Restaurant Review: Buddakan

I went to Buddakan on Wednesday night with my friend Julia from work. It's a trendy French Asian Fusion restaurant on the Meat Packing District. (I'm not sure I'll ever think that is a good name for an area.) It's next to Greenwich Market but due to its minimalist exterior I completely missed it last time I was there.

The food was light and fresh. All dishes are brought and served in the middle of the table encouraging you to share. We had their signature starter of edamame dumplings as well as the tuna tartare rolls. The edamame dumplings were certainly innovative, but I preferred the tuna tartare rolls. Which is ironic from a man who usually doesn't eat fish!

For the main course we had blackened cod and a duck dish. Again both were excellent. The duck came served with pancakes, it was very moist moist and tasted as if it has been steamed (?). (I've just checked the website and it says Peking Duck, but it didn't taste like anything I have had in a Chinese before.)

For desert we had the Crying Chocolate desert which was my least favourite dish of the evening. I didn't quite get the combination of chocolate, hot toffee and coffee ice cream.

After dinner we went to the fantastic roof top bar at the Gansevoort Hotel, a few steps away from Buddakan, for a drink. It's a really lively part of town and we rounded off the night with a night cap in Pastis. I was suffering a little the next day!

This is probably my final blog from New York as I am due to fly home tomorrow, its been a fantastic three months and I've really enjoyed it. Brockley here I come!