Buddakan

03/21/11

what happened to Buddakan??

by MikeMillerLaw at Citysearch

I came here to celebrate my very good friend's upcoming wedding. It was a few days away, and we wanted to make sure she was at a place she loved, so she brought us to Buddakan, because this is where she met her fiancee. He was working that night, but besides his service, everything else was horrible. We saw managers going to tables all around us, but never came by to say hello or to see how we were. I was really surprized because she worked there for a year, and her fiancee has worked there for 7 years. After seeing this display of utter disregard, I would never want to work for Stephen Starr....we would have gotten better service at Amada, or any other of the MANY places in Philadelphia, where I would have been happy to go. I go out to dinner all the time in Philadelphia, and Buddakan wasn't my first choice, but we went there for her sake. What ended up happening was that she left embaressed and dissapointed for bringing us there. I don't know how Buddakan is considered one of the top places in Philadelphia, because that simply is a gross overstatement. The food was OK, but for the cold shoulder that we got, I'd rather go anywhere else.

12/22/10

I still love this place

by kellyrj at Citysearch

I've been a fan of this place for years. Everything they serve is absolutely delicious and they never disappoint. The siignature drinks are creative and delish. I had my bachelorette dinner here some years back and there was a mishap with the one of the guests and her getting sick. All of the staff was unbelievably accommodating and gracious, kudos to them.

06/20/10

Hair in Food

by Suburban Foodie at Citysearch

Made reservations for a large party of 20 on July 20. Sat at the large table in front of the Budda. Everything was going well until one of the guest found hair in his food. That was totally unsavory and shocking. Told the wait staff and they called over the manager over. We did not get the manager's name, but he was slender with a shorn hair style and was wearing a pink tie that night. He came over and did not apologize for the incident. He only told our guest the kitchen staff covers their hair so nothing like this could happen. Our guest was made to feel as if the manager was implying he was lying. He made no concessions to our guest. Since this was a large party, a deposit was already made and we had a prix fix menu. The bill was over $2,000. I feel this is not acceptable for a restaurant of Buddakan's caliber to have this occur. It would have made a huge difference if the manager had been more accommodating. Not once did he come over and ask how we thought of the food or the service throughout our entire dining experience. Our server was the only one that attempted to remedy the situation by offering a complimentary drink to our guest. The manager had an unapproachable manner and condescending demeanor. Management needs to stop acting like the patrons our lucky to get a table at Buddakan. The restaurant is not what it was in their hay day. Most patrons are tourist and don't know any better. For the same price, you can go to a better restaurant that will be hair free.

• Pros: None
• Cons: Hair in Food

03/23/10

Great night all around

by rob_nicholl at Citysearch

My friends and I went to Buddakan last Saturday night. Not expecting to get a table without a reservation, we decided to sit at the bar. We went to the upstairs bar, where it was less crowded and you didn't have to worry about someone standing behind you ordering drinks. Ariana, our bartender, was really cool. We decided to eat at the bar, instead of waiting for a table. Dinner was great. The crab sticky rice, calamari salad, and aged beef were my favorites. We all agreed that it was a place we had to come back to more often.

• Pros: cool atmosphere, great food, nice staff

02/22/10

Reservation service was terrible in Philly!!

by CSMobileUser2 at Citysearch

The guest service attendant made it seem like this was the only restaurant in Philly. The restaurant attendant made it seem like you have to wait an eternity to ever eat in front of a big gigant buddha.