Buddakan

Just had an amazing experience at Buddakan! The food was so good and Beau's service so smooth that we did not even realize that NYC experienced an earthquake while we were there! We were even congratulated for surviving the experience.

Will dine there every trip to NYC from now on!

This is my second time at Buddkan in Manhattan, this time I had some dinner.
The bar is NOT a place to eat at, there is no leg room under the bar to put your knees and the bar stools are incredibly uncomfortable.. which tells me this is the spot people wait for a table, but still - not comfortable whatsoever.
The staff is very knowledgeable of what is gluten free and vegan. I had the Wild Mushroom Chow Fun and it was DELICIOUS!!! I could eat it everyday of my life.
The place is very dark and sexy inside. Great for a first date or anniversary date.
Although I saw many business partner dinners happening while there both times.
I would definitely come back but likely eat at a table next time - womp womp.
The cocktail menu is fabulous and the cocktails even better!

SOO I am a big foodie. Service is nice, but they make wait for your table in the lobby even with reservations and on time.
Recommendations from server were trash. Food is less than mid. Yellowtail appetizer is great - would recommend IF YOU HAVE TO COME HERE. Only item that was worth it.
As my sister said "doesn't even deserve one star".
We ordered main dishes that were sweet and sour pork, and lo min noodles.
The pork tasted cheap and not good quality at all. Presentation was horrible for what you pay. I did not even want to take a photo.
Do not recommend this place.
Cool vibe for maybe drinks but not worth it for any kind of food, dinner, lunch, etc.

Order: tasting Menu #3

Pros: the food was amazing! There was a lot of food to taste and share. The food was seasoned well on most dishes and they accommodated all allergies. The vibe was amazing with the dim light. Service was mad quick to! They had the food coming out for our party of 6.

Cons: n/a

Upon first entrance, the restaurant was quite which was very interesting. How were as we were entering the downstairs dining areas, the tall ceilings of the building really exacerbated the grandiose vibe of the restaurant!

Our party had a variety of food options with very delicious taste to them. My favorite was the pepper steak and duck salad. Both paid an homage to the traditional Chinese dish but had an interesting twist to it! the chicken dumpling was also really delicious and flavorful but the edamame dumpling was interesting. The filling was a puréed mixture which I was so surprised by.

The service was quick and nice and the servers were accommodating to the variety of dietary restrictions that we had at our party.

Overall, it was a really good experience!

The food here was good, but the front desk service was absolutely horrible!! it was my friend's birthday, and we called in twice ahead of time to make sure that we would be able to get the seating at the main table, when we first walked in, they led us to one of the back tables in which we told them that we literally called in twice about the main seating area. Then they proceeded to make us wait for 45 minutes, with horrible attitude from the front desk. Additionally, there was a candle at each of the tables that continue to melt onto the floor, and a lot of people were slipping on it, which is a hazard and so dangerous for everyone walking by. Our waitress, however, was very sweet and nice and the food was pretty good. The environment is super dark and really hard to see where you are going or eating.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I was fortunate enough to be treated to dinner here at Buddakan on Columbia University's dime and it was really good for the most part!

Right when walking in to the restaurant, you'll notice that it's SO dark inside lol. There's a complimentary coat check at the front desk which is really convenient. While you're waiting to be seated there's like a bar/lounge area. Then when you get to your table it's still dark as hell lol, but guess that's the vibe they're going for. When you use the bathrooms here, it's so hilarious, it's even hella dark inside the stalls lol with the black toilets too.

About the food, I generally enjoyed the appetizers more than the entrees. The Cantonese spring rolls and tuna tartare spring rolls were amazing and the edamame and general tso's dumplings were also great! The only stand out dish among the entrees was the sweet and crispy jumbo shrimp. I also am confused on their black pepper beef dish; the description said it includes crispy bird's nest, but it was unclear to me and my friends whether it was actual bird's nest (swallow spit) or just regular batter fried in a way to make it decorative. Dessert was fine, I liked the three little tarts better than the mochi doughnuts.

Concluding thoughts: cool place for young locals to eat. If you're coming to NYC on vacay, I don't think this spot was so spectacular that it warrants a visit on your limited time here. This is not a restaurant to bring your older Asian parents lol they will complain about the darkness and loud music. Also unclear if this restaurant is disability friendly because we had to use stairs to go from the bar/lounge down to the floor where all the tables were. Maybe they do have an elevator and it was just too damn dark to see it lol

I've dined at Buddakan three times in the past two years, but my first two times were for work events. I've been seated at the iconic long table, a smaller table to the side of the long table, and this time in another room to the left of the stairs. The elegant and mysterious vibe of the restaurant has remained consistent. Not one thing I've had at this restaurant has disappointed either, although some dishes were more standout than others.

The dim sum tasting is a unique experience, since as a dim sum lover, I am only used to traditional dim sum flavors. The dim sum served here has its own twist on the original dim sum, and it's fun trying each of the dim sum here one-by-one with the rest of your party. I wouldn't say anything is particularly standout for me from this order, besides the shrimp toast because I generally love shrimp dim sum. One thing I would like to note is that the edamame dumplings taste way better after dipping it in the soy sauce.

Oh, the Kung Pao Monkfish and the Dungeoness Crab Sticky Rice. I didn't order the Lobster Fried Rice this time around so I could try the crab sticky rice, and it did not disappoint. All three dishes: the fish, sticky rice, and fried rice live in my head now.

If you love fried fish, you'll love the monkfish. It's crispy, and the flavor is just chef's kiss. The monkfish and crab sticky rice pair really well together too, since both are seafood dishes. I usually don't eat crab (not my preference for meat), but I loved this dish and even the crab part of it. The flavor went so well paired with the XO sauce.

I also added an additional comment about an inside joke anniversary on our OpenTable reservation (the Sunday before Valentine's Day), and the staff did not disappoint. (They also added candles and a little anniversary chocolate on our dessert that we ordered.) The waiter was friendly, funny, and helpful with dish recommendations.

This is definitely a happening place in NYC, and very Instagramable.

The food is good to decent, although certain dishes like the lobster fried rice are a far stretch from the typical fried rice in all aspects of an interpretation, from texture, to ingredients, to flavor - if you ask me, skip it. Although, it's not horrible; just lacks flavor for the price.

The other dishes we tried were from good to great: the pork potstickers were delicious without any sauce as the somewhat greasy pork flavor (in a flavorful way) came shining through - that dish was true to life in how you'd find it in your typical Chinese restaurant.

The Tea Smoked Spare Ribs were also very good and if you don't eat much you can have them as your entree, especially if you can also munch on something else.

My friend had the Pea Shoot Salad app/side, which looked like yucky seaweed mush, but then again, I'm not into that kind of stuff with funky flavors, and at $20 dollars for a side, I'd say unless you are a hard core veggie, it's not worth it - she said it was very 'rich' - whatever that means; I took as very strong tasting - and for me, say no more, I'll stay away since veggies and green things 'truly' make me sick in the gut.

La piece de resistance was the Chocolate Malted Tart dessert - totally worth it, but it's a tiny portion, so not enough for 2 - you are gonna have to pay the $18 per serving/person. It's their take on a lava cake, but with a toasty cake surround and super sweet and rich flowy warm chocolate fudge inside.

Buddakan is definitely an experience I recommend when traversing the big apple; just remember to make reservations, specially if you want a spot at the communal main dining room with all the beautiful chandeliers.

My takeaway of two things from Buddakan - one the best and one may need improvement
Edmame dumplings - the softest, the creamiest, the most delicious dumpling you would ever have! Ugh craving for it right now honestly, and it's only 7:30 am. They came well steamed, well cooked and the outer shell was so soft I could cry. I will most certainly come back for it.
Ambiance and lighting - they definitely need to upgrade those lights with all the delicious food floating in the dark otherwise. We were seated near the bar and goodness I couldn't see beyond certain feet. If you're on a date you'd want to see the person infront of you. I was on with my best friend and almost missed her