Damien Hirst’s giant sculpture of a gilded woolly mammoth resides famously behind the lavish Faena Hotel. Such scale and grandeur is also the norm in this restaurant, overlooking the iconic attraction. Pao’s oval room is capped with a gold-dome ceiling that’s centered around yet another statue by Hirst—a golden unicorn perched on a platform looming large over the stylish guests.
To be clear, this spot is more than just good looks and its short menu knits together a range of influences. Many of them are Asian, as in dishes like scallop aguachile with pineapple and black lime or a bao with smoked Wagyu short rib with XO aïoli. Roasted black bass with chili patis and ginger-garlic rice swings from sweet to savory to spicy, and comforts at every turn.
