Lilac Tiger

Food and cocktails were fantastic. The tiger prawn fried rice was an out of body experience. Honorable mention to the nuggets and dumplings. Definitely going for a vibe. Tight quarters, pretty dark, and loud, but no one should be surprised by that as its clear on the website what you are getting into. Only knock was that the approach to service was a bit too casual even knowing that. Long gaps between visits from staff. We'd go back, but would not take anyone high maintenance.

Great place to meet up with friends, grab a late night dinner or some drinks. The space inside is pretty small and dark, but that adds to the ambiance. The music is always great (mostly R&B) and is loud. Servers are friendly and attentive.The majority of the food is spicy, so come prepared for that! My favorite is the fried chicken sandwich (THC sando) and kati roll with paneer.

TLDR: So. Much. Yes. Will be back x500. Indian food has always been my favorites but I'm adding Indian fusion to the list! Who knew Indian/Korean cuisine was just what I was looking for?I've been here twice and both times I ordered the Cucumber Salad bc it's so light and refreshing but packs a punch with the Korean chilli flakes. There's also a nice cronch to the cucumber but also the chilli crisps and peanut powder texture enhanced the mouthfeel. The Ferrani Special is also my favorite dish! The Tandoori Honey Chicken (THC) nuggets tossed in spicy honey pairs so remarkably well with the gochujan aioli!! And it pairs so well with a bottle of Singha! Mmmmm...We were already starting to feel pretty full after that but couldn't not order the prawn fried rice!! Literally fire. Spicy? Yes, but delightfully so. It packs in so much good umami from the crab paste. It's like a fragrant upscale fried rice! Highly recommend it. And don't snooze on the cocktails either! Bring Back Spring was such a well-balanced cocktail! Some sweet and savory flavors and the refreshing yuzu sake pairs so well with all the dishes. Will be back for sure!! I only remembered to take pics of the cocktail and nuggets bc after that, I just couldn't wait to eat the subsequent dishes... oops.

I'd like to start off and say the service was impeccable. Our waiter was super knowledgeable and provided us with great recommendations for a party of 6. We went in the middle week, so the restaurant wasn't too packed. The music was great, definitely not a place for quiet conversations. We got an array of things, but the stand outs were definitely the THC nuggets, vada pav, and the chettinad masala. I would love to come back for happy hour!

Overall Thoughts: I was excited to try this spot as I've heard good things about it, but it fell a bit flat for me-- especially in its flavors. The poutine and THC sando we ordered sounded flavorful in theory but lacked flavor in practice-- and neither really hit the spot. Nonetheless, the menu is diverse and creative, a fusion of elements from multiple Asian cuisines from Indian to Thai to Korean. The vibes were chill and the service was friendly. They were busy on a Thursday night, but were able to seat me and my partner at the seats by the wall. Despite wishing the food packed more flavor, I'm still giving 4 stars because I enjoyed the dining experience overall-- the vibes, the service, the creativity-- and am hoping it was just an off day as there are other items on the menu I'd still be interested in trying. Prices are a bit high but quite standard for restaurants on Division. Food I tried:- Tiger Poutine (3.5/5): The house-made kimchi was really good and flavorful, but besides that the dish lacked flavor despite the lengthy array of ingredients. I wish the fries were crispier too. - THC Sando (3.3/5): They're known for this sandwich, but I was disappointed by its lack of flavor and content. It was just a hunk of glazed chicken inbetween bread with little sauce or other ingredients. The chicken exterior was flavorful from the honey sauce, but it wasn't marinated well so the remaining interior tasted bland. Adding more sauces or ingredients would've really elevated this sandwich which has potential.- Pawpaw drink special (4.4/5) ($10): This was just a mix of Thai Singha beer (my fav beer) and a shot of sake, which was an interesting and welcomed combo.--Price (relative to peers): 4/5Food: 3.4/5Ambience: 4.6/5Service: 4.8/5Overall Value: 3.9/5

Lilac Tiger is a small restaurant, ideal for groups of 2-3. The ambiance is hip, and I enjoyed the hits by Usher that was playing in the background. We ordered the calamari off the happy hour menu and this dish was SOLID. So hot and crispy and crunchy from the chili oil. Super flavorful - I loved this rendition of calamari and think that it definitely took a simple fried appetizer up a notch. We also ordered the tiger poutine and this was also a stellar comfort dish. The proportions of each of the components (kimchi, curry sauce, paneer) were perfect and I loved the intermix of curry and kimchi flavors. I also liked that the dish wasn't drowning in cheese.The last dish, that we got was the chicken masala. While the dish was overall flavorful, I thought it was overly salty and that this somehow overwhelmed the other flavors. Out of all three dishes, the masala was by far the spiciest as well. Overall, Lilac Tiger is a vibe and a fun place to come for happy hour and/or dinner. I also love that the business sets aside a certain % of the bill to provide healthcare to its employees. If you're looking for some good Indian-Korean fusion, this is the place for you.

Sometimes we like to check out new restaurants. it's always a fun quality time with date nights like thisEspecially because I travel so much for work (& for fun) This Indian Fusion spot in Chicago seemed fun and unique in Wicker Park, so we wanted to check it out!They opened 6 months ago by:‍Zubair Mohajir @zubairmohajirTy Fujimura @tyfujimura from AramiWon Kim @revisecmw from KimskiFew things :1perfect spot if you love spicy. They even say it on their menu 2 Must get: Lilac Colada by @davidmmor + THC (Nuggets or Sando)3 No reservations - just come at odd hours, we waited for 10-15 mins on Saturday at 6:20pm. They open at 4:30pm and close 11pm/12amPrices:Lilac Colada $15Old Fashioned $15Ferrari Special "THC" Nuggets $12 THC means Tandoori Honey Chicken, really sesame forward , perfectly crispy with spicy gocuujang aioli Nihara Momos $15 - fresh dumpling wrappers, bed of Lentils, topped with garlic, & pickled cauliflower & onions Tiger Prawns $20 with Thai Basil & sweet potatoDuck Fried Rice $28 - duck itself was slightly too salty but good with the mint leaves + pickled onions (to cut the saltiness). Fried egg + rice was done perfectly

Though it's hard to find parking over there the food was kind of worth it. The server was nice and helped me decide what to order. The Sichuan calamari was tasty and without the sauce surprisingly it was flavorful. I will note for some it might be a little spicy. The fried rice was also good but sadly not as flavorful as the calamari and they only top it with 4 prawns.It was still very good. I would recommend coming during happy hour which ends at 6pm on weekdays. I would definitely come again and bring some friends.

Formerly Wazwan; same chef but rebranded and refreshed the menu a bit. I LOVE the fried chicken and calamari. It's incredibly well seasoned, a great piece of chicken, awesome sauce and toppings. It's one of my favorites fried chicken sandwiches. The downside is I've also had the vada pav and the Chettinad Masala which I found to be a bit disappointing, especially relative to the sandwich and other apps. The vada pav lacks the boldness of flavor that I think much of the rest of the menu has and the chettinad masala is very expensive for the volume of what you get - $20 for a curry that's less curry and wasn't anything super special. Some of the drinks are great too and the atmosphere is cool as well.

I came soon after they opened at 4:30pm on a Sunday. I was the only person there for almost 30 minutes and then more people trickled in. This restaurant is on the smaller side. There are a few tables and some bar seats. This place doesn't seem ideal for larger groups. Easier seating for groups of 1-4. Unless you arrive soon after they open, I would expect a wait. Thankfully, there are also other bars and shops around if you have to wait for a table. I was torn between 3 different cocktails. I ultimately settled on the Lilac Colada. This cocktail is inspired by a traditional pina colada and features ingredients like ube and sesame. The drink had a light sweetness and was well-balanced. I didn't try any of the appetizers and went straight for the THC Sando. I really loved this fried chicken sandwich. I enjoyed the flavor. I had a very positive service and food experience here. I came solo during this visit, but looking forward to introducing other people I know to this restaurant.