Tao Haus Restaurant Opens in Closter NJ

Let’s face it: Dining out with the whole entire fam often turns out to be something of a yin-yang situation. Us grown-ups want to sink our teeth into something, well, grown-up, while our kids’ taste buds typically want, well, anything but that. So when we saw that the motto of just-opened Tao Haus, a fast-casual artisanal Asian joint in Closter, is “we put the yin to the yang,” we rounded up our brood for an “everybody wins!” mealtime moment.

And, oh, how we won—big time. Owner Mr. Chou’s extensive but surprisingly manageable menu is heavy on Hong Kong/Cantonese favorites infused with Japanese, Indian, and Mexican influences, to name just a few, and all those flavors add up to a ton of options sure to please any palette (even gluten-free and organic-only ones). House specialties include a long list of made-to-order noodle entrees (personalized with your choice of protein, sauce and noodle), dumplings, buns, dim sum, chopped salads, kid-friendly Chinese “tacos” and “burritos” (wrappers include moo shu pancakes, roti, scallion pancakes, and lettuce) and—everyone’s favorite—the Superior Steamed Soup Dumplings, made with perfectly flavored pork.

We popped in for a family sit-down last week and it wasn’t long before we all agreed this might be our new gastro go-to. First off, the ordering process—placed at the counter located in front of a large window where the organized chaos of the kitchen is on display for all to see—was just plain fun. Equally fun was the ease of finding a table big enough to seat everyone. The roughly 1,200-square-foot industrial-style space has plenty of clean tabletops, not to mention the comfy multi-couch front lounge area, which also houses a mini café serving up a variety of Asian-style coffees and teas (traditional steep and, coming soon, bubble-style). Even more seating—outdoor, to be exact—is set to debut once spring temps rise to the occasion.

Dessert is also on the menu, with steamed dumplings filled with crowd-pleaser flavors including pumpkin pie, sweet potato, red bean, and classic custard. At long last, hungry-time harmony has been achieved!