My love affair with food has to compete with my love affair with New York City. I considered posting my first article about a place in Sydney where I live, however I thought it would be more authentic to start with a place in New York as I just got back from my trip and this would be my last food adventure. I also want my articles to include places to eat for all budgets, so I was initially hesitant to make my first post about Buddakan, which can pull the strings. However, I believe that the best investment I can make with my money is to let it sit in my stomach, and besides, a trip to Buddakan is a gift I need to share! For any Sex and the City fan, this is the restaurant for the first film’s rehearsal dinner; It’s also a stop on the HotSpots tour if you do that while in New York (although you can’t actually eat here during the tour, it’s more of a gawk at the incredible scenery, particularly the chandelier).
Lex and I visited Buddakan on New Year’s Day 2016. Our table was for 8pm and I recommend booking through OpenTable if planning a visit as it’s a popular spot with locals, especially on weekends . The restaurant is located in Chelsea, right next to Chelsea Markets. It’s a pretty inconspicuous entrance, but don’t let that fool you. As you enter the dimly lit restaurant, sophistication seems to ooze from every corner. You are greeted by a long line of hostesses where you provide your reservation name and check your coat and then are quickly ushered into a bar area. We didn’t wait more than three or four minutes, which was long enough to get excited about our food and soak up the atmosphere. Our server ushered us to a table at the other end of the main floor. There is a lower deck with a communal table for sharing food and conversation; again to reference Sex and the City, this is the table Carrie and Big used for their dinner. I would definitely love to come back and ask for a place at this table. The pan-Asian hotspot has a great sense of energy and elegance, and patrons are approached according to the dress code, “downtown chic.” Our charming waiter introduces himself and explains the menu. His recommendations of two appetizers, two hands, and two sides for a party of two were almost too much, but since the food was too good to resist, we shamelessly finished it all. I should mention that the two current executive chefs are Yang Huang and Brian Ray.
what we ask
We started by ordering a bottle of red, if only I could remember which one I would include it! I’ll have to ask Lex, he’s good at remembering the wine list.
For both of our appetizers we chose the edamame dumplings and the pork buns. The meatballs sat in a shallot-sauternes broth and came in five bite-sized portions. They were delicious dumplings that melted in your mouth and were the perfect introduction to Buddakan. The pork buns were Lex’s choice and weren’t typically what I would have ordered, but I’m glad I tried them. The buns consisted of roasted pork belly, spicy shallots, and napa cabbage. Lex rated them as “the best pork buns I’ve ever had.” Although I’m not normally a pork bun girl, I have to admit they had a beautiful texture and just the right amount of spice.
For our sides we ordered the Asian green stir fry and vegetable rice. We were tempted to order the pork noodles – next time! The Asian vegetables had pine nuts and garlic chips mixed in and were the perfect topping for our hands (although I could have eaten them on their own, they were amazing!). If you’re not a fan of garlic, probably stay away from these as they definitely had a strong garlic flavor (which makes them even better IMO). We also ordered the vegetable fried rice which had a hint of coconut and pineapple for flavor. Once again, it was perfect as a complement, but also on its own!
There were so many delicious hands to choose from. There are a variety of seafood dishes including salt and pepper black sea bass, glazed Alaskan black cod and steamed Cantonese sole. Since Lex is not a seafood fan, we stuck with the Meat and Poultry options. My eyes were immediately drawn to two options and before I told Lex what they were I asked him to tell me what he wanted, luckily we hit the nail on the head! We made the easy decision to order the black pepper beef and the smashed chili chicken (you should know Lex and I both love chili, we tend to order it or add it to most meals). The beef was a wok-sautéed short rib over a crispy bird’s nest, which to our delight was edible! The two textures complemented each other well, and the sauce was so flavorful that we made sure to pour every last drop over the vegetable rice. The chicken was simply delicious and honestly like nothing we have ever eaten before. It was a seared spring onion spread with chili pepper and hot sauce. I must mention here that the chicken was the perfect partner for the Asian vegetables and wine!
Admittedly, we were too stuffed with food and wine to order dessert, but that’s not to say Executive Pastry Chef Daniel Skurnick didn’t have plenty of delicious options to choose from. Lex said that he would have chosen the Crying Chocolate dessert, which was a malted ganache with Vietnamese coffee ice cream, and I would have chosen the passion fruit meringue with yogurt semifreddo and passion fruit ice cream, yum! Other notable choices included the Apple Tarte Tatin, a cinnamon streusel with soy sauce ice cream, and the almond bread pudding with bananas, caramel sauce, and whiskey ice cream.
And so our stomachs were full and our plates were empty. I won’t say this was the cheapest meal we’ve ever eaten, it was an expense. However, in saying that, the portions were generous and the wine took up a large part of the bill. We also tipped generously because the service was really part of the experience, and we had already been to a few places with less than favorable service, so we wanted to acknowledge the attentive and knowledgeable service we received.
If you like Asian food, this is a must for you. Let me know if you try it or have done it before.
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