- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Buddakan
Categories: Restaurants Chinese Nightlife Bars Restaurants Asian Fusion Chinese, Bars, Asian Fusion [Edit]
75 9th Ave(between 15th St & 16th St)
New York, NY 10011
Neighbourhoods: Chelsea, Meatpacking District
(212) 989-6699
- Nearest Transit:
-
14 St (A, C, E)
8 Av (L)
18 St (1, 2)
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Nini O. said: "When my two friends and I entered the restaurant, we were greeted by the waitstaff and presumably the manager. They offered us seats immediately and handed us the menus and tea. The menu had a nice variety ranging from ramen/udon…" read more »
1048 reviews for Buddakan
Review Highlights
-
"Chili Rock Shrimp- hands down best dish here." In 50 reviews -
"Lobster Fried Rice**5/5**- LOVE LOVE LOVE." In 65 reviews -
"Crying Chocolate which I would highly recommend." In 77 reviews
Loading...
1048 reviews in English
-
Review from Ana G.
New York, NY
5/23/2012 3 photos
The decor of this place seems a bit dated. Probably not as glamorous as it was when it just opened and since it seems to be a major draw for the crowds, they could think of refreshing it.
But the food is divine and extremely fairly priced. Tuna Tartare comes bedded on deviled eggs with the stripe of spicy mayo. In spite of the abundance of rich flavors, this dish still tasted mighty fresh. Their deservedly most popular dish-edamame dumplings-is something you'll dream of for days to come. I still haven't stopped. Fois gras and oysters are supremely rich in flavor, but nicely balanced by accompanying seaweed. Alaskan cod and charred beef fillet were great, but not as spectacular as appetizers. Crying chocolate is certainly to cry for! Classic and pure. We had off-menu cocktails and they were amazing. Hats off to great bartenders in all rooms! Our waiter was professional and extremely attentive.
Hands down-5 stars for this classic downtown gem. -
Review from Alexandra C.
New York, NY
5/15/2012
First off - to all women. SLEAZEBAG alert at the bar. When a guy tells me he is going to slip something into my drink so that I will actually talk to him and then hands me a drink - and I almost go to slap him - until my colleague shows up to save me - this is the start to a baaad night.
Take it as a warning - watch your drinks at that bar as I am sure that creep would do such a thing and he said he frequents the place.
That aside- the food I would say gets a 2-3 star rating and the atmosphere of the downstairs dining area is great, so 4-5 there. Also nice service from our waitress.
We all did the $75 tasting menu. Every single dish to me was pretty underwhelming. It reminded me of Tao.
The best dish - the scallops - cooked perfectly. The fried rice was also good and edamame dumplings - different/pretty good, along with the asparagus.
The pork belly was a let down as were the cod and chicken dishes. Not bad.. just nothing great.
Seriously you get SO much food served family style with the tasting menu you will be too full by the time dessert comes out. The only one I tried was the bread pudding (perhaps it was almond, not sure), which was pretty good.
So really I can't say anything was bad here but for the price the quality could have been better.
Overall 3 or 3.5 stars - good/fun to try once, but once only. -
Review from Zakiya A.
Brooklyn, NY
5/14/2012 1 photo
What can I say about this place! Definitely one of my go to places because it never disappoints. Very nice ambiance, great place to take someone you're trying to impress be it in-laws, out of towners or a first date..ok maybe more like a second or third date.
As far as the food goes the lobster egg rolls and jade shrimp dumplings are awsome. The grilled Alaskan Black Cod just melts in your mouth like butter. The lobster fried rice if good though it can leave a little something to be desired. The speacialty cocktail menu is great as well and I don't recall ever having poor service.
Also, if the pumpkin cheesecake is still on the menu it's a must have!!! -
Review from Eileen J.
Paramus, NJ
4/30/2012
Once again another dining dream satisfied by another work meal.
This place is bomb from the decor to the food. To start off, this place is huge with so many rooms. I'm a fan of the color codedness of it all and the variety from the grand dining room to a library room haha. Our waiter was also super friendly and knowledgeable. He got brownie points for taking the extra time to call out the ingredients in each dish for one of our party members who had food allergies.
Food wise, I enjoyed the appetizers the most. Our party had pork buns, edamame dumplings, pork dumplings, and deviled tuna tartare. They all had bursts of flavor that made me drool. Entree wise, I enjoyed the mongolian lamb chops, the sizzling short rib, and the lobster fried rice. I'm not a huge fish fan, and I don't remember exactly what we got but there were two fish dishes that were cooked well.
Dessert , we ordered the crying chocolate and the cider donuts. My fave part of the entire dessert was the jasmine tea ice cream. SO delish and the subtle Jasmine flavor was bomb.
I totes want to come back and try the shrimp and lobster chow fun! ( I love XO sauce) -
Review from Kenny Y.
5/6/2012
This place gets five stars for making eggplant taste like mushrooms.
No seriously, we tried the alaskan glazed cod, which tasted amazing and was cooked perfectly, and came with little piles of... eggplant... on the side. Both my girlfriend and I hate eggplant, but both of us were completely fooled into thinking they were shittakes for a good ten minutes. Now that takes talent.
We also really enjoyed the scallion pancakes (which had apple in it!), the black bean silken tofu, and the sizzling short rib. The prices are a bit steep, but totally worth it. -
Review from Erica W.
Manhattan, NY
5/21/2012
In love with the atmosphere and food here. The calamari salad is heaven in your mouth. Trust me!
-
Review from Lauren V.
5/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Buddakan was quite the experience. The ambiance and decor deserve 5 stars-this place is huge, beautiful, and you can't help but feel super trendy when dining here. The food was very good, don't get me wrong, but I think if you took away the surroundings, the fare would probably come in around average for me.
What we ate:
*Hoisin Glazed Pork Belly: My favorite dish of the night. Tender pork belly with a delicious sauce and doughy steamed buns-I wish I didn't have to share this one!
*General Tso's Dumplings: Good, but nothing out of this world. They're dumplings, with a pretty good sauce, nothing more.
*Chili Rock Shrimp: My second favorite dish of the night. Delicious, perfectly cooked shrimp with a little breading and a delicious sauce with just a hint of spice. Loved!
*Lobster Fried Rice: Good, but if you're ordering this because it is "Lobster" fried rice, skip it and try a different variety. Just your average fried rice with a few chunks of lobster here and there, IMHO.
*Vegetables with 1000-layer Tofu: My third favorite dish of the night and also well loved by my meat-loving companions. Note: the server will probably tell you this but this is not tofu like you usually think of it. This is the top "skin" layer of tofu that is fried and then eaten with the vegetables in steamed buns like a little sandwich.
*Sizzling Short Rib: Delicious, tender, what's not to love about a great melt-in-your-mouth piece of meat.
*Tempura Fried Soft Shell Crab: I really wish we didn't order this. I was expecting big chunks of crab fried in yummy tempura. What we got was a whole crab on a plate. I don't like working very hard for my meal at a restaurant like this and I can say that we were all thoroughly disappointed-maybe we weren't refined enough to appreciate it-whatever it was, this was our least favorite dish.
*Apple Cider Doughnuts: Yummmmmmmm! These doughnuts were delicoius and I could eat a whole lot of them! I wasn't a huge fan of the creme fraiche ice cream that came with it (I'm just not a huge creme fraiche fan in general), but it didn't even matter because the doughnuts were awesome! -
Review from Randy S.
New York, NY
5/8/2012
Came out here for a friend's birthday and loved it. The ambiance is great and would actually be perfect for a date (which would probably be the only reason I'd come back out here again as it is a pretty expensive meal...)
Anyways, my three favorites were the....
Hoisin Glazed Pork Belly - Cooked perfectly! great starter to our meal
Glazed Black Cod: The fish was so soft it actually would melt in your mouth, also AMAZING. Definitely my favorite entree of the day
Edamame Dumplings - I'll be the first to say, I had my doubts since I'm a total meat eater and would normally never order something that didn't have some sort of animal in it... but I'm glad my friend put an order for this in. This thing was just absolutely awesome and it was so light it makes a perfect appetizer. Must try if you come out here -
Review from Valerie G.
New York, NY
4/27/2012
Buddakan is not only gorgeous, spacious, perfect for groups as well as intimate dates, but the food is amazing & not exorbitantly priced!
I came here twice - once for Jimmy C.'s birthday dinner with a group of about 15 people and the other time with a group of 6. Both times there was a minimal wait, even with reservations, but so worth it! They have a gorgeous communal table where SATC was filmed - but I was not sat there either times. Perhaps you can request it!
The first time I was here we had several drinks including Haze and Virtue - both overall winners for presentation and taste. As for the dishes, they are served family style and all unique tasting.
From my both times here I've had:
- Edamame dumpling: AMAZING. I love love love these dumplings; the creamy edamame puree wrapped in the translucent wrapper is just divine.
- Tune tartare spring roll: Pretty small (3 to an order), but very good! A nice contrast between with raw tuna and the crisp roll skin.
- Chili rock shrimp: Yummo! Sweet and tangy sauce was the perfect complement to the crunchy shrimp.
- Hoisin glazed pork belly: Melt in your mouth pork belly enveloped in a fluffy white bun. Delicious.
- Szechuan pork dumpling: Could do without this dish; nothing more than a normal steamed dumpling.
- Black pepper beef: Hint of spice, cooked well done with crunchy "bird's nest."
- Glazed alaskan black cod: SO GOOD. Melt in yo' mouth again. The eggplant mash was excellent.
- Whole crispy fish: Too crispy/fried for my liking, as I enjoy my fish steamed. Huge portion!
- Lobster fried rice: So worth it! Lots of huge lobster chunks to be found here, a steal at $19!
- Wild mushroom chow fun: Tastes exactly like beef chow fun at any Chinese restaurant. The mushrooms were quite flavorful, but the dish was very soy sauce heavy and MSG laden.
- Dungeness crab sticky rice: Only had a tiny bite but the presentation was quite cute (inside of an actual dungeness crab!) and my friends said it was very good.
So having tasted a good chunk of the menu, I can attest to the flavorful and wonderfully presented dishes. Definite fan and a quite a gem in the middle of MPD! -
Review from Jia Z.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 4/17/2012
Oh Buddakan, you've won my heart again!
-The calamari salad remains my ALL-TIME favorite
-The pork potstickers were very good, and this is from someone who's not a pork-lover
-the yellowtail yu sheng was delicious. Wish the portion were bigger though
-The black cod was cooked to perfection. I thought the lobster was great, but this tasted even better. Glad I ordered something different
-CHARM for drink again. Delicious as I remembered and
-so was the Crying Chocolate!
I would come back in a heartbeat!Listed in: My Happy Places
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/29/2012
It's more like a 4.5 star but I rounded up.
The ambience and decor of the place is so cool that it… Read more »
-
-
Review from Viv O.
Concourse, Bronx, NY
5/9/2012
We had an 11pm reservation, arrived about 10 minutes prior to our reservation and was still seated. If not, then you can hang out and relax with a great drink at the bar.
Pretty good place to eat if your looking for a hip spot in the Meatpacking District.. The Edamame (sp?) dumplings are def a great starter to a wonderful meal.. Don't spend your $$ on lobster rice.. It is literally white rice with pieces of lobster (not the meaty areas neither)..
The waiters are definitely attentive to your needs ... If you don't mind the mass traffic inside then this the place to go : -
Review from Zach K.
Manhattan, NY
4/20/2012
I absolutely loved this place -- great atmosphere, and even better food. I had the charred steak fillet and it may have been one of the best steaks I've ever had. Delicious side of potato-chippy things and some kind of creamy butter sauce that I would put on just about anything and expect it to only make it better. I cannot wait to go back.
The desserts also looked amazing -- we were too stuffed to try one, but are planning to go back just for that this weekend. -
Review from Raj S.
Manhattan, NY
5/2/2012
Amazing food..
And phenomenal customer service. Try the sesame shrimp.. Absolutely delicious. -
Review from Shirley H.
Oakland Gardens, NY
4/28/2012 5 photos
Buddakan SO SEXY! this dim-lit restaurant makes you feel like you are walking into a club. great ambiance and decor.
Drinks
the charm - the best part were the blueberries and raspberry at the bottom!
the dream - probably the best drink here! it was refreshing & i barely tasted any alcohol ~
Food
chili rock shrimp- **5/5** slightly spicy but crunchy delicious yummmm
lobster fried rice- ** 5/5 ** probably the best fried rice i ever had. when my boyfriend went to the bathroom, i sneakily took some of his lobster. hehehe
overall experience was fantastic. definitely coming back!! -
Review from Chris M.
Fountain Valley, CA
5/1/2012
Attention fellow Celiacs: I know this place doesn't have a designated Gluten-free menu, but they are extremely accommodating. I booked a reservation on OpenTable, and gave them a heads up about my condition, and the waiter was extraordinarily helpful with regards to pointing me toward dishes that they could make gluten free.
Oh, and the food was absolutely delicious, and the place is beautiful. Things got a bit slow, but that was because so many diners were there and the restaurant is so big. The place was packed. Also, if you don't want to take your time enjoying company and food, don't go out to eat. I would love to come back. -
Review from Benjamin I.
Orlando, FL
5/16/2012
Amazing restaurant. Go with friends and order a bunch of plates of the dim sum menu to share.
-
Review from Kelisiah H.
Bronx, NY
4/17/2012
All hail the Buddah! There was a time when my bf & I came here way too much, but it was worth it every time. We always get the same things...and they're always scruptious. Here it is: Apps:Jade Shrimp Dumplings, Chilli Rock Shrimp, Scallion Pancakes, Sesame Shrimp Toast, Tuna Tartare Spring Rolls, Wok Hay Frog legs- All Excellent.
Entrees: Charred Fillet of beef, Sweet & Crispy Jumbo Shrimp (FAVORITE), Lobster Fried Rice- loved them all....except the beef, nothing special.
Veggies: Twice Cooked Long Beans...so darn good.
Desserts: Crying Chocolate...turned me into a "Crying Chocolate"...I was literally teary eyed when I was taking in the last spoon of it...YUMMILIOUS. The strawberry shortcake icecream dessert is ok.
All hail the Buddah! -
Review from Pia M.
4/10/2012 2 photos
This might be my most favorite restaurant in all of NYC, maybe even within the US (yeah, I just went there). I was here earlier this year for my second visit to Buddakan and still crave my meal on a weekly basis. Everything from the ambiance, to the food, to the service is perfection.
Definitely make a reservation. Upon entrance, you check in at the front reception and make your way up a few steps to the bar/waiting area, where you will give your name to a lady with a list. Even if you have a reservation, be ready to wait a bit while you enjoy a drink or two and take in the upbeat yet intimate bar scene until one of the hostesses comes by to take you to your table.
Food - each dish we tried was creatively prepared and life-changing. Items you must get: edamame dumplings, szechuan pork dumplings, chili rock shrimp (though it's slightly on the salty side), dungeness crab sticky rice and the garlic lobster. Accompanied by a black bottle of the G sake and you're good to go.
Decor - the space is massive and gorgeously adorned. The street level makes up the top floor, which -- through large, colorful gated windows -- overlooks a colossal 2-story dining hall. I've only ever sat on the top floor, but the bottom level looks fun, with a giant dining room table in the middle (SATC movie, anyone?). The theme is contemporary Asian, so think modern hardwood floors, slate, clean lines, and vibrant colors as far as the interior design. The service is excellent and the vibe is typically New York but not in the obnoxious way.
Also, important to note (so you don't make the same mistake I did... twice): they only serve their sake chilled (not hot), which I was initially disappointed by but quickly got over. Overall, dining experiences do not get much better than this. -
Review from Krista D.
WALL STREET, NY
4/27/2012
Wow! My best friend was in town and was in the mood for some Asian Fusion Food. I brought her to Buddakan and she LOVED IT!
The menu is 'family sized' so you order a few things for the table. It may seem like you are ordering a lot of food but it actually works out because you pick at everything. We got
Edamame Dumplings (known for this and now I know why -- delicious)
Pork Potstickers - very good
Tuna Tartare - very light and refreshing and I don't even eat seafood!
Boneless Spare Ribs- has the most amazing sauce
Garlic Lobster - YUM!
Chilled Udon Noodles - has a lime sorbet that you do not expect but was delicious
Chinese sausage Fried Rice - was not too impressed
Have fun and definitely get a cocktail! -
Review from Amir S.
Manhattan, NY
4/12/2012
If you take a home-girl here and don't make out afterwards, you're doing it wrong.
Delicious food (stick crab rice? yes please). The venue is big enough to fit a blue whale, and classier than anything Louis XIV ever had. And the drinks are crazy good (try the Reflection drink).
4 stars - minus 1 for it being crazy pricey; a bit more than it's worth, I think. -
Review from Deepa J.
Chicago, IL
4/16/2012
I had one of my best dinners ever at Buddakan. And it was even better than my first trip in which I remember from about couple of years ago!
Loved the vegetarian options - the carrot dumplings, the mushroom siu mei and chow fun, my personal favorite the sticky coconut rice and the delicious assortment of desserts. It's never just about the food at Buddakan, the service is excellent, the ambiance pitch perfect and the entire experience never falls short of memorable.
Buddakan has it figured out - it's as New York as it gets...and that doesn't stem from the bias of sitting at the famed SATC table in the gorgeous dining hall and soaking in the company of some great people! -
Review from Sina L.
Manhattan, NY
4/14/2012
The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star rating was because the food wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be.
The atmosphere was awesome. What a beautiful decor!
However, for what we paid for our meal it wasn't all that awesome in my opinion. -
Review from James S.
Manhattan, NY
5/22/2012
Comfortable atmosphere and exquisite food!
-
Review from Chelsea P.
Missoula, MT
5/21/2012
I wasn't expecting the food to be spectacular since it's a huge restaurant with so many customers, but I was impressed. Everything tasted really delicious (much better food than Tao, another trendy Asian fusion restaurant). A lot of the appetizers and entrees can be shared too. The only bad thing was that even though we had a reservation we still had to wait a while, but we were a big party (I think about 16 of us) so it's understandable and I also wouldn't mind waiting again if it was for Buddakan! The restaurant has a great, sexy ambiance too. Would definitely return.
-
Review from Monica A.
Manhattan, NY
4/24/2012
Must say that I loved Buddakan from hello.... The decor, the food, the drinks, the vibe. This is a must try, at least once. I have yet to ever seat at the long communal table. But I have hung out by the bar and ordered a few tidbits with friends a few times. I have sat at the top looking down having a quite dinner with family. Honestly, I just love the spot itself. Love the drinks, the menu, the 'everything'.
Now, let me be real about it.
Can I get better food in ChinaTown? Yes!
Can I get this vibe? NO!!!!
The food is great for where it is and what it is. It is nouveau chinois. And I love it. This isn't the totally comfort chinese food that I usually crave. But if it was, it would be a grimy spot and in china town like Hop Kee and Wo Hop.
This is what Nobu 57 is to sushi for me. As far as upscale Chinese food, this is top notch. I highly recommend Buddakan.
I have a few fave items that I recommend: the Chili Rock shrimp, dumplings and the Peking duck.
Fyi, get dolled up and be ready to see and be seen here. Great for a romantic dinner, drinks with friends, or a group. -
Review from Jackie C.
Belleville, NJ
3/25/2012
Although this was not my first dining experience here this is my first review of this upscale trendy eatery. I have tried several dishes and I must say all have been tasty and delicious. I absolutely love love love the edamame dumplings and want the recipe so badly. The rock shrimp do exactly that ROCK!!! The boneless spare ribs are delicious and the sauce is wonderfully balanced. I love the fillet of beef and the short rib chow fun. I never had chow fun before Buddakan and it was awesome.
Although the food is extremely good it is not the only reason to go to Buddakan. The atmosphere is sexy and chic and the drinks are splendid too. Their signature cocktail, the tranquility was just as it sounds, soothing and subtle with a slight kick.
Unfortunately I do have one complaint about Buddakan. I can never enjoy take out Chinese again! -
Review from Tarayn M.
Fair Haven, NJ
4/16/2012
WOW. First of all: the decor is BEAUTIFUL.
My boyfriend brought me here on Friday and we had a wonderful dinner.
We had the edamame dim sum as an appetizer. Very small portion, but VERY delicious. I only wish there was an even amount on the plate. We fought over the last piece
I had the Kung Pao Monkfish for my entree. it was unreal.
We had reservation for early evening and didn't have to wait long at all. Just enough time to get a drink at the bar. -
Review from Joanna N.
Manhattan, NY
5/13/2012
One of my favorite spots to go for dinner on a Friday night with friends. I love coming here with a group and sitting in the gorgeous main dining space. The food is consistently fantastic, the service is spot-on, and the cocktail menu is amazing! I often come here and take out of town friends and family and they always love it.
-
Review from Diana S.
3/26/2012 3 photos
**Yay! I'm the 1,000th reviewer for Buddakan!**
Came here for Jimmy C.'s birthday dinner and it was perfect! We started off with drinks. The drink names are so dreamy and ethereal! I ordered the Haze and then Virtue. Virtue was definitely the table favorite. We spent the majority of the time picking out the aloe vera and strawberry pieces.
For appetizer we ordered the edamame dumplings. Being Asian, I generally don't like coming to Asian fusion places because I always feel I can get the same thing in Chinatown for a fifth of the price...BUT I've NEVER had edamame dumplings before! They taste almost like mochi very dense and creamy. Just a dumpling filled with ground up edamame - what a cool concept!
For our meal a friend and I shared the lobster fried rice and the Alaskan black cod. Both were phenomenal. Big chunks of lobster in the fried rice and @ $16 wasn't that expensive! The black cod was melt in your mouth delicious.
The space is huge and it is definitely good for groups, but be prepared to drop quite a bit of money, especially if you're getting drinks! -
Review from Hedieh B.
Chantilly, VA
3/25/2012
Great atmosphere, if your in NYC and want a nice relaxing hot place to go with good food make sure you stop by this place.
The lounge was nice as well.
My favorite dish: charred fillet of beef if you like steak.
The service was bit slow but over all good experience:) -
Review from Joe L.
3/15/2012
I'll be completely honest, I thought I was going to hate this place. I am not a meat packing district kind of guy. It's not my bag, let's just leave it at that.
Last night I went to Buddakan with a small group, and admittedly, one of the diners in our party has connections there. We were treated like royalty, so perhaps my review is somewhat biased. Nevertheless, the service, the drinks, the food, and just about every other metric I could possibly speak about was pretty flawless.
The place is palatial, I'm talking cavernous. You really have no idea how enormous the space is. The overhead in lease expenses alone must be astronomical. The decor is very trendy and lounge-chic, with an Asian twist. I don't think I heard any music under 100 bpm the entire time we were there, so you get the idea about the mood they're going for. The prices are, well...high. This place is like a dining event, it's so much more than just a restaurant, and the prices reflect that. Be prepared.
The food was phenomenal. Edamame dumplings. I repeat, edamame dumplings. HOLY. SHIT. Pork belly with steamed buns (like sliders), tuna tartare spring rolls, chili glazed rock shrimp, kung pao monkfish, chili king crab, peking duck, mushroom chow fun...I'm drooling here. Everything was just outstanding.
Edamame dumplings. There, I said it. -
Review from Mike P.
San Diego, CA
5/9/2012
Great food as usual. Third time here so not as blown away as I was in the past but the food is still very great. Went with a group of 6 of us and some of the favorites were the Edamame Dumplings, Pork Belly, Chili Rock Shrimp and Sizzling Short Ribs.
-
Review from Caitlin G.
Chicago, IL
4/6/2012
This review is long overdue. I was in NYC a few months back on a mini vacation when I came in here for dinner with my cousin. Now I had some big expectations for this place seeing as I always read tabloids and celebrities are spotted in here quite often. Anyway, I was not disappointed. We went on a Saturday night and while it is huge, it was still packed! I loved the whole ambiance.
I had the fate cocktail which was delicious! Highly recommend that for someone who likes something light, fresh, and fruity!
Now on to the food. We had the chili rock shrimp. This was outstanding. So tasty I could not believe how good they were! We also had the lobster fried rice which was yummy, but over priced at $19 for rice and a few pieces of lobster. We kept the dinner small because we were eating rather late 10:30 because that was the only reservation we could get. Also, we came mostly for some cocktails.
Highly recommend this place to anyone who visits NYC. -
Review from Taylor S.
Berkeley, CA
5/6/2012
Food is top notch as well as the service. It is a little loud and dark inside but the tables are intimate and the atmosphere is great!
What we ordered:
Drinks:
Virtue - a flavorful speciality cocktail infused with thai basil, chunks of strawberries and aloe vera - highly recommend!
Sake - all their Sake is top notch so you can't really go wrong
Food:
Edamame dumplings - these were out of this world. I had never had anything so unique and flavorful. If you're a fan of dumplings and edamame - you'll die for these.
Charred filet of beef - amazing! The beef was cooked to perfection, tender, juicy and the mustard sauce is killer. My favorite along with the edamame dumplings.
Wild Mushroom Chow Fun - typical chow mein noodle. Very good, lots of garlic.
Lobster fried rice - my least favorite of all our dishes, rice seemed a little bland. I would recommend a different rice, don't order this just because of the lobster. The lobster flavor is lost in the rice.
Overall, amazing restaurant, can't go wrong! -
Review from Jimmy N.
Shawnee, KS
3/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Buddakan offers a high-end Chinese dining experience. At a special place like this, I usually stick to the something I've tried before and not to branch out to other items on the menu. However, I haven't had one dish that I haven't like at Buddakan. So far, everything is very impressive.
It's hard to rank which items on the menu are my favorites, since they're all good. Here are a few suggestions: Adameme Dumplings (amazing, never tried anything else like it), Chili Rock Shrimp, Dungeness Crab Sticky Rice, Asian Green Stir Fry, Sizzling Short Rib, and Singapore Chili King Crab. -
Review from April L.
Manhattan, NY
2/28/2012 24 photos
My friends and I went there on Friday. We made an reservation at 10:30pm.
It was a little bit crowded at the entrance.
Many people were in front of the bar and tried to get the drink.
Coat check is free. (But don't forget to tip them when you get your coat.)
We got a big table on the first floor(we have 10 ppl.)
The music was a little bit loud, but it's okay for me.
We ordered the special drink from the menu. Such as Charm and Fever.
Also we order bottle of Chardonnay and Rose.
The entrees were really good. And the desserts really took my breath away!
So pretty and tasty!
Everything was so right! I was surprised when I got the bill.
Because the price was much cheaper than I thought!
Definitely I'm going back soon. -
Review from Stella L.
New York, NY
5/24/2012
The interior is beautiful and the waitstaff is cordial but the food is underwhelming. Maybe I was expecting too much or maybe it was the rainy weather but the food was just good and not as amazing as I had hoped. We got the chili rock shrimp because of all of the rave reviews but it is honestly just deep fried shrimp pieces (more breading than shrimp) and lots of mayo. The edamame dumplings tasted more like some sort of cheese dumpling. It was good but just as good as any cheese ravioli can be and nothing amazing. I would recommend the Alaskan cod which was perfectly cooked and came with a really good and unique black bean relish. The Black Bean Silken Tofu with kabocha squash, shiitake mushroom, and shishito pepper was good but a bit salty. We also got the Sugar Snap Peas with wild mushrooms and soy tapioca which was also good but overly sauced. Overall, I feel like they use very fresh ingredients but the seasoning and/flavors are lacking. The tofu cheesecake for dessert was really light and delicious. It came slightly deconstructed with an extra graham cracker crust mashed on the side. This place does okay for Asian fusion but I feel like you can go to better places in NYC for good Asian food.
-
Review from Gio K.
New York, NY
4/1/2012
Buddakan is an exceptional bar
Even though the food is a little bit on the pricy side
I enjoy few gin and tonic with my friends here -
Review from Natasha B.
Manhattan, NY
5/24/2012 6 photos
I had my birthday dinner at Buddakan back in February, and I am still reminiscing at how terrific and memorable the entire experience was. The decor in this place is unreal! So ornate and beautiful! Even better than the decor was the food. Oh em gee..literally mouth watering. The portions are rather small so you have to order quite a few samplings if you're starving. We had the rock shrimp and this crispy honey glazed shrimp..both to die for. Then we had lobster egg rolls and lobster rice along side some glazed lamb chomps. Everything came out steaming hot and in a beautiful presentation! I had an amazing cocktail that our friendly waiter suggested. I can't remember the exact name of the concoction but it had St. Germaine, champagne and splash of vodka. Delicious. They even brought out ice cream for the birthday girl (me!) It was truly one of the best dining experiences I have ever had! Kudos to Buddakan!
-
Review from Jordann A.
Honolulu, HI
Being an out of town visitor, I specifically chose to have dinner at Buddakan for the ambiance first and the food second. Based on a lot of the reviews on Yelp and b/c I've spent a lot of time in China, I went into the restaurant not having high expectations. My table ordered the chili rock shrimp (good), braised pork in the buns (great), choy sum with black bean froth (middling), and the duck with noodles in soup (good in a comfort food way). The best dishes were definitely the rock shrimp and braised pork. Our table ordered 4 cocktails that were fairly unique, of middle strength, and pretty to look at (can't remember the names though).
Overall, I enjoyed the decor and was pleasantly surprised with the food. If you can keep in mind that this isn't tried and true, authentic Chinese fare, but rather Chinese-American food with a lot of ambiance to dazzle you, the experience is worthwhile.
