My reviews are all about value. That does not mean I do not appreciate hip or trendy, though. But even with the "trendy charge" factored in, this restaurant was still too pricey, so I am giving it only 2 stars.
There is a difference between being hip and pretentious, and Tao errs on the wrong side of that fine line. I can't quite figure out why, but it just doesn't have the same spirit as Buddha Bar in Paris, a restaurant with similar theme.
$15 for a piece of Otoro sashimi is just too much.