"Entering Budonoki feels like stepping into a cool party: neon LED wall art lights up the room; 2000s R&B hits are bumping; and the fun, inviting vibe permeates all corners. The most important aspect about this 2024 Eater Best New Restaurant winner, however, is the inventive and irreverent food. Helmed by executive chef Dan Rabilwongse with partners Eric Bedroussian and Josh Hartley, Budonoki is an adventure that combines Japanese precision with bright Thai flavors and French techniques."
"The naem, a fermented Thai pork sausage whose recipe Rabilwongse learned from his mom, is eye-wideningly spicy and sour. Pairing it with spheres of red curry-flavored crispy rice makes it reminiscent of crispy tuna rice, a classic izakaya staple, even if it's anything but. The "budo-gnocchi" submerges toasted, chewy rice cakes in a luxuriously silky shimeji mushroom and Parmesan cream sauce, which all gets blanketed with freshly grated black truffle. The ingredients within the scallop crudo change seasonally, but the mollusk is always reliably fresh."
Budonoki offers a lively, neon-lit atmosphere with 2000s R&B music and playful design elements, creating a partylike dining mood. Executive chef Dan Rabilwongse and partners Eric Bedroussian and Josh Hartley fuse Japanese precision with bright Thai flavors and French techniques. Signature dishes include fiery, sour naem paired with red curry–flavored crispy rice, the "budo-gnocchi" of toasted rice cakes in a shimeji-Parmesan cream finished with black truffle, and a seasonal scallop crudo often paired with figs and pomegranate-coconut mousse. Cocktails include the whimsical Girl's Night Out served in animal mugs, with an extensive sake list. The rotating soft-serve dessert comes with a take-home shovel-shaped spoon.
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