Buddakan A.C.

The Pier at Caesars, 1 Atlantic Ocean
One Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

Phone: 609-674-0100

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Have you been to the Forbidden City? Buddakan feels just like it—kinda. The Pier’s most tucked-away restaurant—from the entryway, only the gilded Buddha lording over the 15-foot-long communal table is visible—is actually 246-seats massive. Request a table on the red-shuttered mezzanine, a circular booth bordering the dining room, or a hanging booth on the main room’s crimson-curtained periphery. Avoid freestanding center tables, which are way too crowded, chilly, cafeteria-like. Once properly installed, try first: skewered slices of Kobe beef satay with a side of lightly battered tempura veggies (the star of the crop is the edamame), the sashimi app du jour, or any of Starr’s signature very-shareable-size salads. Second: Sink into savory tuna tataki with soy-glazed shiitake and an airy citrus salad, stick-to-your-ribs wild-mushroom chow fun featuring four kinds of fungi, or gently wasabi-crusted filet mignon. From the $12 exotic cocktails list, our favorite is the summery blueberry mojito made of fresh blueberries muddled in vanilla sugar, lime and blueberry vodka. For dessert, opt for the fruity, coconut sticky-rice pudding served with a dollop of brown-sugar pineapple sorbet and surrounded by coconut foam. During the day, there’s a less expensive bento-box lunch: $20 three-course prix fixe.