EAST VILLAGE — Tai Nang, a Vietnamese and Thai restaurant owned by a chef with a decade of experience working for other neighborhood eateries, will take over the former Bricola in West Town, it was announced on Friday.
Chef Sittipat “Ong” Satangmongkol said on Friday that he’s aiming for Tai Nang, 937 N. Damen Ave., to open by August 1.
Satangmongkol most recently worked as a chef for a restaurant group that also operated Silom12 in Bucktown and the Tsukiji Fish Market in West Town. The South Loop resident said the name Tai Nang translates to the words “talent, skill.”
The BYOB Tai Nang will serve Thai classics like pad Thai and Tom Yum sweet and sour soup, along with Vietnamese pho noodle soup, according to a menu posted in the window.
Bricola, a popular Italian restaurant with a serene fenced-in patio that was a reliable date spot along the quieter stretch of Damen Avenue between Wicker Park and Ukrainian Village, closed in 2016. Neighbors had held on to hope that Bricola would reopen but it has been empty for almost two years.
Satangmongkol said he liked the location of the restaurant and the fact Tai Nang will have an outdoor patio. There will be around 30 seats inside and another 20 on a patio that will be shared with neighboring restaurant Sabroso Mexican Grill.
