08/31/09

Big pricey with a total scene

by Katie30

love the place. came here with a group and had to wait but not a terrible amount of time. the space is amazing the food was okay. but the bill was high. good for a special night out.

• Pros: atmosphere, menu
• Cons: noise level

06/10/09

Amazing

by JBlahnik

The food was great, and the drinks were great.

What i loved most was the gorgeous atmosphere and the classy sophisticated vibe from the people there. The service was very good, our waiter was engaging. Great for dates or a night out with a group. Some dishes are a bit pricey but it's well worth the money.

• Pros: food, drinks, atmosphere
• Cons: tad pricey

04/24/09

Very kitschy cool

by shert

I've been here twice. Once to dine and once just for cocktails. The food is just good, nothing spectacular, but it's definately an event to go here. The atmosphere is very cool New York, fancy, night out on the town feel. Cocktails are tasty but a little pricey.

• Pros: Ambience

04/03/09

More glam than good

by tadevosy

Ok, maybe I don't really get the whole New York glam thing. However, I cannot help but be annoyed by this place despite the fact that the insanely good duckling and its generally inventive take on Asian fusion keeps me coming back from time to time. For starters, getting a reservation is a pain in the neck unless you're willing to namedrop a bit. I'd like to think that at some point a place starts appreciating return business without you having to do that unpleasantly NYC thing. The greeting staff is rude and standoffish, acting as if they are guarding a gateway to heaven. The bar area is impossibly crowded, loud, and difficult to navigate. I strongly dislike their system of having you stand there while a frazzled hostess rushes from group to group asking what the last name is on the reservation. For the past three visits, my request for a table downstairs has not been honored, and we've had to reiterate and wait.... The space, while unusual, is certainly uninvitingly grand, over the top industrial chic, and I do not get the dead stuffed birds as decor. All of this, however, seems to be the requisite purgatorial experience to enter a culinary nirvana. The food is very good, albeit somewhat predictable at times. I am not a huge fan of their take on steaks but do enjoy the dim sum and the seafood dishes. The wine list has an admirable range from very inexpensive to very expensive, well represented in each category by accessible bottles from around the world. The service is attentive and generally friendly, if a bit frazzled and frantic at times. If you go, do not miss the duckling, the fried rice, and the stir-fried veggies. The scallion pancakes are positively addictive. So are pretty much all the dumplings with the exception of the edamame ones, filled with a green, unsavory-looking paste of weird texture. Generally, a caricature of what a film-version of an outsider's perspective on what truly "New York" may mean in terms of the scene and the bridge-and-tunnel crowd decked out in their Sunday best. But I keep going back for the food.....

• Pros: Excellent crab friend rice and duckling, good food
• Cons: uneven service, way too crowded, loud

03/29/09

Don't mind paying

by Tavarez415

I wouldn't go back to get rob a second time. Chinese food is not expenxive! The place is way too big. This was not my kind of place. Save it for short-minded people who think they are somebody for they go to a huge restaurant that will overcharge you for just a tiny bit of food.

• Pros: chinese food lovers
• Cons: Too expensive

12/06/08

Overpriced and way crowded

by litlstar

I recently attended an event here and while the restaurant is aesthetically pleasing, I would not return. The place was packed to the point where strangers were sitting at our party's table (in the bar area) while waiting to be seated which was awkward. The food was just average and $25 for 3 scallops... yes 3, and they were average sized not jumbo. Needless to say... 4 glasses of wine, 3 scallops, and a bowl of fried rice + tip = $140... while a very enjoyable evening, would not eat here again.

• Pros: Ambience, Trendy, Celebrities
• Cons: Crowded, Overpriced, Dark

11/19/08

Love It!!

by GoGirl

Truly one of my favorite restaurants...I have dreams about the food........ My favs are the Mongolian Lamb Chops, Crispy Duck Spring Rolls, Chilli Rock Shrimp and any of the dumplings....and pretty much everything else on the menu. :- )

• Pros: Great Starters -- all the food is totally worth it
• Cons: Can feel too large, not the most intimate of settings

10/30/08

hot

by gillcoyle

love it, trendy, great food and good music mix. you can get really dressed up to go here. They will treat you with manners even if you are not a hot celeb. also reasonably priced

10/14/08

Incredible food matched with top notch service

by Laura7642

I went to Buddakan for a girls night out sort of thing, it was my friends idea, but she is usually pretty spot on with picking the places to go for food.

Once again, trusting her judgement was a wonderful success. The food was delicious (I especially recommend the taro puff lollipops and the lamb chops!), the ambience was classy and interesting, and the service was especially incredible. Our waiter, Charles, made us feel like we were VIP and was extremely helpful - and he was really hot! I would have definitely taken him home in a doggy bag (then later I would have been the doggy).

So go here if you want great food and a lot of fun, and ask for Charles!

09/19/08

I love, I love, I love Buddakan. Best place in NYC

by julbrown31

I love this place. It is one of my favorite places to dine in the city. Everything is cooked with perfection. The ambiance is lovely. The staff is gracious. The drinks are tasty.. I highly suggest.

• Pros: great ambiance, great menu selection, great cocktails, friendly & knowledgable staff
• Cons: price but well worth it