Buddha's Belly
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Phone: (323) 931-8588
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Between N Gardner Street and N Vista Street
- Best of Citysearch:
- Pan Asian Food 2004
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 12pm-10:30pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 3pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Buddha's Belly – by Citysearch Editors
The Scene
This sun-drenched, airy dining room is welcoming and bright. Funky, oversized paper lanterns and a giant Buddha statue add liveliness to the simple space. Outside, lush bamboo shields the patio from busy Beverly Boulevard. Servers cater to neighborhood locals with friendly efficiency.
The Food
Popular Asian dishes are gussied up with fresh ingredients. Seaweed salad, a mixture of wakame and hijiki in a tangy sesame-ginger dressing, is cool and refreshing. Chilled Vietnamese shrimp rolls, packed with shrimp, cilantro and crispy rice vermicilli, gets a flavor boost from a spicy-sweet sake reduction dipping sauce. Thai beef salad is a carb-light feast with strips of tender sirloin steak, juicy tomatoes and sweet onion tossed with mixed greens in a lemongrass dressing. Japanese-style Alaskan cod glazed with a sweet miso sauce is baked until flaky and light. A cup of coconut-infused homemade tapioca pudding serves as the finale.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkAlong with a small, but well-priced wine list, there's a variety of hot and cold sake offerings. For a healthy alternative, try a non-alcoholic Virtual Buddha herbal tonic.
ParkingAt night, street parking on side streets is restricted. Valet service is offered after 5:30pm for $4.00.
The ExtrasPlanning a party? The adjoining Bamboo Room seats more than 40 guests and can be reserved for $100.
Know Before You GoThere is a sister location in Santa Monica on Broadway and 2nd Street.
User Reviews for Buddha's Belly
08/29/2008 Posted by legaleditor
We have lived by Buddha's Belly for three years and had never been in--primarily because I was concerned that my husband, who has a pepper allergy, couldn't survive a place sure to have bell peppers and chili sauce out the yin-yang. However, returning home from a long day at work yesterday, he suggested (to my surprise) we try it out. It was 9:30 pm on a Thursday and we had our 11-year-old in tow (hey, it's still summer vacation!) and we got seated in a booth right away. The restaurant was busy, but not overly crowded, and the music was definitely not overloud (I noticed someone else said the music was too loud--maybe that's just on the weekend?). Well, long story short (too late, right?), the wait staff was extremely attentive about my hubby's allergy. They seemed to know most everything in each dish we asked about, and were quick to insist on double-checking with the kitchen for things that they were even a little unsure about. Very refreshing in a city chock full of wannabe actor/waiters who think "allergy" means "dislike." (We once asked a waiter at PF Chang's why my husband's meal came with bell pepper spirals on top of it, and he said, "Oh, it's fine--it's just a garnish.") Anyway, hubby ordered three generous appetizers (Har gow, simple and super good; chicken lettuce cups, very yummy; and rock shrimp tempura, excellent). My son and I got to order spicy food for a nice change of pace (we basically never go out to Thai or Mexican places because of the allergy). We all enjoyed our food very much and had a really great service experience. To those complaining that this is not "authentic" Asian food, I would say Buddha's Belly doesn't really sell itself as such. It's kind of like complaining that an action movie wasn't "serious" enough. It's tasty food, nice ambience, and attentive wait staff. For us, that made a great Thursday night dinner.
Pros: Great service, yummy food, allergy conscious
Cons: Valet-only parking ($5), can be very busy at times
08/18/2008 Posted by saulcook27282728
My friend suggested PF Changs and I in turn suggested Buddha's Belly. And so we went. It was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E! We had exactly what the waitress suggested and we were completely unimpressed/disgusted by the food. It was the kind of food you would expect from a Food Court at the mall. It should be called BOOdha's Belly. Or BADha's Belly.
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