Buddakan

I haven't been to (a) Buddakan since I was in Philadelphia, but after seeing photos of this New York City location, I knew I was in for something great. The decor is spectacular, plain and simple. Although their first location is something special, this one is more elaborate in the best way possible. Some menu items are the same such as the edamame dumplings, while others are new and worth trying.Sitting at the bar area, this is where most people come before their table is ready, but I noticed a few others camped out here as well. I decided to go with the Charred Filet of Beef and Vegetable Fried Rice with the coconut curry on the side (minus egg). Service started off as distant, then gradually warmed up.I was guided to the restroom as I walked past the stairway(s) leading to the amazing dining room below. Surprisingly, the washrooms were just two single-stalls; I suppose I was expecting something more extreme like what TAO has, but honestly, I'm here for everything else (food/atmosphere).Food was really good; I usually go for chicken at these types of places, but something about the charred filet caught my attention. Along with the meat, there were wonton crisps and a mustard sauce, but there was also another really light sauce that was a soy/garlic/butter mix (this is what is in the tiny pitcher if you view photos on here). This wasn't listed on the menu, and I may have an ingredient incorrect, but regardless, it was really delicious! The rice tasted amazing, and I'm glad I had the coconut curry on the side; as too much might overwhelm such a simple plate. There were leftovers which sadly I knew I wouldn't be able to finish, but I made sure an employee at the hotel where I was staying had a decent dinner that night. I know most that are local here are 'way over this place', but as for me, I'm glad it still stands, and had the food that I've missed over the years.

So let's get to it this is definitely a spot you go to for the ambiance not for the food . Not that the food is horrible however I've had better.As soon as you walk in there is a entrance that almost looks like a hotel check in then the bar area . They have the most stunning entrance to take you downstairs for the dining area . It looks like the table for medieval dinning , but better. Now to the food the lobster egg rolls were the best thing ,but how can you mess up egg rolls they were crispy and had a good amount of lobster .The lobster fried rice was a large portion size , but If I'm going to have carbs this ain't it ! The sweet and crispy shrimp were okay this seemed more like an appetizer portion than a entree for the price of $38.I didn't care for the radish on top something was off with the taste .Wok noodles with prawns were tasty and you got a good amount of prawns in your meal . Service was not bad the waiter did keep coming to the table if we needed anything however he didn't really explain the menu .One we heard the server next to us explaining to the other table on how certain meals were family style it would of possibly changed our view on what to order . Would I go back yes maybe just for a drink and a appetizer.

This place is gorgeous. The service is fantastic. The food is so subpar one has to wonder what in gods name can keep a place this expensive with food so mid this popular!Let's start with portion sizes. Portion sizes are very small for the price and taste. $24 for four oxtails dumplings. One scallion pancake with short rib on it is like $23. It simply is not worth it just based on that. I have been to restaurants that serve small plates and fine dining establishments before and walked away wowed by the food and experience. I think the problem here is that it simply is not worth it when u look at the food and see that it's tiny and tastes one dimensional. It is a Chinese restaurant and Chinese food is anything BUT one dimensional!We got the Dungeness Crab Fried Rice and it lacked umami. It tasted primarily like salt and some grease. A hint of crab in there. It needed at the very least some fish sauce. If you want good Crab Fried Rice, may I suggest Soothr instead?The aforementioned scallion pancake was doughy. The meat on it tasted dense. It was both doughy and dry. It was topped with the tiniest amount of apple kimchi. This would've been instantly improved if it had more than a dollop of kimchi on each. It desperately needs some freshness. It was served lukewarm as well. I suggest going to Cauldron Chicken for a cheap but well made scallion pancake and throw some chicken on there for genuinely a far better experience - probably cost you about half of what it cost us at Buddakan. I also felt that the menu didn't provide an experience that could be justified by price. For a far better fine dining experience, I would recommend Semma.This place receives two stars simply for the service. The wait staff was patient and very knowledgeable about everything on the menu and what it is made with to cater to allergies. The menu also lacks very many vegetarian or vegan options. Could definitely get better tasting food and more vegetarian options at your local Chinese takeout joint. Additionally, the cocktails were $20 a piece for some of the most one dimensional drinks. Pranakhon has cocktails between $16-20 that are far more complex and interesting. If you're going for apps and cocktails, travel uptown to a wonderful little cocktail bar called The Honeywell. Great apps and great drinks for a fraction of the price! If you're inclined to spend $20+ on a drink, I suggest Attaboy! Far more enjoyable an experience! If you want a fun vibe with some good fried chicken sandwiches, I'd suggest Tiki Chick in the Upper West Side!If you're looking for a pretty restaurant to feel fancy in, this is the place to go. If you want good tasting food, it is not. New York City has far more to offer in terms of incredible dining and drink options for you to be spending $300-400 on shitty food. Check out ANY of the suggestions I made here and you'll know I'm right.

Service was amazing! The interior is gorgeous! The drinks and food were fine.But if you're on Yelp checking out the photos, then you already understand that you're paying more for ambiance than food. Conclusion: This is that really cool restaurant where you bring out-of-town guests to impress them, especially if know everyone will be too busy chatting to really savor the food. If you're looking to treat foodies to excellent Asian-fusion cuisine, however, maybe try elsewhere.

Mysterious, Candlelit, Sexy Ambiance. Food was so good and in the candlelight. The staff was friendly, but yet over whelmed. We waited 20 minutes for our drink and the bar was in the room we were dinning in, because she had the whole floor to serve not her fault and overall she did a good job. Now I will show you the experience. Enjoy!

Went here for restaurant week and happy we got to try it! Excellent flavors in each dish and surprisingly filling. The restaurant interior is also stunning.

I'll call this review STILL. Still one of the greatest restaurants in NYC after all these years. The whole Seabass is still one of the best things ever to grace a table. The ambience is still lively. Still a great place to hang with friends, meet up with loved ones, or have a business dinner. The music is still mid, but it keeps people happy. The staff is still excellent. All around STILL a top-tier experience! I will always love you Buddakan!

I was pretty nervous that this place would be a bit heavy on the vibes and less so on the food, but I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Given the location the place is still pretty touristy heavy, but the service and food made up for it. We had a server that went above and beyond with her recommendations and making accommodations for any food allergies we had so we could still have a great experience.We started with the tuna tartare spring rolls which were delicious, they were light and crisp with just enough filling to feel like you got a mix of tuna and crunch in every bite. Only 3 come in a dish but our server even had an extra one added so we could each have 2. We also had the general tso's dumplings which I'm glad I tried since I never had it in this form, but would not feel the need to get again - it was good but nothing amazing. I also got the wild mushroom chow fun which had mushrooms that were cooked and seasoned exceptionally well. The noodles tasted fresh but the mushrooms were the star of the dish. For dessert I went with the crying chocolate and it was amazing. The blend of chocolate and ice cream was a nice combo of a hot chocolate dish with cold ice cream. This was probably my favorite dish of the night.

In short, you should come to Buddakan for the vibes / environment and not necessarily the food (although the food is not bad at all). But it is really the trendy environment that makes this place special. If you've been to TAO, it's sort of along those same lines, with intimate dimmed lighting and lavish Asian-style decor. As you walk through the different parts of the restaurant, you will feel like each area has a slightly different vibe, which makes the place very cool.As for the food, I got the Wok Tossed Noodles with Prawns ($26), which was extremely average in quality. I would not have been able to tell the difference between a similar dish at a "regular" 2 $ restaurant. The only difference would be that this one is much more expensive... However, I have to say the cauliflower lollipops were actually surprisingly good. Even though I normally wouldn't order this, I found the cauliflower to be incredibly creamy in a good and delicious way. Based on the prices, I think this should be more of a 3 $ place rather than 4 $s. Our waiter was super friendly and they were even able to split the bill among a large group of us. The service speed is decent.Overall, while the food here is overhyped and overrated, the environment truly is very nice and that alone should be enough to convince you to make a visit to Buddakan.

I appreciate the patience staff had for me. The ambience is beautiful absolutely stunning. Wine is delicious as well.The Hostesses up front were the highlight of my night, absolutely lovely and so very sweet. I unfortunately had to leave because my date was a jerk and one of the girls knew I needed a hug I just ugh I really needed that lol. Thank you. I wish I had gotten names to show my appreciation but I will say when whole staff can show human compassion in any situation including our waiter, I can say it's a place I recommend and of course the food is delicious