We had a great experience here ! We made reservations and celebrated our wedding anniversary. The ambiance was very lively for a week night and honestly the volume was pretty loud. Our server was exceptional and proposed several great menu options. We decided to go with pork bao buns, steak fried rice and pork loin as well as the donuts for dessert. Overall everything was delicious and we'd definitely return. read more

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We were a party of seven and ordered a huge variety of dishes including several types of dumplings, fried rice, ribs, eggplant, lemon chicken, and the duck. Everything was fabulous! Service was excellent. Food comes out family style. Place was very lively at 9pm on a Saturday... reservations are a must! read more

First going and we had reservations on New Year's Eve. The ambience of the restaurant is fantastic! They have an upstairs as well as the main floor. We were lucky enough to be seated close to the asian deity statue. Our waiter was excellent and very attentive. Food was absolutely delicious, we ordered: the spicy edamame, bao buns, pork dumplings, lobster fried rice, and the pepper beef. The pepper beef was my absolute favorite dish! So flavorful. We were too full to order dessert, but the menu did look good. Would most certainly return for another dinner. read more

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Atmosphere was quite different than I expected! Fun group and I was definitely underdressed :) Don't quite remember everything but Prix Fixe was delicious but not the most food. The entrees were the highlight for sure. read more

Buddakan - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Amazing dinner. The crisp calamari salad was out of this world! Lobster fried rice was perfect. Service and ambience for a group party was spot on. Strongly recommend. read more

Came here twice in one week last month - Tuesday dinner with a friend and Friday anniversary celebration. The service experiences varied, but the food was consistent and fantastic both visits. During each visit, I explored the menu through 3-4 courses. I tried the shrimp bao buns, dim sum sampler (x2), vegetable fried rice, wasabi mashed potatoes, crab fried rice, miso black cod (x2), and char grilled aged beef. All of the food was delicious and has generous portion sized, but the stand out was the miso black cod. It was so tender and the unagi sauce it comes with is packed with flavor. Dreaming of the next time I get to enjoy this dish! On the Tuesday, we received excellent service. Our server consistently checked-in between courses and provided thoughtful recommendations. However, the service on Friday felt a bit rushed. We were happy that the food came out quickly, but as soon as were were finished eating and declined dessert, we were served the bill and completed the payment process without bags for our boxes and without a farewell such as "thank you" or "have a good night." Not an issue at all, but I was also quite surprised our anniversary wasn't mentioned any time during our dining experience, despite noting it on our reservation. I understand that service will vary between a winter Tuesday evening and a busy Friday night, however, I felt that the mark was missed in the simple details during my second visit. Super thankful I got to experience such a cool spot twice in one week and am excited to indulge again in the future! read more

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All of the food was incredible. Our server was great, and the ambiance was very nice. We had the edamame dumplings, general tsos soup dumplings. We visited during "Buddakan Week" where we got an appetizer, entree and dessert. I chose the spicy shrimp bao buns, lemon sesame chicken and donuts. All of it was delicious. The general tsos soup dumplings were a favorite. We definitely want to return to try more menu items. We were also impressed by our portions for having done the restaurant week menu expecting them to be smaller but they didn't seem to be. And portions on other people's dishes looked huge which is good for the value. They also allow you to increase the number of dumplings you order which is really nice so everyone can have the same number of dumplings. read more

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The food was great! The environment was busy for the time of night but to be expected during restaurant week. The food was reasonably priced for the size and portions. I really enjoyed sitting near the statue and had a great experience with our waitress! I enjoyed the dim lights and being able to see people walk around with all the different types of food!! read more

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Salt Overload and Frustrating Service! Buddakan promised a wow factor, but the Pad Thai, Korean Beef Fried Rice, and Peking Duck Fried Rice were all way too salty--our taste buds didn't survive. Service was painfully slow, with long waits before our waiter checked in. The space looks incredible, but the food and service didn't live up to the hype. read more

First time dining at Buddakan and it was amazing! The vibe was outstanding! The drinks, food and service were impeccable! I wished I had stopped eating and taken some pictures, but was too engrossed in the experience! We ordered the ribs and calamari salad for our appetizers, the crispy shrimp, crab fried rice and lamb chops for our dinner. Everything was absolutely delicious! We'll definitely be returning! read more

Buddakan - Lemon Drop Martini - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Oh- I love coming here! Absolutely love the ambiance and decor! I always feel transported to another land--Thailand--which adds to the experience. Food is always exceptional with robust flavors! Staff is friendly. read more

Nice place, good service and the food is incredible! Nice place, good service and the food is incredible! Nice place, good service and the food is incredible! Nice place, good service and the food is incredible! Nice place, good service and the food is incredible! read more

M Bethens Jr. and I were in Philly for one night and decided to try Buddakan. We went early (recommended if you don't like it too noisy) and ordered drinks, apps and mains. Do ask for the vegetarian menu if you roll that way! The mocktails (we ordered all three) were delicious, as were the edamame dumplings, and our mains (Pad Thai and Wok Cashew Tofu). One measure of a good restaurant is how they handle mistakes, because as we all know, mistakes do happen! There was a slight mishap with one of our main courses. Both the server and the manager could not have been nicer. In fact, if everyone handled these incidents with such grace and understanding, the world would be a better place for it. We will definitely return to Buddakan on our next visit to Philadelphia! read more

In town for business. Came here after a watching a YouTube video on top 10 restaurants in the city 2025. Chose this place because I was exploring solo and didn't want to eat at all the fancy steakhouses on the list. This seemed a tiny bit more casual. Wanted to sit at the bar to dine solo and opted for the upstairs bar (as opposed the the downstairs bar). Had the dim sum sampler, it was tasty. Was it the best dumplings Ive ever had, no. That title so far belongs to Jose Andres' China Ponlano, and no one has come close. But the dumplings here, I think were hand made, and tasty. I liked the crunch of the water chestnut in the shrimp ones, the flavor of the pork and chicken ones were good. I did not care for the odd consistency inside the edamame dumplings but overall the whole dish was good. Had pad Thai as my entree. It was surprisingly sweeter than I've ever had, but still good. Best I've ever had, no. Fried donuts for dessert, sounded alluring, but just turned out to be hot beignets with sweet dips. Ok, but I'm guessing a frozen fried product that I myself have served, don't judge. My bartender/server Robert was super friendly, super attentive and went above and beyond with service. I don't like sake, and wanted a sweet wine with the donuts. He recommended a plum sake, and I was unsure but he gave me a sample sip, and I was hooked. So apparently I do like sake, just sweet and cold. This opens up so much more for me to explore. Thank you Robert for introducing me to something I have always shied-away from. Overall I enjoyed the dark swanky atmosphere, the food was pretty good, the service super friendly. If I was in Philadelphia with friends, I would probably come here. read more

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We tried Buddakan during our short trip to Philly and we had a great experience from start to finish. The decoration and ambiance is amazing and just like the pictures. Food was divine, the bao buns were my favorite. Even though the restaurant was very packed, this didn't affect the great service we received. A must try in Philly and will definitely be returning. read more

Buddakan - Bao Bun, Soup Dumpling - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Our waiter Xavier R was amazing! Really made the night. The food is always good. Music is always a nice touch here!

I have very mixed feelings about this review. My wife and I went to Buddakan Philadelphia to celebrate an anniversary last night (a Saturday night). The room was busy and quite loud (for my tastes) but the service was excellent and the food delicious. The problem came just as we were about to leave. My wife went to the restroom before our drive home, and ended up being in there for an hour and a half with violent vomiting and diarrhea. Even then, she wasn't well enough to go home and we had to get a room at the hotel across the street. The staff continued to be kind and helpful throughout. In my mind, the timing and symptoms she suffered are entirely consistent with food poisoning from the appetizer, that and some sake being the _only_ thing she had that we did not share. We had even had the same thing for lunch at home earlier that day. I have been 100% fine throughout. I spoke to a manager today, though, and they said no one else reported any issues and declined to take any responsibility for her illness, saying they "couldn't confirm" that it was their fault. Not even an offer to comp the meal (let alone the hotel room). I understand that bad things happen on occasion in even the best kitchens, but I am disappointed in their refusal to acknowledge even the possibility that she was poisoned by their food. I'm sure we'll never be back. Edit: After I posted this review on several sites, a different manager did call me and offer to comp the meal (but not the hotel room). So there is at least that level of responsiveness. read more

Just outstanding. Came with a big group on a busy Friday night. We waited about 15 minutes past our reservation time to be sat, so we just grabbed quick drinks at the bar. Upon being sat, timing of courses was perfect to truly feel like you were enjoying a dining experience, not just "going out to eat." From the edamame dumplings, to crab fried rice, shrimp bao buns, and the wasabi crusted filet, every bite was delicious. My least favorite were the lobster egg rolls - great crunch and fillings but lacked flavor. Also a bit loud so hard to hear with large groups, but overall definitely lives up to the hype in my opinion. read more

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Went to Buddakan for restaurant week. This was my third time visiting the restaurant and they did not disappoint. We ordered Shrimp bao buns 5/5 Lemon sesame chicken 4/5 Beef Chow Fun 5/5 Dip Sum Doughnuts 5/5 read more

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Second time at Buddakan and soooo delicious! We went for our friends birthday , and they were able to accommodate our request of the Buddha table ( hehehe) our server Ariel was the sweetest !!! Also it was restaurant week ... $40 for a 3 course meal ... YES PLEASEE and the portions were still family style ! Overall so good ! read more

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One of our favorite restaurants in Philly! The lemon sesame chicken is our absolute favorite, and we always enjoy orders of the general tso soup dumplings. The donuts are a must for dessert. Our servers are always friendly and we love the ambiance for date night. read more

Buddakan - Lemon Sesame Chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I had been dyinggg to try Buddakan in Philly so I finally went during Restaurant Week and it is a must-visit! With stunning decor and great service typical of a Steven Starr restaurant, it's a beautiful dining destination. Don't miss their spicy shrimp buns--they're SO good! I also loved the Pad Tai. Plus, portions are perfect for sharing, so you can order a lot and try every amazing. Get ready for an unforgettable culinary experience! read more

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Great food. Great service. Great environment. Parking was easy. Large party all enjoyed the food and service.

Nice interior with dimly lit lights makes for a great atmosphere. Cuisine is Asian fusion. There are enough vegetarian options to choose from. I enjoyed the pad Thai with tofu that was well sauced and seasoned flavorfully. read more

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I went out with a group of 7 for a friend's birthday. Our server was great and knew a lot about the menu and was very accommodating. She was very flexible with changing orders that normally would come with 2 dumplings to 3 so that 3 of us could try it and things like that. Now for the things I got: Spicy Rock Shrimp Bao Buns: 5/5: sooooo good. probably the favorite thing I ordered. They definitely were not spicy that though. Sadly forgot to take a pic of them Sashimi Special: 3/5: A little bit too salty/vinegary. Not bad though. It was salmon and it was sliced very thinly which was interesting. Dumplings Sampler: 5/5: My favorites were the spicy pork sichuan dumplings and edamame dumplings. The chicken and shrimp dumplings were also good but the others were just crazy. Again- server was super accommodating with configuring the order so that each of us could try one of each dumpling. The citrus soy dipping sauce was also great. Shrimp Lo mein: 5/5: The mushrooms in it made it sooo good honestly. It wasn't too heavy. Sometimes I feel like lo mein is a gut bomb but this was not. It was not too salty or thick with sauce. Super good flavor too. Crispy fish of the day (Branzino): 3/5: It was good but it was kind of hard to eat. It also was deep fried I think which was not really the vibe. This might be a pro or a con for some people but the head was in there too and I did not really love looking at the head. Hot Donuts: 5/5: This dessert was AMAZINGGGG. I forgot to take a pic sadly. The sugar on the donuts was amazing and the dipping sauces were fire. One of them was like a ginger cream(??) situation. It was so good. Drinks: Espresso martini: 3/5: Nothing crazy- just your classic espresso martini- can't go wrong. Also asked for it with tequila and they put Casamigos which I did not ask for and charged an extra $10 for that so that was kinda annoying. Spirit: 3/5: This was a tequila drink. It gave paloma vibes and it was on the rocks. It tasted way too strong to be honest. read more

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We are all getting older but some of us do it more graciously. Tonight was such an occasion--a dinner celebration with family at Buddakan in Philadelphia. During the wait for our table, I became aware of my newest Yelp fans, or since we are in Philadelphia, fanatics. It was surprisingly cool to revisit the 1-Star reviews as well as some of the others before and after ordering. Buddakan is a destination location and one of the many attributes that I like about it is that it is not pretentious. You can certainly wear a smoking jacket, be dressed in a sleek shiny bedazzled dress with heels, be in Costco pants with an untucked dress shirt, or a Polo shirt and jeans. You be you but regardless of your attire, you'll be treated as if you were family friends of the owners. There's a chef's tasting menu, appetizers, salads, entrees, a gluten-free menu, and a vegan menu. All of the menu items albeit for one, are executed at a very high level. As we were celebrating the birthday, the youngest member of our dining party, Cole embodied the persona of one Ebby Calvin 'Nuke' LaLoosh. For those who don't know. 'Nuke' Laloosh has a wicked delivery with all the exuberance of youth in the movie, 'Bull Durham'. While I am not yet Crash Davis, Cole was providing his own Yelp review in a play-by-play breakout like it was from a Monday Night Football Game between the hometown Eagles and their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. The impersonation and flattery were not lost on me but Cole does have some skills. Russ was our waiter. Russ who has been off for the last two days just finding his groove with our dining party. He did not miss a beat and not only took our order but guided us like a pro thru the nuances and made many recommendations. I really liked that he was able to provide an abundance of details about the vegan offerings. Most non-vegan servers have little to zero knowledge but Russ was a seasoned veteran perhaps more like Crash Davis than myself. More than any other dining table, there were very specific dining requests for the Wasabi Crushed Filet as well as the Black Pepper Beef. The Black Pepper Beef features wok-tossed rib eye with a crispy bird's nest. I was delighted to order the Mushroom potstickers, a delectable mushroom mix neatly wrapped in a potsticker that had a crispy under and pillowy top. The pickled lotus root ponzu sauce is nothing to be scared about. It's sweet and salty but not overpowering. I'm fairly certain that Nuke, errr, Cole secretly stole one off of the plate and at this very moment is attempting his very own Yelp review or play-by-play call for his podcast. I also ordered the Wok Cashew Chicken but the kitchen substituted Tofu in lieu of chicken. Tofu is a very tricky ingredient to cook with. Cook it too long and it's a problem, cook it too little and it too is a problem. The chefs at Buddakan are skilled artisans and know how to cook the tofu to the exact moment to allow it to melt in your mouth. This wok has a delightful plum wine sauce and tamari sauce. It is a stunning plate and deserves to be ordered. I knew I wanted a side of Chinese Eggplant. A matter of fact, I wanted to order two. I'm glad that Russ talked me out of it. The Chinese Eggplant's star shone as bright as the Wok Cashew Tofu and if I had to rate them both, the Chinese Eggplant would come in first place as the most flavorful dish on the vegan menu. It was so good that the flavor fireworks that bombarded my mouth led to a "When Harry met Sally' moment, and I knocked over a glass flooding the pants of the fellow diner. I slumped into my chair exhausted from the flavor high that I was on. Thankfully, Cole with his boundless energy and wild delivery provided me with the spark to continue as the Curried Cauliflower arrived. I barely touched the Curried Cauliflower the rest of the evening and focused my attention on the Wok Cashew and the Chinese Eggplant. Special shoutout to Eric. He was an efficient professional. His eagle eyes and senses cleared dishes, brought new dishes, and cleaned up the spilled drinks without the aid of the hand in the air or the dinner serviette waved like a surrender flag from the wild west. But wait there's more. The desserts. The "Dip Sum" Doughnuts and the The Winding Road were over-the-top fun and delicious. I had the pleasure of watching one of the dinners inhale the Chocolate cake to feed his chocolate addiction. The "Dip Sum" Doughnuts are a treat that needs to be ordered. I wholeheartedly recommend Buddakan in Philadelphia for a romantic dinner for two, a business dinner with clients from out of town, or a classy birthday party. To the birthday girl, Thank you. It was a pleasure to share this evening with you. To Cole, I'll catch your wicked fastball any day of the week but I am not ready to retire but stay with me kid, and I'll teach about the big leagues. read more

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Food was delicious and drinks were good. We had a big group and went on a friday night. It took a little bit to order and get drinks, but once we were settled it was great. Ambiance is nice read more

Buddakan - Bbq Barbecue Pork Tenderloin - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great food great service great atmosphere and a little crowded. This was my very first time! read more

This was the best Asian food I have ever had in my life, hands down. Lots of delicious vegetarian options! We had the veggie pad Thai, lemon pepper tofu, and the garlic eggplant. My friends enjoyed their soup dumplings and tuna. We all agreed it was the best meal we had in Philly! read more

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Food: 3 Decor: 3 Service: 2 Dim Sum Sampler $21 two each: chicken, shrimp, szechuan pork and edamame dumplings served with a chili-soy dipping sauce 3/5. The edamame dumplings were quite tasty (probably my favorite item of the dinner), but I thought the rest was just average. Nice to be able to try a sampler though. Spicy Rock Shrimp Bao Buns $17 pickled slaw 4/5. Thought the buns were quite tasty and a nice balance with the pickled slaw. Lobster Fried Rice $25 saffron, thai basil 3/5. Generous portion of fried rice so I could only finish about half, but overall I didn't think it was that memorable. Service was disappointing. They gave my lobster fried rice to the party next to me, and it was slow to get my order taken. read more

Buddakan - Spicy Rock Shrimp Bao Bun - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The giant Buddah you see as you first walk into the restaurant is impressive. Great atmosphere. Food was good, but the service was amazing. Ryan was our waiter and he was so attentive and helpful. And has a fantastic personality. Love the touch of the manager coming around to check on how we were doing. All-in-all a great experience! read more

I was already really enjoying the food and cocktails. Then, when I left, the UPSTAIRS bartender, Rachel, ran my card out to me on the street. I had left my credit card, she returned it to me on the street. read more

Great experience during restaurant week! This was our second restaurant week experience and this was definitely the best so far. We started with the hamachi crudo and the edamame as our appetizers! We also had to try some of the dumplings off the regular menu because they sounded too good. Everything was great! The edamame was a tad too salty and spicy for me but still good. For entrees, we got the seabass and black pepper beef. Both were excellent! The beef entree was huge which was a pleasant surprise. For dessert, we got the donuts and coconut cake. Both were great! We would definitely like to come back to try other things on the menu! read more

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Courtney totally ruined the meal with awful service. Calling everyone at the table her "friend" all nite long was such a turnoff. As was her trying to flirt with one of the wives. Worse yet, she left us for a good 45 minutes after our salad arrived but before placing our dinner. Totally blew the flow. read more

What kind is one of my favorite restaurants. I went to restaurant week so it was extremely busy, however, it is all these busy. We have reservations and we still were not seated until about 45 minutes after our reservation time. When we were seated at the table or a waiter was very impatient he did not give us much time to look over the menu. When our food arrived, he did not give us much time to eat our food. He pretty much brought the boxes out for us to pack up our food after we took two bites of our meal. He was not rude. He was just very impatient. However, the food was good and it was very loud inside of the restaurant. We could not really hear each other talk, but it was expected to be loud because it was so many guest inside.The restaurant is a very beautiful restaurant and normally I would give five stars but because of how the waiter had treated us, I had to take away a star. I've never had bad service here and I wouldn't say that this experience was bad, but it was weird. Maybe he was overwhelmed with the high volume of guest That week. The way I got my friend excited about trying Buddakan and what we received when we got there was a letdown. But overall, I do recommend this restaurant especially for a date night. read more

Buddakan - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Wasabi mashed potatoes, need I say more. Great meal and service! A great unexpected take on Tuna Tataki. Ambiance is great with moderate noise. read more

Buddakan - Wasabi Tuna Tataki - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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5/5 stars!!! What an excellent meal from start to finish. Katie, our server was fantastic and truly made this meal a memorable one. She is an amazing server who never made us feel like we were bothering her and went above and beyond. The food was simply incredible. The tea braised short ribs were the star of the show. We also ordered rock shrimp bao buns, tuna spring rolls, dim sum sampler, general tso's soup dumplings, black pepper beef. Every bite was better than the next. Cannot wait to return! read more

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I very rarely leave reviews so the fact that I'm typing this now says more than just something. Everything about our dining experirnce was a 5+ star show. Fantastic cocktails at the bar before being seated - Old Wise Man would be a very wise choice. The tea smoked ribs and Buddakan Style Sashimi appetizers are next level outstanding. Every entry was delicious and beautifully plated. The Wasabi Tuna Tataki was my favorite. It was an anniversary dinner and our daughter was visiting from college so she joined us. She has Celiac so dining out is always risky and rarely worth raving about but, wow, did Buddakan shine here. They have two gluten free menus - one for those who are only allergic, and another for those with serious gluten issues including Celiac. Both menus have many great options and the GF dishes are prepared with dedicated equipment to prevent cross-contamination. I can't say enough about the service. Simply impeccable. The experience was capped off with an amazing surprise anniversary desert which was almost too artisticly crafted to destroy with forks and spoons. It tasted even better than it looked - which seemed impossible. With such competition in the Philly fine, concept, and destination dining scene, the fact that Buddakan remains a hot dining ticket so many years after it first opened speaks volumes. Whether you're planning to book a Stephen Starr or other 5 star Philly restaurant for a special occasion, looling for a great spot for a top notch GF meal, or just want to treat yourself and your guests to a memorable meal in a beautiful atmosphere, stop reading and start booking at Buddakan! read more

I have dined at other Starr restaurants, and I anticipated more from Buddakan. The food was decent but it was missing bold flavors, the skill, and the depth. I enjoyed the dumplings and I'd get those again--but from the fried noodles to the beef, nothing was poor yet nothing stood out. We ate there on a weekend night. The restaurant was massive, packed, and noisy. Though our meals arrived fast, I had to hunt for my waiter just to request salt or water. I really wouldn't visit again. I a. not mad at what they do, because the price was not outrageous. But I can go to China Town and get way better food. read more

We've been to most Starr restaurants but this was our first time here and for a special occasion. We were seated at table 51. A table for two in the walkway directly next to a table of four who was already seated in a fairly empty space at 5:45pm. Not ideal and definitely not preferred. Food was decent but not elevated as one would want at a Starr establishment. Service was slow though friendly. Dessert seemed half cooked and in the end one of the party of two ended up very sick w vomit and diarrhea. Maybe skip Buddakan on the Starr tour. We won't be back. read more

Buddakan - That's not my husband's arm but the table of four we were seated with. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania