Buddakan, NYC

75 9th Avenue
New York City, New York
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By: Anja Reimer

It’s not a secret anymore that the hottest New York restaurants are to be found in the Meatpacking District. A MUST for every New York traveler is Buddakan, located right next to Chelsea Market. You’ll be amazed by how spacious the restaurant is (16,000 square-foot!!). A sunken ballroom, topped with large chandeliers, is surrounded by various interconnected dining rooms. All stylish with great details, but be aware that on most tables only half of your party will be able to enjoy the surroundings, while the other faces empty grey walls. The dress code reads downtown chic, hip, and fun, and that’s exactly what you see.

The hardest part of a visit to Buddakan is deciding what to eat. Buddakan offers modern Asian cuisine and the menu has so many good choices that you should either bring a very good appetite or a few friends to share things. It would be a shame to limit yourself to only one or two choices. Start your dinner with edamame and shrimp dumplings, both surprisingly delicious, and move on to the sizzling short ribs and the Mongolian lamb chops, and you’ll be in heaven! On the fishy side there’s nothing to go wrong with if you stick to the glazed Alaskan black cod that melts like butter. And then dessert… even though all of them are fantastic, what really sticks out is the chocolate mille feuille. The spiced chocolate ice cream is something to remember.

Overall a stylish and outstanding eating experience, if you can live with the attitude the waiter may give you. But hey, it’s New York, and with a happy Miami outlook one can easily manage that, right?