This is a very nice family-style place where the food is well-prepared and the staff is friendly. I'd call it a mix of authentic and American Chinese fare, and both kinds are well done. I look forward to exploring more of the menu in the future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Harini Ramakrishnan
Food was excellent. Very clean place. They are having staff shortages.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
K G
Came here for lunch. There were signs posted that the restaurant is short-staffed, and requested patience. There was one server for the whole restaurant. We did have to wait about 10 minutes for her to take our order. While waiting, I noticed that the server waited on customers in the order they were seated. Well done! Once we ordered, our food came out quickly and was delicious! It was well worth the brief wait. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patricia Blackwell
The food was delicious. We were a party of 5 and everyone was happy. The teapot was very difficult for someone with arthritis to lift.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Maxon
Great mom and Pop 10 seat restaurant wonderful food fantastic service
Josh Speciale
We have enjoyed every visit to Budai, and especially appreciate how they're able to make most entrees gluten free. Their service is always friendly. The black pepper lamb may be perfection!Dietary restrictions: Most entrees can be made gluten free.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
stephanie chu
Really watery walnut fried shrimp, overly fried green onion pancake and super dry home style tofu. It’s Americanized Chinese food that does not cater to an authentic dining experience. For two dishes and a pancake, it was over $50. It’s such a disappointment and really not cool. The service is wonderful thou!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Selena Killeen
GourmetAuthenticDeliciousI don't know what else to say. This place is just absolutely incredible. Fine-dining at its finest. Budai's Chinese cuisine in Albuquerque New Mexico is better than 99% of Chinese restaurants we've been to in Texas, California, New York and Washington. Outside of China, the only cities where you can find more authentic and tasty Chinese food than Budai is Vancouver Canada, Montreal, Singapore and Mauritius.12/10 would recommend for first dates, second dates, 30th anniversaries, graduations, Christmas, Lunar New Year, Vesak Day and 4th of July.Vegetarian options: Excellent for vegetarians, vegans and Buddhist diet.Dietary restrictions: Very accomodating for allergies and G6PD deficiency (favism).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Rice Vinegar & Ginger Dipping Sauce, Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Sauce for Soup Dumpling, Sesame Chicken, Green Onion Pancake, Dumplings, Soup, Duck, Sweet and Sour Chicken
Jennie
This is my go to place for great Chinese tofu dishes. Never disappoints! If you want to try out their food, the lunch menu is fairly priced and delicious. Great place to go with a group, too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Diane J
I've finally found my favorite Chinese restaurant! I went with a friend today and ordered the mini shrimp dumplings, ma po tofu (extra spicy), salt and pepper short ribs and beef stew in clay pot.Everything was so good and flavorful! The mini shrimp dumplings were soft, tender and tasty. The ma po tofu had little bits of pork in it and was full of umami flavor and soft tofu. It's the best I've had so far in NM. Salt and pepper short ribs were super tender inside with a light and crispy exterior and perfectly seasoned. There was no prim and proper way to eat them, so we just dug in. The beef stew in clay pot was impressive! It came sizzling to our table and the aroma!!! So flavorful with tender beef, Napa cabbage and clear glass noodles on the bottom. So very good!We had just missed the lunch rush. The service was polite and efficient. Our server seemed to be happy to see us enjoying our food so much. Very nice guy.We were so happy to be seated at a comfortable booth. So many restaurants seem too modern and almost sterile. This place has a warm and comfortable feel.This is a place we'll go out of our way to visit again. I can't wait to take my husband next time!
Amazing service - I get treated like family in here. And the food is top notch, so delicious and carefully made.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kathleen Von Deegan-Torres
This little gem serves something very special....soup dumplings. Yes, they are smaller than usual however, the size allows for a full mouth bite size. The sauce is bomb. And they serve in stainless steel which is more sanitary than the bamboo steam things. If you're a new Yorker missing Chinatown, this is your place!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Used Cars
If you’re trying to satisfy a real Asian appetite such as Szechuan or similar and you like certain ingredients not found on the menu just ask the wife “Miss Elsa” and her amazing chef, husband to prepare for you your favorites- there probably going to spank me when they read this but those two owner operators have been preparing for me almost weekly my favorites all in one entree. Unbelievable is all I can say besides tasting delicious. What a great discovery. Check out this tucked away little piece of culinary Heaven you won’t be disappointed. See you next week for my usual! Try Budai “the bomb” Restaurant in the far north center with Sprouts and Petco.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patrick Massengale
Food (garlice sauce squid) was very tasty. Service was a little lacking but to be fair, they have signs up stating they are short on staff and to please be kind. To explain, I was never offered water or given my check until I went to register. Room temp was uncomfortably warm but that could just have been me. Overall, it was good food and the people were courteous enough.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Steve Henry
I'm literally hooked on a dish they prepare especially for me. That's correct - they may not like this too much, but the owners will prepare something for you if they have the ingredients to do so. I'm stuck on the eggplant, chicken (no Broccoli) add a few bean sprouts and not too spicey! The absolute bomb dish! These owners will do everything to make you what you want. And the quality is amazing. If you want the very best in Asian food, look no farther than Budai. Open their front door with a hard pull and come taste the best in Albuquerque.
This is a very nice family-style place where the food is well-prepared and the staff is friendly. I'd call it a mix of authentic and American Chinese fare, and both kinds are well done. I look forward to exploring more of the menu in the future.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was excellent. Very clean place. They are having staff shortages.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came here for lunch. There were signs posted that the restaurant is short-staffed, and requested patience. There was one server for the whole restaurant. We did have to wait about 10 minutes for her to take our order. While waiting, I noticed that the server waited on customers in the order they were seated. Well done! Once we ordered, our food came out quickly and was delicious! It was well worth the brief wait. We will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was delicious. We were a party of 5 and everyone was happy. The teapot was very difficult for someone with arthritis to lift.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great mom and Pop 10 seat restaurant wonderful food fantastic service
We have enjoyed every visit to Budai, and especially appreciate how they're able to make most entrees gluten free. Their service is always friendly. The black pepper lamb may be perfection!Dietary restrictions: Most entrees can be made gluten free.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really watery walnut fried shrimp, overly fried green onion pancake and super dry home style tofu. It’s Americanized Chinese food that does not cater to an authentic dining experience. For two dishes and a pancake, it was over $50. It’s such a disappointment and really not cool. The service is wonderful thou!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
GourmetAuthenticDeliciousI don't know what else to say. This place is just absolutely incredible. Fine-dining at its finest. Budai's Chinese cuisine in Albuquerque New Mexico is better than 99% of Chinese restaurants we've been to in Texas, California, New York and Washington. Outside of China, the only cities where you can find more authentic and tasty Chinese food than Budai is Vancouver Canada, Montreal, Singapore and Mauritius.12/10 would recommend for first dates, second dates, 30th anniversaries, graduations, Christmas, Lunar New Year, Vesak Day and 4th of July.Vegetarian options: Excellent for vegetarians, vegans and Buddhist diet.Dietary restrictions: Very accomodating for allergies and G6PD deficiency (favism).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce, Rice Vinegar & Ginger Dipping Sauce, Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce, Sauce for Soup Dumpling, Sesame Chicken, Green Onion Pancake, Dumplings, Soup, Duck, Sweet and Sour Chicken
This is my go to place for great Chinese tofu dishes. Never disappoints! If you want to try out their food, the lunch menu is fairly priced and delicious. Great place to go with a group, too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I've finally found my favorite Chinese restaurant! I went with a friend today and ordered the mini shrimp dumplings, ma po tofu (extra spicy), salt and pepper short ribs and beef stew in clay pot.Everything was so good and flavorful! The mini shrimp dumplings were soft, tender and tasty. The ma po tofu had little bits of pork in it and was full of umami flavor and soft tofu. It's the best I've had so far in NM. Salt and pepper short ribs were super tender inside with a light and crispy exterior and perfectly seasoned. There was no prim and proper way to eat them, so we just dug in. The beef stew in clay pot was impressive! It came sizzling to our table and the aroma!!! So flavorful with tender beef, Napa cabbage and clear glass noodles on the bottom. So very good!We had just missed the lunch rush. The service was polite and efficient. Our server seemed to be happy to see us enjoying our food so much. Very nice guy.We were so happy to be seated at a comfortable booth. So many restaurants seem too modern and almost sterile. This place has a warm and comfortable feel.This is a place we'll go out of our way to visit again. I can't wait to take my husband next time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Amazing service - I get treated like family in here. And the food is top notch, so delicious and carefully made.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This little gem serves something very special....soup dumplings. Yes, they are smaller than usual however, the size allows for a full mouth bite size. The sauce is bomb. And they serve in stainless steel which is more sanitary than the bamboo steam things. If you're a new Yorker missing Chinatown, this is your place!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
If you’re trying to satisfy a real Asian appetite such as Szechuan or similar and you like certain ingredients not found on the menu just ask the wife “Miss Elsa” and her amazing chef, husband to prepare for you your favorites- there probably going to spank me when they read this but those two owner operators have been preparing for me almost weekly my favorites all in one entree. Unbelievable is all I can say besides tasting delicious. What a great discovery. Check out this tucked away little piece of culinary Heaven you won’t be disappointed. See you next week for my usual! Try Budai “the bomb” Restaurant in the far north center with Sprouts and Petco.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food (garlice sauce squid) was very tasty. Service was a little lacking but to be fair, they have signs up stating they are short on staff and to please be kind. To explain, I was never offered water or given my check until I went to register. Room temp was uncomfortably warm but that could just have been me. Overall, it was good food and the people were courteous enough.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I'm literally hooked on a dish they prepare especially for me. That's correct - they may not like this too much, but the owners will prepare something for you if they have the ingredients to do so. I'm stuck on the eggplant, chicken (no Broccoli) add a few bean sprouts and not too spicey! The absolute bomb dish! These owners will do everything to make you what you want. And the quality is amazing. If you want the very best in Asian food, look no farther than Budai. Open their front door with a hard pull and come taste the best in Albuquerque.
Food: 5