by Brian R. on I really wanted to like this place, but alas this is just a tourist hot spot that was made famous by the Buddha statue in many popular TV shows like Sex and The City. Even with reservations, expect to wait half an hour at the often packed bar area where you feel like you are in some darkly lit bus terminal station waiting for the next bus to arrive. This place is also incredibly loud as the music here is more suited for a club than a fine dining experience. This Chinese fusion joint tries to separate itself with some innovative twists on some very classical Chinese cuisine. We ordered the Lobster Wontons, Hong Kong XO Shrimp, Peking Duck, XO Chinese long beans and the Thai Fish Hot Pot. The Lobster Wontons were as you expect, wrapped in thin dough and set in a mild soup stock they were tasty, but nothing very special. The Peking duck was a bit of a disappointment as the skin and meat of the duck were not as flavorful at some of the restaurants that serves it in Chinatown. The Thai Fish Hot Pot was so tangy that we had to add water to it to thin it out. The Hong Kong Shrimp was ok, but I have had the same dish in Chinatown for 1/3 of the price! The long beans and rice felt like they belonged on a mass produce airline tray than a restaurant. Long beans were mushy and the rice was flavorless. The service was ok as our waiter did take our orders when we sat, but we barely got our water filled and needed to look for our waiter when it came time to pay our check. Overall the experience was lacking on all fronts. The food was average, the decor was a bit garish, the noise was way too loud and I'm not even sure what the attraction is of Big Buddha...I've been to Hong Kong and I've seen Big Buddha first hand... With so many good Chinese restaurants in Chinatown serving food at 1/3 the price of this joint, I shall not return.
by Gonzalo Hetzler on This place is a little odd, but i like it. There is dancing and drinking and chiinese food all in one. Plus they have comedy show here and magic shows. The performances are hot or miss, some performers are good and other are just OK, but since it costs less than $10 its fun anyway.
