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The Original Buddha Bodai - Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant
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Friend
Vegetarian
Vegan-friendly
Ovo
Chinese
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
Catering
Kosher
Chinese vegetarian restaurant est. since 2004 and is not affiliated with Buddha Bodai on Mulberry St. Offers vegan dim sum until 4pm, plus a wide range of faux meat dishes. Reported uses egg in a few dishes and mango pudding contains dairy. Kitchen stops 9:30pm. Open Mon-Fri 11:00am-9:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:00am-9:00pm.
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5 Mott St, New York City, New York, USA, 10013
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 13 Nov 2024 by hugemittons
Update business info
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107 Reviews
First Review by A.Z.P.
die_erbse7
Points +232
The best asian food - Edit
Throughout my New York travel i came three times to eat at Buddha Bodai. The Food tastes amazing, the fake meat just like real meat and the prices are cheap.
Read morePros: cheap, huge selection
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3027
Tasty and inexpensive - Edit
We came here for a dim sum lunch and it didn't disappoint. Being originally from Hong Kong, I grew up on the stuff and know how they should look/taste. The food here is pretty decent and authentic, although not as good as you can get in HK. A few things were slightly off the mark in terms of flavors and seasoning, but still I'll take it. We paid $20+ for six dishes and left more than full.
Read morePros: decent food
Cons: cheap
Guest
ByronSobe
Points +288
lunch was good!! - Edit
Had general tsos chicken for lunch and it came with tea and hot and sour soup for $7.50. Overall great experience.
Read moreGuest
Nourished
Points +124
JACKPOT! Vegetarian, Chinese, Dim Sum, Kosher and numerous gluten free options! - Edit
The restaurant was clean, the food was delicious, the service was friendly. We ordered almost all the gluten free options and everything was so tasty!
Read moreGuest
warino
Points +154
How much do I love this place? - Edit
Best vegan dim sum in the world. Is that a fair assessment? The bbq meat is alone worth the trip.
Read morePros: Food, Food, Food
Cons: Service, Bathrooms, The other customers stick their noses in your food
Guest
robpaterson
Points +163
One of the Best Asian Veg Places in NYC - Edit
We ate here for the first time in a while, and it was as amazing we we remember it. The atmosphere is calm, and it seems very clean, both the restaurant and the food. We ordered the Steamed Vegetable Buns (wonderful), Ribs with black bean sauce (also great), the BBQ Veg. Meat (more on that in a moment), the Steamed Veg Meal Ball (not our favorite, bot good) and the veg. meat bun very good). The BBQ veg meat is out of this world. You know it must be good, because they sell it in a cooler at the front of the restaurant. We loved it so much we bought two containers and took it home. In fact, we'll be back, just for that dish alone.
Read moreThey have a full non-dim sum menu with tons of really excellent Chinese dishes. Will update review again once I/we visit again and try more dishes.
Pros: Lots of variety, Clean food and atmosphere, Plenty of Seating
Cons: Maybe a little more detail about specific ingredie
Guest
cookiem
Points +5888
Chinese and Asian food - Edit
Not sure why I haven't reviewed this place before as I have dined here many times over many years. It is the biggest variety of vegan Chinese food in Chinatown, and for that, it rocks!
Read moreIt is Kosher, so be aware of what you bring with you. To earn that certification means a lot to the community, so respect it.
They have dim sum here for lunch, vegan versions of classics like bao, dumplings and rice-based deliciousness. I love the sticky rice and shui mai. There are a million dishes with fake meat, as I am pretty sure Buddhists were the originators of fake meat. The beef is always good with anything like Americanized sautéed dishes. There are a good number of noodle choices, salads and sides.
Pan fried noodles rock. Sticky rice, radish cake, shui mai, rice rolls, etc. the fake seafood anything is bad. The vegetables anything is awesome like sautéed watercress, baby bok choy, spinach, Chinese broccoli, pea shoots, etc. Also, anything w taro or cedar sauce is delicious delicious delicious!!
I would give them 5 cows, but I am unhappy with their choice to no longer serve dim sum when you order it... Only at lunch. Grrr!!!
I do love this place though- it is the best choice for vegan dining in Chinatown!
Pros: Dim sum, Chinese greens, Cedar sauce
Cons: Dim sum only at lunch, Seafood is bad texture, Needs more noodle options
Guest
Jenna935
Points +26
fabulous vegan meal! - Edit
I tried this restaurant on the recommendation of an employee of the Chinese American Museum. My family and I were not disappointed. The food was awesome and plentiful. The service staff was friendly, albeit service is not their strength. I have added this restaurant to my favorites and will definitely be back when I return to NYC.
Read moreGuest
Saramste
Points +327
Good Food! - Edit
We did our best to go to several different restaurants during our recent visit to NYC (as there are so many delicious options), but we found ourselves back here a couple of times, as we really enjoy the food! We were not extremely impressed with the service, as some of the servers were dismissive and a bit temperamental. The individual that appeared to be the manager was extremely friendly, but our server left our table to help other customers (and did not return) when we asked too many questions about the menu. We tried a few of the starters, but they seemed to be a bit hit or miss. The Spring Rolls were extremely greasy, the ribs with black bean sauce tasted nothing like a vegan rib, but rather like small balls of tough soy protein in a fairly tasteless sauce. We also did not enjoy the seaweed crab meat roll, which again, tasted nothing like vegan crab meat. On a positive note, we really enjoyed the Cruller Roll, which was a fried bean curd, wrapped in a sticky rice layer similar to mochi (but not sweet). We also really loved the Barbeque meat fried rice, which they described as being very similar to Pork Fried rice (although I've never had Pork fried rice, so I can't verify that). Also tried to Barbeque meat with cabbage, but we found the Barbeque meat fried rice much more enjoyable. Overall, pretty good food!
Read morePros: Good Food, Reasonable Prices; Great Lunch Specials
Cons: Poor Services
Guest
slo0go
Points +2179
Great! - Edit
I have been coming here for years. It's pretty close to the courthouses in downtown Manhattan, further away from the busiest areas of Chinatown. They have a great lunch menu. The lamb lunch special is my favorite. It comes with soup (wonton or hot and sour), and an entree and choice of white or brown rice. This place also has a great dim sum menu between 12-4p (I believe). It's more authentic Chinese food, not the Americanized crap. I recommend any of the rice rolls, the fried eggplant with veg meat, the fake roast pork buns, the bbq veg meat appetizer, the shumai, the lettuce song appetizer, the taro "seafood" bowl, etc etc etc!
Read moreThe food is very heavy and sometimes pretty fried.
The only place that I think has better fake roast pork buns is the Vegetarian Dim Sum House, which is dim sum all day everyday, located on Pell Street a block or so away from Buddha Bodai. Unlike Vegetariann Dim Sum House, though, Buddha Bodai is not cash only.
Buddha Bodai has a sister restaurant in Flushing, Queens with a very similar menu.
Pros: Great food!, Moderately priced!, Dim sum/lunch special!
Cons: Takes credit card
Guest
Babette
Points +2107
Good Lunch Deals - Edit
I like to go to Buddha Bodai for lunch since you can eat very well for a few dollars.
Read moreI recommend :
-wonton and hot n sour soup
-General Tso Veg Chicken
I don't recommend :
Veg Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce
Pros: Good Value
Cons: Atmosphere could be better, Staff not really friendly
Guest
Veganstrength
Points +60
amazing vegan dim sum / Chinese food - Edit
Best in the city. Try the veg pork buns, Chinese broccoli, general tsos, "beechi" mushroom rice roll, hong king noodles...it's all great! Much cheaper during the week for lunch. Gets crowded on weekends after noon
Read moreGuest
SethV
Points +133
Excellent and Inexpensive - Edit
I eat here often when I am in NYC. Kosher and vegan are a great combination. The lunch menu fed us both for about $15! Sweet & Sour soup was excellent and the General Tzou was excellent. Dinners are also great. I have yet to be disappointed. All of my companions have been equally pleased.
Read morePros: Tasty, Inexpensive, Unique
Guest
GPreis
Points +55
Great Menu - Edit
I go here when I can. Some of the dishes are really very delicious. Try the lamb stew, General Tso, or the BBQ rice. Never had anything bad here. It's a large place, sometimes very crowded which tells you something, doesn't it? Prices are good. And it's kosher too!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Friday June 28, 2013
Pros: Huge menu, Large portions, Kosher
Cons: A little far from the subway
Guest
Winterhunt
Points +24
ugh - Edit
Had high hopes due to reviews and was in southern Chinatown so decided to try it. If you like grease and rude service then this is your place if not walk the 5 blocks or so north and go to Wild Ginger and eat well in a nice space with friendly service. This was pretty awful
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Wednesday March 20, 2013
Pros: umm...
Cons: greasy, rude
Guest
Vegan Vagabond
Points +4089
Good Food. Mostly vegan - Edit
My wife and I tried this place last night. It's a typical decor for a Chinatown restaurant, nothing fancy. They have a large menu with pictures and non vegan items are clearly marked. The service was good, the food was good, and the prices seemed fair.
Read moreGuest
steveveg
Points +2258
My favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurant - Edit
This is my favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurant. I go there frequently. The food is always great. The space is comfortable. There are so many choices, it is hard to choose what to order! Have never been disappointed.
Read morePros: excellent food, friendly staff
Guest
cheroyma
Points +29
Dim Yum! - Edit
Went for lunch, only 6.95 for a delicious General Tso mock chicken. It was sweet and spicy! My friend had veggie dim sum that was yum! I can't wait to go back!
Read morePros: low price, excellent food, good service
Guest
vegified
Points +68
best veg-chinese place in ny! - Edit
i love this place! the faux-meats are really good. the pineapple fried rice comes in a pineapple and is absolutely delicious! the cheese cake is insanely good. the people are nice. it's a veggie oasis in china town!
Read moreGuest
Deer Fields
Points +49
Great restaurant - Edit
We love Buddha Bodai. IT is my dad's favorite restaurant to eat vegan. So twice a year, we go to NYC to visit him and take him there almost every day that we are there! We get only the vegan items on the lunch menu. For dad, my husband and I we order 4-5 lunch dishes and usually end up eating it all! Sometimes a dish will make it to his place! The waiters all know us and for dad's birthday, they give him dessert with a candle. WE love the food. Sometimes we go to the one in Queens where the dragon lady is! The manager there who we call the dragon lady, is a b...but the food is great!
Read morePros: great food, friendly staff except 1 who looks sad
Cons: wish it were wherever we go
Guest
Vegan Goddess
Points +118
so so - Edit
Food is good but service is BAD. They're rude, bring appetizers after entrees, and lied about ingredients. MUCH better to go to Happy Buddha about 1-2 miles away. But if you want to risk the downsides here, the food is good.
Read moreGuest
veggiegoth
Points +217
quite tasty! - Edit
went here with a big group so we ordered a bunch of different things. i ordered the orange "chicken" which was delicious. a few other things i tried were very good as well. there was only 1 or 2 dishes that were not too good.
Read moreGuest
Fallopia Tuba
Points +47
My default Chinese restaurant - Edit
Buddha Bodai has become my default Chinese restaurant; with the unfortunate closing of Vegetarian's Paradise a couple of blocks away, I had to scramble to find another Chinese in Chinatown I liked as well. Buddha Bodai, with its first location in Flushing, opened this location around the time Vegetarian's Paradise closed.
Read moreThis place serves huge portions of fresh, healthy food. Not everything on the menu is vegan; it's noted on the menu which dishes contain egg. One very important point is that they make all their mock meats on premises and are kosher; they display the Kashruth certification on the wall.
They also display a certificate in which the owner, Kent Zhang, is named an official "Shark Finatic." He's proud of this; one of the specialties of the house is vegan shark fin soup. At a time in which many species of shark are becoming endangered precisely because they've been overfished for their fins, more places should serve vegan shark fin soup.
I've been eating my way down the menu, and have enjoyed most of the dishes. One of my particular favorites is the sauteed watercress with "foo yee" (fermented bean curd) sauce. I also like the taro dishes, such as the taro fish--which is taro molded into a fish shape. They also offer desserts, including vegan cheesecake and ice cream. After the meal, you get a plate of orange slices and a fortune cookie; the cookie, of course, isn't vegan, but I always read my fortune anyway.
Pros: excellent quality, fresh
Guest
markc7
Points +99
Overwhelming number of choices, great mock meats - Edit
Great place for vegan dim sum. The menu contains far more choices on the menu than the nearby and apparently more popular "Vegetarian Dim Sum House". Tasty mock meat versions of an incredible number of dishes, including shark fin soup and jellyfish, as well as classics like duck and shrimp. Reasonable prices. Highly recommended.
Read morePros: Selection, Price, Authenticity
Guest
condekedar
Points +9507
Tasty, simple, filling - Edit
Buddha Bodai has a huge menu with many innovative vegan dishes and some traditional Chinese dishes using mockmeats. I found their garlic-pepper chicken to be filling and tasty, without being oily or heavy. Their walnut shrimp was good, but a bit too sweet for me. Their cheesecake was simple, but great tasting, but their ice cream was too icy, dry and flavorless. On a whole, this is a great restaurant, though.
Read morePros: Selection, Prices, Taste
Cons: Ice cream
Guest
A.Z.P.
Points +635
The Best Vege food in the world! - Edit
Incredible vegetarian Cuisine, AND KOSHER TOO! I have fooled countless meat eaters with the "vege-pork". The tastes are explosive and unique and they take your taste buds to another world. The service is friendly and the portions are huge. Their 4 dollar lunch special is the best bargain in NEW YORK! Try the vege lamb casserole, the vege pork, orange chicken or anything else 'cause EVERYTHING IS GOOD!!
Read morePros: awesome, delicious food, affodable
Guest
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