RJ Tao, Little Rock

The chefs at Cafe 5501, formerly known as RJ Tao, cast a large net to serve a diverse menu of exotic global cuisine in a sleek, eye-catching dining room, creating a dining experience that earned praise from the Arkansas Times and Arkansas Online. The dishes show off influences from all around the Pacific Rim, whether it's cheese fondues with melted gruyere and emmenthaler swiss from France by way of Vietnam or malaysian roasted lobster seasoned with lemongrass and thai basil and served with pineapple fried rice. Entrees show off a variety of unique game, including Australian kangaroo served three ways: as a wok-fired tenderloin, fried inside wonton skin, or ground into burgers that the Times said had "an extremely lean texture and a flavor that was wild and almost tangy; it was rich and gamey in the best way possible." Guests can enjoy flavors from closer to home with certified-Angus steaks and parmesan truffle fries made with hand-cut kennebec potatoes and shaped like local high school mascots.

Bartenders shake up a variety of house cocktails in the technicolor light of the lava bar and pour more than 50 different wines available by the glass. A behemoth buddha statue dominates the dining room despite the ever-changing LED lights that decorate booths and private tables hidden inside round alcoves. Each Tuesday and Wednesday night, live jazz music fills the air to entertain guests lounging on red and white yin-yang ottomans and gazing at the flat-screen TVs that hang above the bar.