Tony Hu's Lao You Ju Opening Today in Chinatown

After opening Lao Sze Chuan, Lao Shanghai and Lao Beijing, one might ask what more chef/owner Tony Hu could do. Not to be outdone, the unofficial mayor of Chinatown is actually outdoing himself with Lao You Ju, opening today.

This sexy new restaurant-cum-lounge, bedecked in reds and golden hues, is scheduled to open its doors to the public tonight. Roughly meaning "old friends get together" or "friendship to be," Lao You Ju promises the best of Tony Hu. It's sleek. It's sexy and it'll have the best of Chinese cuisine wrapped up in one spot. Hu promises to have cuisine represented in small-plate form from every region of the country with both traditional and inventive dishes. And the overall vibe? It looks like Vegas came to Chinatown.

So what to expect from the menu? Yes, you'll get traditional plates like orange ribs, egg drop soup, potstickers and moo shu. But get adventurous and you'll enjoy things like dry chili frogs, crystal shrimp jelly style, five-color chrysanthemum fish, shark's fin and extremely spicy duck tongue in Nestle. Of course, this being a lounge, they're offering cocktails with clever names like Windy City tropics, strawberry lover, spa cooler and the C.E.O.

· All Tony Hu coverage on Eater Chicago [~EChi~]