Starr Restaurants - Buddakan NYC Review

This was by far the most memorable experience my girlfriend and I shared during our stay in NYC. If you're going as a couple, make sure to order one thing at the time as each dish comes as a family size, so don't be shy about sharing a bunch of different things. The pork buns and the Lo Mein Noodles were plenty for two and enchantingly flavourful. We treated ourselves with their almond bread with butterscotch cream for dessert and it was the best thing I've ever tasted.

The atmosphere was very chic and cool and the service was impeccable: the staff were very nice and our waitress gave great suggestions without any insistence on following a specific format.

Don't forget to reserve a couple days in advance (we went on a weeknight so it was easy for us) and you're really in for something exquisitely unique.

Really, really good food, and exceptional service. Highly recommended.

Marvelous experience. It was my first time here and everything from the service to the food was impeccable. The appetizers and the main dishes congruently made sense. One recommendation: the Oxtail dim sum. Desserts and cocktails were great (definitely worth it). Zero negatives. Would come again.

Great place (what a high ceiling!) and the food was excellent too.

The food and the service are good always busy in a comfortable environment

Really delicious asian fusion. Pretty moderately priced and great service/atmosphere.

Phenomenal food and great ambience. Service was a little bit slow.

Very good service,clean, would definitely come back.

Service was great! I ordered the Peking duck which was overpriced and didn t taste anything special. Didn t come with lettuce wrap that it s traditionally served with. The drinks and dessert was very nice.

Love this place. Anything on the menu is just great.

Great food great staff amazing food everything in this place is so perfect and it's close by my crib so that's a plus plus great for first dates to be able to woo ur partner the food just melts in ur mouth so damn good buddakan know how to cook amazingly and also very very clean place

Amazing..very impressive music staff atmosphere/ dessert chef / soo New York.
I loved everything as a first time experience

The space has that cool, hip, trendy vibe to it. We were a bit tight in our space, but that could be because we had a group of 14. Other groups seemed to fit more comfortably. The background music was basically a combination of hits from a variety of genres and over several decades.

The food was pretty good. I had the lamb chops and they were really good. The portion size, though, was not at all filling. Luckily we also shared appetizers which were also good. I had a pork bun and general tso's dumpling. I'd recommend both, but the pork buns a little more. I also tried the fillet of beef and short ribs. Both weren't bad, but I wasn't particularly impressed. We also shared an order of the duck fried rice and it wasn't bad either. Finally, for dessert, we shared the crying chocolate and the chocolate coconut ganache. Enjoyed both. They were extremely rich and tasty.

We had a large group and got the tasting menu - great decision! We got a bit of everything and everyone went home super happy. My favorites were any of the dumplings. The staff was very attentive and the atmosphere is super cool. Also great place to go if you re a big Sex and the City fan (scene of Carrie and Big s rehearsal dinner)

Intimate birthday celebration for 2. We were immediately greeted by the hostess, who ushered us to the bar area to wait for our table. We were probably there 4 minutes before another hostess came to show us to our seats. We were then greeted by our FABOULOUS, AMAZING, INFORMATIVE, SUPER FRIENDLY waitress Veronique! She explained the menu and was extremely patient as we asked questions as to what dish was the best. We ordered, Appetizers- Lobster egg rolls & Short rib scallion pancake, Entrees- Whole Sea Bass (which I highly recommend) & Roasted Chicken Congee with The Lobster fried rice & Gai Lan veggie dish which was amazing. Dessert- Chocolate Pistachio Cremoso (rich and sinful).
Overall our experience was excellent, besides the food, Veronique made our experience at Buddakan special! Thank you!

Ok, I've been to the other seemingly similar places (like Tao) - and I have to say the food and service here is far superior. I'd eschewed Buddakan because of those other similar places - but I was extremely surprised by the quality and creativity of the food. Sure, the atmosphere is OTT, but for what it is, it is the best. The vegetable dishes in particular are astounding - do not ignore them. I had the best gai lan of my life tonight. Also loved the General Tso soup dumplings.

Excellent Restaurant! Very sharp hostess staff that immediately found us in the bar to seat us at our table. The food was absolutely incredible. Lastly, our waiter made the entire experience better, Calvin did an amazing job! :) Can't wait for my next trip there so I can come back!

ALL HYPE ONE STAR for the good "SPICED carrot cake" ALSO 1 STAR bc the food is bland and mediocre at best.

I've had bar food which tasted better.

Phenomenal meal each time I've been, family style entrees recommended. The wait for a table can be around 30m from your reservation so plan accordingly.

Great place, nice crowd, delicious food but a bit on the expensive side

YUM!! The food, the service and the overall vibe was amazing. Thank you!! I'll be saving up to come again!

Wow. Ambiance was a 10/10, service was a 10/10, and food was delicious!! Definitely recommend.

Love this restaurant. I've been 3x and every time it was exceptional. Great food and great service. You can bring a bottle of wine and cupcakes for a birthday, for a serving fee.

If you are lucky enough to visit NYC, this venue is a MUST!!!

Cannot wait to return. 10/10

I went to this place for a business dinner. It was pretty good! Lovely decor and dimly lit, and it was huge inside. There's an upstairs and a downstairs. The food is best described as modern Asian. We had a large sampling of different dishes and they were almost all uniformly delicious. I'd definitely recommend!

We made a reservation for 9pm. Arrived at 8.50 and were told to wait at the bar with 30-40 other people. When we asked (politely) twice when we would be taken to our table we were met with the rudest look and reply from the staff. Usually not sensitive to this sort of service but this was especially bad that I felt a review was important. Tao is across the road. The service is fantastic, food is amazing and the overall experience is great.

Upscale, spacious and classy interior with great service. Fusion Chinese dishes with varierty. Bit on expensive side(my dinners cost me $200/person with cocktail and dessert.

Chic atmosphere, excellent wait staff, exceptional food! This is the best asian fare since returning from China last month.

My favorite restaurant that is number one in Asian dining.
This restaurant is the setting of Sex and the City.
The atmosphere is already outstanding from the Bancone BAR area right next to the entrance.

An extraordinary space where this long table in the center of the lower floor gives an overwhelming presence.
The food was excellent with duck.

There were only Chinese with a Michelin star, and all were delicious.

Is it a Hakkasan affiliate or is the in-store BGM a club? When you talk at a volume as high as you think, you can't hear it unless you speak a little... lol

I was surprised at how great the food was considering how trendy and huge this place is.

Love it!! The food is great and the customer service is awsome!!

very good food. Had a bunch of Appetizers to share first. The Edamame Dumplings, Hoisin glazed pork belly, along with the King Crab Hot Pot and Black Bean Silken Tofu.

Amazing atmosphere and food to just die for. Don't look at the prices, its well worth it

There are all sorts of ways that the modern upscale lounge take on Chinese can go wrong. Buddakan gets it all right. Silly attentive service, great food, and surprisingly amazing drinks and desserts. Highly recommended.

Restaurant at the correct prices and food, in a very touristy place.

Fantastic deck but food is not as Google as its environment

This place is an institution next to Chelsea market.. beautiful interiors, very good food and service! definitely try the crab...

Lovely atmosphere, great service, beautiful decor and impeccable cuisine.

Great customer service and food was delicious. I recommend the sizzling short ribs!! Due to COVID, many restaurant can t accommodate a large group but they were able to accommodate us last minute. Thank you !

45 minute wait for a reservation and a long hair on the plate. Great food, but enough said.

Went for my birthday, was completely full before the entrees ever hit the table. It was more like comfort food, & I loved every minute of it. The service, the drinks, the atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Great experience at Buddakan. Exquisite tasting menu, there are leftovers with no. 1. Starters, meats, fish and desserts. Very elegant premises. We didn't even have time to take pictures of the dishes!

Food was OK, overpriced, but I think it was a great dining experience!

Order the dim sum tasting menu for starters. This is a good find if you're looking for a good Asian Meal in the Meatpacking District! It is conveniently located next to the Chelsea Market on 9th Ave. The restaurant is on 2 floors and the downstairs where we dined is semi-private and away from the high traffic area. In addition to the dim sum tasting menu, we had the cantonese steamed sole to go with the Asian Green Stir Fry and Clams and Crispy noodles which were pretty good and well prepared. It is a little pricey but the food and service make up for it.

Food was amazing! Place is a very beautiful environment. Everyone is dressed either casual or semi dressy. Great place for a birthday dinner, date night etc.

Delicious eaten! Nice service, but to book in advance, it is busy.

Come to Buddakan if you are looking for upscale Asian food!

The ambiance here reminds me of Hogwarts because of the high ceiling, dimmed lights, lengthy stairs, and vintage chandeliers. There is plenty of seating and long banquet tables for those with big parties. Buddakan is ideal for dates and group dinner celebrations because the entree portions here are pretty generous which is great for sharing family style! If you come here, definitely get the sea bass. It was delicious!

Great food, very accommodating to gluten free and dairy free diet.

Cant miss the edamame dumplings and oxtail dumplings. Awesome scenery and great vibes with upbeat music.

Chic, dark and beautiful. We celebrated 3 birthdays in one night. Our waiter John is a priceless gem. My daughter is allergic to shell fish and he went above and beyond to ensure he advised what she cannot eat. He had ensured dishes were separated and placed individually so she may enjoy the fabulous meal with out fear. The presentation of the dishes and drinks areare eleg. But the staff in general left an everlasting positive impression.. their kindness, detailed service, and overall professional knowledge of of the menu was simply and devinely enjoyable.

Great food, lively buzz, but you have to love loud, thumping music, that gives one a headache after a while. But the food and service are worth it .

Upscale experience. Giving 4 stars instead of 5 because the vegetarian options were very limited (and also not as tasty as expected).

Pricey but the food is very good. The desserts were really really good

Nice food and vibe .Highly recommended for a night out for dinner, with friend or Romanic.

Excellent Decor n Ambience. Huge space. Great food choices and the food is really good. The only flip side us the is way too loud, the amplifier was just above the guest table.

Beautiful classic place. Great atmosphere. We were a party of 6, everything we ordered was delicious. Will definitely come back.

Very neat place hidden it seems with just a small name on the outside. Very hip and loud place. Service was a little slow and had to ask everytime I needed a refill on our drinks. We have the shrimp rolls, lobster egg rolls which were just okay, the king crab sticky rice which had two small pieces of crab, I would rather the crab be mixed in the rice or just keep it off the plate cause it looked absurd having two small pieces of crab next to all that rice and then we had the shrimp chow fun and that was good. We had also gotten two specialty drinks that were so acidity I couldn't even drink one of them. I was expecting more from here and was a little disappointed.

Husband and I had a date night in NYC and only go to the best restaurants around ! This will forever be a favorite- every dish that we ordered was beyond delicious! and our server JOHN made our experience 5stars. I recommend reserving a table with him to have a high quality dining experience ! Only the best !!!

The place is beautiful and the food - amazing. The place is pretty loud so take in count while planning the group and occasion.

The food was phenomenal. Honestly I enjoyed every dish I tried that day. Particularly the lamb and lobster fried rice. Honestly a great location and ambience is lovely. Was a bit loud but its NYC so what to expect.

Buddakan has a great vibe and decor. If you don't have reservations you can enjoy their full drink and food menu in the waiting area. That said, food and drinks are on the pricier side. Great for dates or out of town visitors.

I found Buddakan disappointing. The food was average - nothing spectacular. There were no specials offered. The shrimp toast appetizer was not good - I much prefer the shrimp toast offered at local chinese takeout for 1/4 the cost. Dessert was good and we enjoyed the banana cheesecake. The souffle was basic and uncreative and I am sorry we took the server's suggestion on it. The din of the space is really loud overall, with the music even louder such that it is difficult to hear others speaking at the same table. The elevated decibel level negatively impacted my ability to enjoy the company at the table and instead focused our attention on the solidly average quality of the food. The service was good although we were rushed out after the meal. With all the options available I doubt I'll be back.

Ambiance is nice and the food , staff, on time reservations are excellent! Love this spot and will go again.

This is a really great restaurant Food was fantastic, service was great, and had a great vibe. If your looking for good food fair in the Chelsea area visiting NYC.

The food is pretty good and so is the vibe but it does tend to be a more touristy spot and at times more of a party vibe than say fine dining - depends on what you re in the mood for.

Cool atmosphere although it's a little too dark. The food was great. It took a while for the drinks to come.

AMAZING FOOD, beautiful environment & great service.