Opera

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1301 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60605

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(312) 461-0161
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Opera - Chicago, IL
Opera - Chicago, IL
Opera - Chicago, IL
Reviews
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Best

So I was a little nervous about Opera since I am always very hesitant about trying pan-asian types of...

Worst

I was very excited when Opera came to the neighborhood. I really like the way the restaurant is decorated, and the private vaults are a fun idea. I have been there twice. The firs...

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Tantilizing Decor 6/22/2006

If you really want to impress a date, then make a reservation for the romantic vault at this restaurant. This way you can enjoy the great decor here, the waiters who are dressed all funky, and also get a cozy spot to have a quite dinner with your date. The food here is average at best and highly overpriced. But the decor is tantilizing and will always please your date. I did enjoy their drinks menu and found an extensive menu with drinks. more
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Good but not for the price 3/15/2006

This place has beautiful decor. I was sat in a very cute private booth which felt very exclusive and special. I thought the food was excellent and successfully displayed what fusion is supposed to be all about. The service was also upscale, though could have been a little better. Like everyone else though, I must say Opera is overpriced which really detracts from the enjoyment of such a beautiful place. While the South Loop is definitely an up and coming neighborhood, the prices seem to have up and come first - seems like it should be the other way around. I think ultimately Opera needs a reality check and should consider lowering the prices just a little bit, or increasing portion sizes and service standards or something. It's nice to go to once, but I probably wouldn't go more than that. more
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Opera's got it 1/4/2006

Opera's got an eclectic look with an equally eclectic menu. Unlike the name, the restaurant specializes in an an asian-fusion cuisine. It's expensive for that reason, and because every dish seems more intricate than the next. If you've got the cash, try the duck three ways- it's delicious- tender filet preparation, a pesant preparation, and a dim-sum preparation. the best things to try, in my opinion, are the appetizers- as interesting as the entrees, and just as filling. more
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Decent but overpriced food 8/26/2005

I was very excited when Opera came to the neighborhood. I really like the way the restaurant is decorated, and the private vaults are a fun idea. I have been there twice. The first time both the food and service were excellent. We brought another couple the next time and the food was average, the service was below average. For the price you pay, I expect above average food and service every time. more
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Good food 8/26/2005

Opera, yet another offering from the KDK Group, (Red Light, Marche, Gioco) has opened in the rapidly gentrifying Wabash and Roosevelt area. In typical KDK style, Opera has lots of eye appeal. Unusual light fixtures, exotic silk drapes, a technicolor glass enclosed wine cellar, customized quilted chair backs, rich wall treatments and Asian screens make for a visual feast. Mini private "vaults" provide romantic tables for two or four (the rooms actually used to be movie reel storage vaults in the former warehouse), and the rest of the wide-open room provides lots of people watching opportunities. more
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The worst Chinese food in town 8/19/2005

I hated Opera!!! The ambience is eclectic and cool but the food was horrific. I ordered lamb chops and sweet and sour lemon chicken...It really was an unsatisfying meal. The lamb chops were overpowered with this sweet plum sauce and the chicken was hard and tasteless. The food I felt was also overpriced. I would not recommend this place to anyone!!! The service was fine...nothing outstanding or to compain about. more
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Menu for Opera


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    Restaurateur Jerry Kleiner strikes again with this wild Asian dining room, where touches like red silk light fixtures and velvet curtains blend with graffiti-sprayed walls and distressed paint for a gritty, South Loop-chic feel. The crowd is mostly local hipsters from the neighborhood.

    The Food
    Fans of Chef Paul Wildermuth's fun Asian fare at Red Light will dig the menu here, which boasts the same Far Eastern influence, creative presentation and, for the most part, delicious results. Like crispy prawns, crusted with almonds and hiding under greens in a sweet-and-sour blood orange sauce; lobster Cantonese, served in the shell with a fragrant, curry-scented lobster sauce; and kung pao beef, tender chunks of N.Y. strip plated simply with broccoli in a super-hot chili-garlic black bean sauce. The perfect cool off? Tao of Chocolate dessert, with white chocolate ice cream and milk chocolate sticks side-by-side with flourless chocolate cake.

    High Marks
    "Opera is not traditional Chinese food, it has a modern take on Chinese food by infusing bold flavors and odd twists that bring a sense of renewal a dish." (luvjewel2, Citysearch user)

    "Specialty cocktails are quite good and a perfect pairing...and the Tao of chocolate dessert is postively orgasmic." (ladyrae966, Citysearch user)

    "Great portion sizes, beautiful plate presentations. Wide variety of foods, even vegan! The service is great as well." (rnealis, Citysearch user)

    "    The atmosphere was funky and hip without being overwhelming." (DocRose, Citysearch user)
    Low Marks
    "Opera aims to dazzle, but the food is far from extraordinary...it is indeed a fact that there cuisine lacks sophistication." (Truthsayerlives, Citysearch user)

    "Terribly slow service - perhaps it improves over time - but the kitchen apparently isn't equipped to handle the size of the restaurant." (aisens, Citysearch use

  • 9/23/2008 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Sunday To Thursday From 05:00 PM To 10:00 PM Friday To Saturday From 05:00 PM To 11:30 PM
  • Payments: American Express, Master Card, Visa, Cash, Diner's Club
  • Neighborhoods: Near South Side, Central
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