chinese fusion dishes that were alive and dynamic. He also had wonderful soups, specials almost every day, and we often got a little something extra from him, sometimes something not on the menu. Then Paul did the unthinkable: leave for a country club. He hired Beverly Kim as a replacement, a young Korean chef who had an impressive background from the Ritz-Carleton under Chef Sarah Stegner (now of Prairie Grass Cafe) and Charlie Trotter's. She replicated some of Paul's classics and also added some of her unique dishes to the menu. One thing she made for us quite often was a Korean soup that was considered a fortifying tonic, a recipe from her grandmother. Her work was lighter, more refined, more subtle, but still excellent. This is when I stopped being able to eat any Chinese food.
Since then, they have again switch chefs to Chef Erica Leigh Fisher, a former sous chef of Chef Jackie Shen's from Red Light. She is also young (graduated culinary degree in 2007). I took a moment to review her menu and a lot of the flair Paul and Beverly had put into it seems to be gone, so I don't know how it is now. Oddly enough, I can't find any reference to where Chef Kim went.
Physically, the room is amazingly decorated and lit, with a hip, vibrant feel that is high-energy. The staff is fun and I loved chatting with them.
I used to feel it was 4 stars, but with this uber-young new chef and a menu that looks sandblasted, I am rating it down to 3 stars. Hopefully I will be able to try it again sometime soon.
This is not your typical Chinese joint. The class here is Chinese Fusion. The decor is wildly cool. I used a trip to the bathroom as an excuse to see more of the decor. There is even intimate, private dining areas separated by funky textiles.
Like many we chose the more affordable $28. prefix which allows you to order any appetizer, entree & dessert on the menu. The Prefix is only available on Sunday & Tuesday though. The food was some of the better Chinese I have had but not 5 star worthy. The specialty drinks were very tasty & worth trying. The service was great. I'll be going back (probably on a Tuesday or Sunday).
We stopped in on a Wednesday night, didn't have any issues getting a table. Street parking was available. We really liked this place, the atmosphere and decor is highly refined. Our service was very attentive and the wine was very good, but the food the main reason I'd recommend Opera. I had the white fish wok, which was cod and kale and garlic and saucy -much more exciting than the name. My wife had the scallops and she was thrilled. We used to go to Marche on Randolf often, and we always knew that the owners had other restaurants, but it took us a long time to get down to the south loop to check this place out, and we couldn't have been happier about the experience. We even got two desserts and after dinner drinks because everything was just going so well we didn't want to leave. Great for couples and groups.
Not so impressed by Opera on a visit last night -- sure, the decor was very colorful and artistic, but the food was not exceptional. Maybe I'm too much of a Chinese food traditionalist, but I think you can do better in Chinatown. I usually like fusion cuisine, and this just seemed a little watered down. On the positive side, the service was great, and the prix fixe seemed like a good deal. It would be a good place to take a date, but be sure to get reservations.
I could totally live here! This place is beautiful, the service is great, and the food... well, FANTASTIC!!! I had the Diver Sea Scallops with Chipotle Creamed Corn and Pesto Fried Rice for $23 MMMMMMMM, yummy. TOTALLY WORTH IT! My favorite dessert of all time is Creme Brulee, and what do you know, they had it! What a lucky girl I am. LOVE IT!!!
MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN THIS COUNTRY!!!
Everything is good: Interesting and amazing-
The amount of different ingredients in each dish is fascinating and exciting. I've been coming here for 5 years and every dish is still a surprise for me.
RESERVATIONS
If you want a quiet- romantic time with your loved one- call and get reservations for the small private rooms. They are separated by a curtain- very romantic and quiet.
PARKING
We can usually find street parking, but on the weekends you may have to valet (I believe its like 7 $)
THE FOOD- AMAZING
Everything is good.
But I always get the ribs for the appetizers- the filet mignon for the entree.
The scallops are amazing as well. Honestly, everything is 5 stars- but I recommend ordering an item that is more simple and see the amazing details and reconstruction that the chefs do to the dishes.
Go on Sunday!!! Great deal! appetizer- entree- and dessert for $28/person.
AMBIANCE
cool- funky- modern- eclectic
First impression- love, love, love the decor. The art, the bathrooms, the hidden, intimate rooms in the back- all contributed to a very defined, fun, and original space. Second impression- phenomenal service. Our waiter was attentive but not stifling, and he didn't make us wait forever for the check after we had finished!
I'm a sucker for specialty martinis and fell for the pear and lychee options here. The fiance opted for wine instead and got a great recommendation from our waiter. We were here taking advantage of two things- a Daily Candy coupon for a free dessert for each diner and an Open Table 1,000 point reservation. And now the food-related social networking circle is complete :) As other diners have mentioned, the prix-fix menu option on Sunday and Tuesday is an easy way to save some $$$ while still getting a great meal!
Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Opera but felt that it could have used a little more "fusion" in its Chinese-fusion menu. In truth, my food rating here is probably closer to 3 or 3.5 stars, but the service and ambiance kicked it up for me. My seasonal vegetable muushu appetizer felt more just like Chinese-lite- the fusion was missing! I LOVED my orange tofu, though, complete with many many fresh orange slices and accompanied by lotus root and snap peas. My fiance opted for the fish special of the day and enjoyed it, but it was nothing amazing.
We warred over dessert and each declared ourselves the winner. I opted for the heavenly, luxurious tropical chocolate cake and just about died from yummy, rich flavor overload. He chose the pineapple cornmeal cake- lighter, fluffier, just his style. They were each a (free!) treat to end a nice meal out.
Went there tonight with my groupon. I am kinda glad I did because the stuff is about $5 too expensive. However, the portions are huge and, for the most part, the food was excellent. I had the Kung Pao Beef which was a nice dish except for the beef. Very chewy and unexpected. The hot and sour soup had shrimp and mussels in it which I really didn't like that much. Usually, I rate Chinese places on their hot and sour soup, but that would mean this place would fail that test. The lettuce cups and mushu wrap though was excellent.
Don't get me wrong. The food here is good for sure, but I feel too weird for most people looking for some good Chinese. You have to be in the mood for some eclectic Chinese.
I might go back,, but for somebody' else's special occasion.
Every time I go to an Asian fusion place, I can't help but think the original is vastly superior. Opera is an interesting space, but ambiance can't make up for mediocre food. Plus, it had that Chinese restaurant smell that hit me as soon as I walked in. We opted to eat outside. That kind of stink lingers in your hair long after you leave.
Service is solid. Everyone is professional and gracious, which I always appreciate. We went on a Tuesday, which is when they offer a $28 3 course prix fixe meal.
First course: Shrimp Goyza, Crisp Lobster Springrolls
-Shrimp Gyozas were really delicious! 4 pieces actually stuffed with enough shrimp (I hate it when they call it something but it's mostly fillers). The chili relish was really tasty. Spicy and sweet. My only complaint with this dish was that the relish was cold and I would have preferred it warm like the goyza.
-Lobster Springrolls didn't taste like lobster. At all. Standard fried spring roll, nothing special.
Presentation of both appetizers was pretty.
Second course: Kung Pao Beef, Spare Ribs
-Kung Pao Beef was swimming in sauce that was entirely too salty. It could have been a fantastic dish if it was more spicy (it was labeled spicy but totally wasn't), coated lightly with the sauce, and not overcooked (some pieces of beef were more tough than others). I ended up picking out the pieces of beef and trying to get all the sauce off before eating it. And yet, still too salty. I ended up eating more rice to offset the saltiness.
-Spare Ribs were tender but a little too fatty. Still, tasted pretty good. Not as salty as the other dish.
Dessert: creme brulee, toasted chocolate coconut something or other.
-Creme brulee was HUGE and tasted light. I thought it was pretty good.
-toasted chocolate coconut was really strange. It looked like a chocolate muffin with creme on top and little pineapple bits. The creme didn't really taste like coconut. Actually, it didn't really taste like anything. And the chocolate muffin had the texture of flourless chocolate cake. It had a bit of bitterness from cocoa but didn't taste particularly chocolatey. The strongest flavor was the tart pineapple.
I might return, but I don't think the food is particularly worth it. They really need to reel back on their sauces. Try low sodium kikkoman soy sauce. If I did go back, it would be for the gyoza.
I enjoy most KDK restaurants, with the glaring exception of Opera. I'm normally a very good eater, but in the two times I've visited Opera, I have been unable to make even a dent in my entrees.
On my first visit I had the Crisp Orange Beef. While the beef wasn't crisp, it was certainly orange -- my entire mouth puckered on the first bite. The orange flavor was sickly sweet and overwhelming, overpowering the dish and serving as both entree and dessert.
I'm a sucker for duck, so on my second visit I tried the Peking Duck Service, in which Opera serves Peking Duck three ways. While there was a surprising amount of duck served on three individual dishes, the presentation was incoherent and none of the three dishes was particularly appealing. Perhaps this is because not one contained anything resembling a vegetable or ingredient other than duck and a bland starch.
Continuing on the duck theme, my fiancee began her meal with the duck nachos, which were drenched in yet another over-sweet, overpowering sauce. This seems to be a consistent practice at Opera.
Finally, on both visits, the waitstaff was rude and slow. The bus staff, however, was a delightful exception -- they were attentive with silverware, water, and refilling the little bowl of nuts that Opera serves in lieu of bread. Sadly, the nuts are also gross.
If you want good KDK dining, try Gioco across the street or Marche in the West Loop. Stay away from Opera.
Went here for our recent anniversary, upon several recommendations, and LOVED it.
The food was well-balanced and flavorful, and we're STILL talking about the mussels! As an appetizer, they're delightfully light and fresh - order TWO and share it as a light supper! The tiger prawns with peanuts and asian noodles was light, not too heavy, with vegetables that were still crisp.
Service is a little wonky - I swear EVERYONE working there was our waiter at some point during the meal. And if you eat outside, you're ... I'm not gonna say ignored (service was fine) ... but you could easily dine and dash (don't do that, it's mean).
Really, really wonderful.
NOTE: Originally posted at http://www.food4talk.com on Feb 1, 2009
On Friday, January 30, 2009, Reva, Charlie and I went to Opera Restaurant to Celebrate the Year of the Ox. Reva had the soup of the day, which was Oxtail soup. For her entree, she had a noodle dish but I cannot remember the name at the moment. Charlie and I shared the Beijing Five Spiced Short Ribs and we both ordered the salmon.
Although, it was a very good dining experience, I am not sure I would have called it a Chinese restaurant but a Chinese-inspired restaurant. There also was something missing that I cannot put my finger on. It's like a dance movement or a piece of music that is technically very good and the artist does everything right but it doesn't move or inspire me. That's what I felt about Opera. Seeing the decor, which is exquiste, was worth the trip.
Love this place, love the decor, love the food, love the service. We went this past Friday night to celebrate being grown ups, and also because we had a $50 off $75 purchase, woohoo.
Great location in the South Loop, easily accessible by red, orange or green line, valet is $10. We had 6:30 reservations and the place was about 1/3 full. Hostess was very nice. Decor is lovely here, it's very romantic and dark, trendy but they also put in a little traditional Asian touches. LOVE the 'private' rooms tucked away through the curtains. Great place for a date, special occasion dinner or just intimate dinner with close friends.
Service - our server was awesome. He was wearing this black ruffled pirate shirt and really tight black jeans. He didn't exactly pull it off, but he carried himself so well that I gave him major props for it. He knew his shit on the menu too. Answered our questions with superb knowledge of the menu and answered all our questions and gave us some great recommendations.
Food - YUM. We started with the Golden Shrimp and the Five Spice Pork Ribs. Really big portion for an appetizer, but then again, it was $10. Shrimp was really yummy, pieces of rock shrimp with this lovely chili glaze. It was spicy, but not too spicy that I needed to drink a lot of water. Really ooey gooey - so good. Five spice ribs were okay. I'm not a big fan of JUST the five spice spice so I let my bf eat this while I enjoyed the shrimp. It was a little dry and not too much meat.
Entrees, the 3 of us shared the Peking Duck 3 presentations, and the Hong Shao Short Ribs. The Peking Duck is a half duck served 3 ways - (1) traditional with moo shu wrappers - this was very good, no complaints. Duck was juicy, skin was crunchy. 3 wraps and about 6 pcs of duck, served with hoisin sauce and chopped scallions. Too bad it was just 1 per person. (2) Duck and thigh were served cut up whole, roasted, in a sweet orangy plum sauce. To be honest, I didn't try much because I was busy eating everything else. It looked dry, but the 2 bites I took were juicy. (3) Served kind of like a pad see ewe - large soft broad noodles, egg, broccoli, mushrooms. Duck was cut up really small, could barely see it, but could taste it - this was REALLY good. We were so busy enjoying the duck that we forgot about the short ribs on the side of the table! The short ribs were AMAZING. It was a huge portion of ribs served over crispy noodles with green beans. YUM YUM YUM. The ribs tore apart so easily and melted in our mouths. Flavored wonderfully, and the noodles and green beans were a great compliment. Oh, and we also ordered the tempura green beans - WOW these were soo good, I ate them all night long, and they stayed crunch all night long! The peppercorn soy sauce was my fav sauce. In all, the 2 entrees & green beans were plenty of food for 3 people.
Skipped dessert as we were too full. Bill after our $50 off was about $70, so pretty awesome for 3 people! I'd definitely love to go back to explore the rest of the menu, and would definitely order the short ribs again.
The waiter we had was great with presentation. Very informative on all the dishes. The salmon had decent flavor and the sauce that was with the rice was good. Had the chocolate cake with dessert, very sweet, almost had an orange juice flavor to it. Not bad but could only handle a couple bites.
we had such a great experience here. the service is just excellent. the food is amazing. the reason I didn't give 5 stars is because my noodle could have been a little bit saltier...we would definitely come back again.
I would recommend the pork chop with apple sauce. it will melt in your mouth.
Very good Asian food. All dishes were prepared beautifully to match the stunning decor of the restaurant (A colorful, vibrant mix of old and new.). Do not go if you are not willing to splurge a little, or you want just want typical Chinese food. This is a few steps above your average Asian takeout. All in all, four stars for a very good meal and an even better atmosphere! If you want to impress your fiancé's parents, this is the place to take them.
Opera was a place I frequented several times in 2007 and a few times in 2008. I just recently went back and the place is falling under par. Our server was the only thing that kept our spirits high (Andrea). She was very kind and attentive to our needs.
The food was not good. I don't know what happened over time but the ribs were dry, the pineapple dessert was dry and nasty, prices went up, and some of the main dishes were horrible. It was the equivalent to a normal asian restaurant just triple in price. Not everything was bad it was just not to the expectations of a nice restaurant nor $28 per meal.
The bartender and his drinks were horrible. His attitude sucked and was not even close to inviting ,and the drinks were just bad. We had a Lychee martini and it was sour with a cherry in the bottom? Why not a Lychee? We thought they just didn't have one until I saw one on my Creme Brulee'. It's the little details like this that justify charging me $12 for that sour drink. It also sets the tone for the rest of the evening. Applebee's could of done better.
I'm not sure what happened Opera but you need to fix it before you end up empty on a Sunday night (the night of your three items for $29)
I've NEVER been to a "Chinese" restaurant where they cooked bok choy in butter. Being Chinese, I thought this high end Chinese restaurant would feature some delicacies like conpoy or dried shitakes which are popular among "real" high end Chinese restaurants. Maybe even something inventive like braised abalone. Nope, it's basically Joy Yee's food on nice plates and valet parking.
The food was edible but the prices were on the expensive side.
The decor is fun and light hearted and service is great, but if you're not that into Chinese food but think it's fun to eat fake "ethnic" food, then this is your place.
the food is really good, but the price is lit' bit high for the chinese food though its a fusion kind. interior is nice and cozy.
the sunday and/or tuesday $28.95 three-course prix-fixe dinner makes dining at opera eas[ier] on the budget and allowed the boy and i the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary without breaking the bank.
i started with the ginger mussels. the broth was light yet flavorful and, though the portion more-than generous, the dish wasn't too heavy and didn't fill me up for my main course.
you can't go wrong with braised anything and opera's short ribs did not disappoint. they were melt-in-your-mouth tender and left me wanting to crawl inside them and live the rest of my days amidst their deliciousness.
finished it all off with the creme brulee. sweet delight!
overall, i really enjoy opera's atmosphere and was once again pleased with my meal.
I heard this place was pretty expensive for contemporary Chinese food, but I wanted to try it anyway. I've been to Red Light (Asian Fusion place, same owner) which was awesome, so I figured this place would be pretty comparable and worth the extra penny. Unfortunately, I was in for a serious disappointment. I typically do not give a negative review for food that arrives to the table quickly, but I am going to write one for Opera. Our food literally took 6 minutes AND it was cold. This makes me think we got someone else's mistake. My boyfriend had the Slow Roasted Pork Tenderlion--it was cold, dry, and lacking flavor. My Singapore Noodles were also dry. They had some spice to them, but they other than that there was minimal flavor. Not to mention, the portion was much smaller than I was expecting... I essentially paid 24 dollars for a dish with four prawns and a fist full of dry noodles.
I do have to say, if you're looking for a restaurant with a great dining atmosphere, then this would be the place. It's super cute--in an eclectic kind of way.
All in all, I'd probably give them 4 stars for the ambiance and one star for the food. But who knows, maybe we just ordered the wrong things or dined in on an off night?? I wish I could say I had the money to give them another shot, but at this point I'd rather not take that risk. I'll take my money to Red Light and have the Salmon and Soba Noodles instead :)
$4 Lunch Menu!
Neighborhood: Chinatown
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Neighborhood: Chinatown
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Near Southside
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Near West Side
Category: French
Neighborhood: Near North Side
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Bucktown
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