Just Buddha-ful

Last night me and my girls went on the town and hit up the big B, aka Buddakan. Now this was my second time at Stephen Starr's highly acclaimed hot spot, and it was just as an amazing experience as the first. My wolf pack consisted of me, Ali, Bronwen, Steph, Bree, Morgan, Anisha, iAndrea, and Al's older twin sister aka her mom. We ordered dishes family style and while I did get to sample a few new things, I can contest to Big B's consistency on those dishes that I did order last time. Buddakan's focus on clean presentation combined with clean but decadent flavors never fails to disappoint my tastebuds or those of my wolf pack that I was with. You can't go to Buddakan and not order the Edamame Ravioli, skipping this dish should be illegal. Ali wholeheartedly agrees with me because I know she dreams about these on a regular basis. I honestly bite my tongue while I type this, but I forgot how good they were and it was OH SO NICE to be reminded. They're light and velvety texture is rich and creamy and is just everything a ravioli should be.

The Chicken Ginger Dumplings were great, flavor packed and sooo delicious. Bree is now the dumpling queen in my mind because she seriously went HAM on these things. Apparently chicken ginger dumplings make her animal instincts come out. 

A new dish I tried was the Asian style Caesar Salad. While I'm not a devout Caesar fan, the hint of ginger in the dressing had me a convert. It had just the right amount of dressing and the addition of spiced nuts in the salad gave it a new and welcome spin.

The Sea Bass over roasted butternut squash, haricot verts, maitake mushrooms, and a truffle was light and refreshing. The fish had that melt in your mouth quality that sea bass has when it's done right, simply sooo good. And truffles? Foget about it. 

My favorite entree we had was the Wasabi Crusted Filet. Seriously, it was ON POINT. Thinly sliced pieces of filet crusted with wasabi were arranged daintily on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes and decorated with some roasted vegetables. It was the perfect balance of heartiness yet an element of elegance and delicacy. 

The Wok Cashew Chicken was also great, a little saucy, but it was a great sauce so it worked.

The Korean Beef Fried Rice with kimchi and a sunny side up egg was awesome. It was sticky and thick and you could taste every element in it and I wanted to eat the whole bowl but had to be polite and share :( AKA hence no picture, it was eaten too fast.

Now. Dessert. Ahh, dessert. Last time I went to Buddakan I literally wrote a love poem in my review about the "Dip Sum" Doughnuts, five spice sugar doughnuts served in a Chinese take out box accompanied by a trio of blackberry jam, a rich chocolate sauce, and a gingered cream cheese. All I have to say is Do It. Just do it. In my words, just "do it" means order at least 3 orders. Fluffy, sugary, dough-nutty perfection.

We also tried the Crying Chocolate, a warm chocolate cake with a soft center and vietnamese coffee ice cream. Within seconds of touching the table, it was gone. Rich, chocolatey yet still light, it was a chocolate lover's dream. And finally the Milk Chocolate Caramel Tart; caramel ganache, milk chocolate mousse, jasmine vanilla ice cream, and caramelized bands. Can you imagine a better combination? Let me answer that, NO. 

Ya, it was a good night, certainly appreciated from my Wolf Pack because we are all severely food deprived...HA. No but seriously, it was once again amazing and now that I've been twice and have had amazing success, Buddakan can officially be added to my list of favorites and must visits in Philly.

link to first in depth review: http://hungreegirl.blogspot.com/2011/11/budda-in-muh-belly.html

hooray for doughnuts

xoxo

hungreegirl.