Buddakan

• Cuisine(s): Asian
  Hours: Sun, Tue-Sat 5:30pm-3am, Mon 5:30pm-2am
  Price: $$$, $$$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards, Diners Club
• Attire: dressy
  Features: Takeout, Private Party, Business Dining, Coat Check
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted
  Parking: No Parking

Description

There is nothing subtle about flashy restaurateur Stephen Starr's 15,000-square-foot temple to Asian cuisine in the Meatpacking District. Dramatic chandeliers hang from the impossibly high ceilings, giant pieces of pottery are displayed with reverence, music booms with little regard for conversation. Even more interesting than the décor is the crowd, pretty young things decked out in the sleekest designer duds money can buy. Keeping with the nightclub vibe, the restaurant¹s bar seats 50 and serves Asian-inspired specialty cocktails infused with everything from lychee to ginger. The entrees have a fairly Chinese bent, with whole black bean lobster, char siu roast pork and Peking duck on the menu. There is also a selection of gourmet dim sum, noodle and rice dishes including lobster egg rolls, wild mushroom chow fun and Dungeness crab fried rice. The extensive wine list spans the globe while the sake selection offers an upscale taste of Japan.—Keith Wagstaff