Buddakan

Somehow, March of each year is the craziest time of year. I shouldn't really say "somehow". I know exactly why it is. It's because I'm a severe special needs teacher, and MCAS Alternative Assessment Portfolios are due to the state at the end of March. It's because my annual Atlantic City trip is in March. It's because I am currently trying to buy a house.

While buying a house is exciting (and stressful), and MCAS portfolios are pure evil, the focus of this post is Atlantic City, which is awesome! This year we left on St. Patrick's day, and returned on the 19th. Another 3-day whirlwind trip that's over in a flash.

This year was a little more mellow of a trip. I focused less on drinking (gallbladder recovery is still a little in effect) and more on relaxing, which I desperately need this time of year. My mum, aunt and I decided to go shopping (more so window shopping) at the Pier Shops at Caesars Palace. On the 3rd floor of the shops there are nothing but restaurants. My aunt decided we needed to partake in some sort of happy hour, maybe some drinks, preferably some sushi. We decided on Buddakan. Once we looked over the menu, we rushed right in. They featured a happy hour menu of some select items and drinks, all $5. Yes, I said all $5.

When you walk in, this is what you approach:

We sat at the bar. Starting off with the drinks, we were able to choose from about 8-10 signature drinks, all $5. We went with the Zen-gria.

Described as a blend of wine, sake, spirits and fruit (one raspberry apparently counts as fruit), this cocktail was delicious. It was super light and refreshing, and I want to learn how to make it myself.

Onto the appetizers. When I saw the menu featured dim sum items, I almost fell off my bar stool. I love dim sum and haven't had any traditional dim sum in years. While this isn't traditional, it would certainly fulfill some of my dim sum cravings. I didn't get a chance to snap photos of the Cantonese Spring Rolls or the Chicken & Ginger Dumplings, but I assure you, they were delicious.

What I did capture photos of were these...

Tuna Spring Roll

The Tuna Spring Roll intrigued me. Mum and Aunt wouldn't try it. While I love tuna tartare, I was hoping these would be a little spicier (or spicy at all). When I cut them open, they looked so yummy, but when I took a bit, they were pretty plain. To be honest, I left half of one uneaten. It just didn't wow me. Especially after I had eaten these right before it...

Spicy Rock Shrimp Bao Buns

Sweet Jesus in heaven. I'm not so sure I can do these justice. We all split one order, I ate one, they each ate half. The we all ordered our own separate orders after that. These were phenomenal. Outstanding. Amazing. Absurdly delicious. Think of any adjective that would describe good food and it can be applied.

I've had tradition dim sum Char Siu Bao, which is barbecue pork wrapped in these fluffy buns and sealed up like a little bun/biscuit. These were clearly open, and we ate them like a taco. It was wonderfully spicy, similar to the spicy mayo you get on some sushi dishes. The buns were super soft and fluffy. As I type this, I wish I was having a million of these for dinner instead of spaghetti and meatballs, which is great, but it's not on the same level as these babies.

Our bartender was attentive, and all dishes were brought out as they were made, so everything was fresh and kept at a great pace for eating. It's the off season on Atlantic City, so the restaurant wasn't crowded. There were 2 other couples that were in the bar at some point during our happy hour excursion. I'm glad that we had the place mostly to ourselves. It was quiet and calm and allowed me to really enjoy the drinks and food.

And oh those bao buns....