Buddakan

[arugala]

Friends of ours have requested our next dinner at Buddakan. It looks like a cool, fun place, but I have seen some postings about it being a bit themey/ bland. Any recs on what to get? Veggie options a plus!

[jsmitty]

As a side note.. i found the service to be very homey and accommodating. I guess I had preconceptions about such a trendy new york kind of place not being warm. they were. in fact they went above and beyond to feed my mother who has a bunch of dietary issues...

[arugala]

Just wanted to report back... We went with a group of 6 and really enjoyed ourselves. One couple had been before and knew how to order.
The first thing we had may have been my favorite- the tuna tartare rolls. We each had one, and, in my opinion, was pretty much the perfect appetizer. The tuna was perfectly seasoned, lots of flavor, but also super light. Next was the edamame dumplings. Groan worthy. Delicious. Absolutely delicious. Maybe its the truffle oil...The fish rice dish was also really good. A few other appetziers, but those were the standouts.
The entrees are intended to be served family style- depending on your apetite (and ability to share!) some are, some aren't. I had a pineppple tofu dish which was good, but standouts were the appetizers. The ribs got very good reviews but I did not have them. Overall, it was a really delicious meal, and exceeded my expectations.
I agree with you Jsmitty, the service was great. Informative yet not overbearing.

[ChefJune]

curious... is Dale from this season's Top Chef still cooking there?

[ganache123]

went there at the end of April. Got to meet Dale and had picture taken with him. Touristy I know but fun. He was very gracious

[aahnnt]

yeah, its a bit themey in that its really a scene - the decor/setting is over the top, and its obviously part of what you pay for. i think its more of a place to go for a fun night out, with pretty good food, rather than a foodie destination. that said, i went with a group and got to try a lot of things. the lollipop meat appetizers (Taro Puff Lollipops with minced pork, ginger) were tasty, and we had a shrimp appetizer (Chili Rock Shrimp) and main course (Sweet & Crispy Jumbo Shrimp), both of which were good. the red snapper was probably my favorite dish. i also thought that the scallops and particularly the accompanying sauce were tasty.

we did not, however, try to edemame dumplings. i wish i had! and i also have heard the mapo tofu is good, but we didn't try that either.

i thought the lobster fried rice was good, but pretty plain (it didn't seem that different from normal rice, with a few pieces of lobster here and there) and not worth the cost - which is something like $15 - simple sides of rice would have suited me, and i mainly used it to put other dishes and sauces on top. (though, i guess the other dishes didn't come with rice - sort of weird i think)

[jakew8]

mapo tofu is okay but no better than any I've had from less expensive places. if you're there, try the more inventive dishes.

[kobetobiko]

Agreed with the rice. I found their rice and noodle dishes only average, nothing special compared to what you can get in Chinatown but with 3x the price. Other dishes, particularly the apps and dim sum, are more "fusion" and innovative and are worth trying.

[LeahBaila]

Lobster egg rolls, fried rice (I love it)...Honestly, we loved everything we got. Great drinks, too.

www.thelunchbelle.com

[OliveJuice123]

edamame dumplings! I dream about them