Few Orleanians can countenance the idea of a fancy, slightly expensive, ambitious Chinese restaurant. But for those who can, this is the place. Waiters wear tuxedos, the dining room is elegant, and the kitchen uses fine ingredients and cooks them expertly. Mr. Tai's is one of the tiny elite of Chinese restaurants that has freed itself from the tyranny of the bargain menu. The standard first courses are just okay.
Soups are less good than comparable recipes in other restaurants.
They make a big deal about their fried dumplings, but better exist. But get the diced quail, cooked up in the lightest of sauces, and you're eating. You roll the meat up in the leaf and eat it with your fingers, and it's great. Most of the entrees are in the style of the Hunan privice of China. Smooth, glistening, translucent, thick sauces incorporate a substantial pepper component but also a balancing element of sweetness.