I first ate at Buddakan in 2021 when there was limited seating due to the pandemic. We sat outside and the food and ambiance was impeccable. I have been wanting to go back for years now to have the full experience inside this beautiful restaurant and finally got the chance! It's not far from the Shubert theater and they serve dinner later than most so we had a wonderful meal after the show. Highly recommend! The vibe is like an upscale club ambiance with great music and low lights. The food is amazing and the service was on point.
james
Food, atmosphere and service are exceptional. My son is 26 and puts this on his wishlist every time he visits our NYC apartment. Always a treat.
Alice
Beautiful interior - best part of the experience. Five of us were seated at a huge table in the middle of two very large parties without any space between. It was so crowded and loud. We were on top of each other. The wait staff did the best they could to keep up but they were stretched so thin the service was lacking. There were so many other tables in the restaurant where we could have been seated that would have been a better experience. The appetizers are much better than the main dishes. All good but nothing special. The fried rice was underwhelming. The scene and people is like going to a club. Lots of sparkly evening dresses taking selfies on the stairs- a sight to behold.
Flora
Service was great, but the food was underwhelming. It lacked creativity, and at $100 per person, there's a certain expectation for the meal that just wasn't met. You really go for the ambience—and for the photos. Beyond that, it's not a place we'd recommend returning to. Overall, it felt like a fancy version of Panda Express
Abs Max
I feel totally tricked. First time visiting Buddaken after many reviews claiming how upscale this restaurant is. Did not realize this place had two levels, as all the videos shown only reflects the downstairs. Me and my husband was seated upstairs, in which there was two different types of decor- extremely tacky. There's no dress code (even though they claim to have one). The food was extremely salty and medicore- my husband ordered pepper steak..which was not steak at all, but another type of beef-almost like stew. I assume this restaurant is using the same type of beef in all their dishes and claiming it to be something different and charging outrageous prices. The music was loud and gave off lounge vibes instead of elegance and upscale like they claimed. Only appetizer that was good was the lobster roll. Everything else including lobster fry rice, pepper steak (which is really beef stew), chili chicken and the beef with scallion pancake was a 5/10 and extremely salty. Although the non alcoholic beverage was refreshing. I told the waiter it was my husband birthday in which he brought out two tiny bite size cupcakes with a candle on the side. How insulting smh, especially given the cost of everything. Then when it was time to pay the bill, the waiter walks over with a portable machine and hoovers over you while you enter your information and the tip. I did not tip this waiter the full amount because of the poor job he did of providing customer service- especially on my husband's birthday. Afterwards when I paid , the waiter seemed to have an attitude because the tip was not what he expected. Never again
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
sarah williams
nice intimate space and cocktails were great
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
s
I have never seen a tasting menu for chinese food in NYC. We had a great team dinner over there. The fish is the best. The texture of Chinese broccoli is spot on- still got that satisfying crunch. I will definitely comeback again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Doni
We arrived ten minutes early and checked in for our reservation. After 25 minutes we asked if the table was ready and was told that we were next. Then she mixed up our name and told me a different reservation time. Totally different name. She then said that the table was being cleaned by her manager and after another 20 minutes sat us near the kitchen door. The food was fabulous and the waitress was wonderful. The front desk staff makes me never want to return , which is a shame. Beautiful restaurant with wonderful food and a unorganized front desk!
Tiffany Romero
I had such an amazing experience! The food was absolutely outstanding every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. What really made the night special was the manager. He was incredibly helpful, attentive, and truly made us feel taken care of. It’s rare to find that level of service these days. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for delicious food and exceptional hospitality!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Opentable Diner
I had my birthday dinner at Buddakan and the entire experience was amazing! I'm coming back soon and bringing my boyfriend with me! Thank you!
It took over any hour to get seats although we had a reservation. Then it took 30-40 minutes to take an order. When the food finally Came out we discovered one of the Meals was missed. I then asked for a manager who provided a free deseret. However when it came time for the bill it Came out in seconds yet everything else lingered. Not a good experience at all, would never come back . Please make this experience better for others. We were a table of 12 and expected so much better .
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Kristen Spendio
We had a lovely night with great vibes, drinks, and food. Our server Connie was lovely and attentive. Can’t wait to go back again :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sophie Guattari
I had not come back in too long and this time I was BLOWN AWAY. Thanks to Nada, we were treated like Queens. Our server Ryan was attentive, friendly and very knowledgeable. We let him surprise us: his choice was perfect! Delicious dishes kept coming all very well presented and the marriage of flavors so creative. Applause for Danny Boywen. The manager Nada is a gem. Her whole team is professional and very pleasant. We had a memorable evening!
Just treat yourself and GO!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Baydoun Baydoun
Buddakan pairs dramatic interior design with a menu of upscale Asian-inspired plates. There are memorable bites—especially in the dumplings and small plates—but larger dishes become predictable and occasionally over-sauced. Service is polished but brisk, and the dining room’s theatrical energy can overshadow the food. A strong visual experience with competent cooking, though not consistently compelling.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Lobster Fried Rice
L francis
We had a party of 11 celebrate a family member's birthday. We enjoyed the Tasting Menu-$130 price point. The food was very delicious. Great ambiance and vibe. Service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Fried Rice, Oxtail Dumplings, Chili Rock Shrimp, Glazed Alaskan Black Cod, Charred Filet of Beef, Peking Duck for Two
I first ate at Buddakan in 2021 when there was limited seating due to the pandemic. We sat outside and the food and ambiance was impeccable. I have been wanting to go back for years now to have the full experience inside this beautiful restaurant and finally got the chance! It's not far from the Shubert theater and they serve dinner later than most so we had a wonderful meal after the show. Highly recommend! The vibe is like an upscale club ambiance with great music and low lights. The food is amazing and the service was on point.
Food, atmosphere and service are exceptional. My son is 26 and puts this on his wishlist every time he visits our NYC apartment. Always a treat.
Beautiful interior - best part of the experience. Five of us were seated at a huge table in the middle of two very large parties without any space between. It was so crowded and loud. We were on top of each other. The wait staff did the best they could to keep up but they were stretched so thin the service was lacking. There were so many other tables in the restaurant where we could have been seated that would have been a better experience. The appetizers are much better than the main dishes. All good but nothing special. The fried rice was underwhelming. The scene and people is like going to a club. Lots of sparkly evening dresses taking selfies on the stairs- a sight to behold.
Service was great, but the food was underwhelming. It lacked creativity, and at $100 per person, there's a certain expectation for the meal that just wasn't met. You really go for the ambience—and for the photos. Beyond that, it's not a place we'd recommend returning to. Overall, it felt like a fancy version of Panda Express
I feel totally tricked. First time visiting Buddaken after many reviews claiming how upscale this restaurant is. Did not realize this place had two levels, as all the videos shown only reflects the downstairs. Me and my husband was seated upstairs, in which there was two different types of decor- extremely tacky. There's no dress code (even though they claim to have one). The food was extremely salty and medicore- my husband ordered pepper steak..which was not steak at all, but another type of beef-almost like stew. I assume this restaurant is using the same type of beef in all their dishes and claiming it to be something different and charging outrageous prices. The music was loud and gave off lounge vibes instead of elegance and upscale like they claimed. Only appetizer that was good was the lobster roll. Everything else including lobster fry rice, pepper steak (which is really beef stew), chili chicken and the beef with scallion pancake was a 5/10 and extremely salty. Although the non alcoholic beverage was refreshing. I told the waiter it was my husband birthday in which he brought out two tiny bite size cupcakes with a candle on the side. How insulting smh, especially given the cost of everything. Then when it was time to pay the bill, the waiter walks over with a portable machine and hoovers over you while you enter your information and the tip. I did not tip this waiter the full amount because of the poor job he did of providing customer service- especially on my husband's birthday. Afterwards when I paid , the waiter seemed to have an attitude because the tip was not what he expected. Never again
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
nice intimate space and cocktails were great
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
I have never seen a tasting menu for chinese food in NYC. We had a great team dinner over there. The fish is the best. The texture of Chinese broccoli is spot on- still got that satisfying crunch. I will definitely comeback again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
We arrived ten minutes early and checked in for our reservation. After 25 minutes we asked if the table was ready and was told that we were next. Then she mixed up our name and told me a different reservation time. Totally different name. She then said that the table was being cleaned by her manager and after another 20 minutes sat us near the kitchen door. The food was fabulous and the waitress was wonderful. The front desk staff makes me never want to return , which is a shame. Beautiful restaurant with wonderful food and a unorganized front desk!
I had such an amazing experience! The food was absolutely outstanding every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. What really made the night special was the manager. He was incredibly helpful, attentive, and truly made us feel taken care of. It’s rare to find that level of service these days. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for delicious food and exceptional hospitality!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I had my birthday dinner at Buddakan and the entire experience was amazing! I'm coming back soon and bringing my boyfriend with me! Thank you!
Restaurantji Recommends
It took over any hour to get seats although we had a reservation. Then it took 30-40 minutes to take an order. When the food finally
Came out we discovered one of the
Meals was missed. I then asked for a manager who provided a free deseret. However when it came time for the bill it
Came out in seconds yet everything else lingered. Not a good experience at all, would never come back . Please make this experience better for others. We were a table of 12 and expected so much better .
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
We had a lovely night with great vibes, drinks, and food. Our server Connie was lovely and attentive. Can’t wait to go back again :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had not come back in too long and this time I was BLOWN AWAY.
Thanks to Nada, we were treated like Queens. Our server Ryan was attentive, friendly and very knowledgeable. We let him surprise us: his choice was perfect! Delicious dishes kept coming all very well presented and the marriage of flavors so creative. Applause for Danny Boywen.
The manager Nada is a gem. Her whole team is professional and very pleasant. We had a memorable evening!
Just treat yourself and GO!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Buddakan pairs dramatic interior design with a menu of upscale Asian-inspired plates. There are memorable bites—especially in the dumplings and small plates—but larger dishes become predictable and occasionally over-sauced. Service is polished but brisk, and the dining room’s theatrical energy can overshadow the food. A strong visual experience with competent cooking, though not consistently compelling.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Lobster Fried Rice
We had a party of 11 celebrate a family member's birthday. We enjoyed the Tasting Menu-$130 price point. The food was very delicious. Great ambiance and vibe. Service was great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lobster Fried Rice, Oxtail Dumplings, Chili Rock Shrimp, Glazed Alaskan Black Cod, Charred Filet of Beef, Peking Duck for Two
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