Thai Dang is executive chef of HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen and Crying Tiger in Chicago. [1]
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His West Loop, Chicago restaurant Embeya was an Esquire magazine best new restaurant winner. [2] Embeya closed in 2015 after his business partner committed a $300,000 embezzlement and fled the country to Spain. [3] [4] In 2020 a federal judge sentenced Attila Gyulai to three years of probation after he pled guilty to wire fraud following his arrest and extradition from Spain. [5] [6]
Dang's next restaurant HaiSous opened in 2017 in Pilsen, Chicago, [7] and reached the semi-final for the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. In 2022, Dang’s restaurants Dang Good Wings and Cà Phê Đá opened on campus at the University of Chicago. [8] In 2024 Dang continued collaborating with Black Sheep Restaurants in Hong Kong at their Vietnamese concepts Le Garçon Saigon and Chôm Chôm. [9] Dang was a finalist for best chef Great Lakes at the 2025 James Beard Awards. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] In October 2025 Peter Cincotti and Chef Thai Dang co-hosted Paul Stuart's anniversary party celebrating 30 years in Chicago. [15]
Crying Tiger in River North on Hubbard Street is Dang’s first restaurant concept with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. [16] [17]
Dang cites Laurent Gras of L2O among his culinary influences. [7]
