Chef Thai Dang Exits Embeya; Restaurant Closing and Reopening With 'Nationally Acclaimed Chef'

Some big news is afoot at acclaimed West Loop progressive Asian restaurant Embeya. After opening the restaurant in 2012 and guiding it to multiple accolades, including Esquire naming it a best new restaurant in 2013, chef Thai Dang is out.

The restaurant is closing today for two weeks, and when it reopens on April 15, it will do so with a "nationally acclaimed chef" that will execute similar cuisine. Who that new chef is is a mystery that should be unveiled next week, reps say, and they also released just a bit more in a short statement, saying "the team looks forward to the development of Embeya and feels that this is the natural evolution of the restaurant. They wish chef Thai Dang a tremendous amount of success in and out of the kitchen."

Whether Dang left to make room for the new chef or for a different reason is currently unknown. Stay tuned to see who that chef is, what he or she does with the menu, and Dang's next move. And don't try to eat at Embeya before April 15—because it's closed.