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August 7, 2015- by Steven E. Greer
In the course of trying to encourage restaurateur Stephen Starr to build a Buddakan Downtown to serve us, it occurred to me that I had not been to Buddakan since 2006. So, I made a rare departure out of the apartment on a weekend night and headed up to 16th and Ninth Avenue.
Walking in, I immediately noticed that the host desk, much like that of a hotel desk, was much more attractive and welcoming than other restaurants which I have been to lately. They were intelligent, had my reservation, and did nothing to irk me.
Walking to my table, I saw ample examples of the pretty young scene that one would expect from this part of town on a Friday. However, Buddakan has been open for almost a decade. It is a remarkable feat to keep the fickle 20-somehting crowd coming back while also pleasing grown-ups who want good food (The Buddakan in Philly is even older and still doing well too).
Normally at this stage of dining in a Meatpacking District trendy joint, I would have been annoyed by a few things, but not here. The food was of high quality, and my waiter was also very good.
The edamame dumplings
The tuna tartare spring roll
Singapore noodles with pork
The braised, shredded, then cubed pork with pears and apricots
The deconstructed blueberry pie with rice ice cream
So, if you want to have Starr build a Buddakan South, go to social media and tell them, or comment here.