Lucky Buddha Eatery

Lucky Buddha is a great place to go for lunch or dinner, I went last week for my birthday dinner with a large group of 15 and then today for lunch with one friend (and sat out in the sun). Lucky Buddha occupies a bright open space that offers tables for two, communal dining or seats at the Chef’s counter.
The combination of ingredients, is fresh, cultural and modern at the same time and cooked with love and passion for Asian fusion.
The menu prices run from $ 8 – 18 which I think is very reasonable. I had the Pork Larb and lamb ribs last week. Perfectly fatty and meltingly tender lamb ribs had been slow-​cooked in a marinade which had deliciously caramelised.
Today I had a pork gua bao which was so soft and delectably tasty and fresh. Then I had the chicken soba noodles which were tasty and filling. Seriously my eyes were bigger than my belly as I over ordered.
Lucky Buddha has a beer of the same name that I had (I’m not normally a beer drinker) and it was great for a hot day.
I have been here 3 times now and I LOVE LOVE it. Get there soon if you haven’t been already.

Excellent place for lunch. The décor is great, the service excellent and the food to die for. We had steamed satay chicken buns, spicy chicken on rice and a vegetarian red curry. All were fantastic. The previous night I’d had deconstructed steamed pork buns and these were done exactly the same way but far more flavoursome. Definitely get one of these. The red curry was great. The spicy chicken was heavily fried in some sort of thick batter which I didn’t enjoy, but the chicken itself and the rice and flavoured coleslaw was great.
The rest of the menu looked really tasty so I want to come back here and try the rest of it!

Nice environment and aesthetic. Very good service. I went with a group and we shared a lot of things. I tried eggplant and crispy rice balls, angry chicken, pork, salmon etc.
Most was pleasant enough and some very nice. Angry chicken could do with an extra sauce as it can get a little dry but overall I thought it was all OK and the service was very attentive and seem very committed to looking after their customers!

Had the most delicious lunch at Lucky Buddha today — highly recommend this restaurant! The menu was varied and interesting — reminded me a bit of Café Hanoi in Britomart — and there’s loads more dishes I wanted to try so will have to book in a return visit. My friend and I chose two large dishes from the sharing menu — an omelette filled with tofu and herbs, and salmon on a zingy fresh salad, plus a little side of rice. Everything came promptly and was beautifully presented, and we ordered the right amount to fill us up. Plus, it’s very affordable — coming to just $ 21 each. The place is on Fort St and has a relaxed feel and a funky interior, and staff were lovely. It wasn’t too full on a Thursday lunchtime, but other times I’ve walked past and seen it packed. I just checked out their website and the menu isn’t the same one we were offered, so perhaps they change their dishes quite regularly. Looks like it’s good for groups too, with a long table down the centre of the room.

Sharing is the new dining experience lately and this place does it well. Small space with mix of tables, bar area and casual stools for seating. We shared a feast of steamed buns, Thai bangers (like meatballs), crispy chicken, tender lamb ribs, duck leg and Asian greens. All delivered in a flash from the kitchen. We were so full no one even contemplated dessert. Fort Street is definitely upping the game in casual, relaxed, quality eateries.

We started with the eggplant and the siu mai, and then shared a large dish of lamb ribs, with sides of rice. Then finished with the sticky rice dessert. Everything was excellent — especially the ribs.
We went there on an early Friday evening with no reservation and we were quickly given a table. Very accommodating and hassle-​free. Starters and drinks arrived quickly, and mains arrived on schedule. A great service all around.
My wife loved the eggplant, and we both agreed that the lamb ribs dish was quite good, beyond our expectations. This great experience makes me want to come back and try other dishes.
I was hoping to try the Kari Kare that other reviewers mentioned — but that’s gone from the menu.
Tip: make sure to book a reservation. We just got lucky!

Since when did Fort St become so cool? Ima on one side, Lucky Budhha & Indochine on the other. It’ll be giving Britomart a run for it’s money soon…
We came here on a Thursday night and it was choccas. It’s not a huge place but there are long communal tables so it is good for groups, just make sure you book.
The food’s ‘Asian Fusion.’ Small plates and large plates, which are designed to share but can happily be eaten solo if that isn’t your buzz.
I ordered the pork buns (to share) and the spicy chicken (not to share). The pork buns or gua bao (?) (it is just me or are these guys EVERYWHERE at the moment) were a winner. Slow cooked, super saucy pork, fresh herbs, crunchy nuts in a soft milk bun — delish! The spicy chicken was great too. It wasn’t overly spicy but it was crunchy on the outside and super tender on the inside, served on sesame rolled rice balls and a creamy slaw. Not ground breaking but well seasoned, tasty food!
I didn’t even have to look at the menu when ordering dessert. One Halo Halo please. I’m not normally into sweet but this is fast-​becoming the one desert I can’t resist. If you haven’t had it before it’s basically shaved ice with pandan, tapioca, a mixture of dried & fresh fruit and depending on the place, ice cream and/​or cream. TLB’s wasn’t overly creamy but super refreshing. Each mouthful you get a cold hit from the shaved ice and then a sugary treat — the dried fruit or the dark blue tapioca. It’s like the Filipino version of Goody Goody Gum Drops.
A great casual eatery that won’t break the bank!

A nice little addition to Fort Street (my favorite place to pretend AKL loves pedestrians ;)).
Lucky Buddha is a small, well-​laid out space with a casual vibe. The service was excellent — water glasses remained full, servers were knowledgeable and attentive (but also knew when to leave us chatting away). I was also excited to discover more than one ‘token vegetarian option’ — they were even able to convert the pork steam bun to a tofu option. It was delicious — tofu with lots of flavour: WIN. We also shared a plate of the Nhem — crispy rice balls with a light coconut dressing.
And I didn’t make the same mistake again in regards to not ordering dessert (specifically when ‘Halo Halo’ was an option). Basically, it’s a bed of ice shavings decorated/​flavored with fresh slices of mango, sweet papaya, dried oranges, tapioca, coconut and dried flowers. It wasn’t ‘cheap as chips’ ($ 14) but it was unique, flavorsome and kind of a perfect way to finish off a meal (although if it’s a chilly evening, I wouldn’t recommend, it DEFINITELY cools you down). I’m yet to determine if Nanam takes the cake though… will need to go back and order their version :)
They had a large selection of Asian beers too (including a Japanese brew I hadn’t heard of before – Baird, which through the grapevine, is pretty delicious).
I will definitely be giving LB some love again in the near future.

Adding to the rise of Asian fusion restaurants around the Auckland CBD, Lucky Buddha adds its own flavour to the expanding Fort Street scene. With Korean owners and a Filipino chef, the Asian fusion tag is well and alive as East meets East.
This makes things interesting on the menu: there’s beef tatare, lamb ribs, ‘halo-​halo’ (a Filipino dessert), sake, buns. You don’t quite know what to settle for. Inside, a shared long table dominates one side but most diners prefer to be seated at separate tables.
Going there at 6pm on a Friday night, we were asked whether we had reservations to be seated at one of those separate tables. I got nothing against the shared table philosophy but typically on a weeknight, I had my bag full of things collected from a week of teaching, and an end of the week desire to lean back and ooze. That night though, it was considered too busy so we didn’t have a choice but to sit at the bar stools at the long communal table.
The drunken chicken first caught my eye but it was nothing like what I had expected! I had imagined juicy and tender whole slices of chicken soaked in rice wine as a traditional Chinese dish. I guess this is where the fusion fact comes in. My friend did like it though, the bean sprouts and fresh coriander in the salad made it refreshing and moorish.
My favourites were the beef tatare and the spicy chicken. The chicken was juicy and not soaked in oils, accompanied with rice balls lightly dusted with crispy seasoning. Even though it was listed as a shared plate, I could have easily settled on this as a main for myself. The beef tatare was one of the best I’ve had — it was kept light with nashi pear and crisps, a good balance of sweet and savoury flavours.
There’s so much on the dessert menu that I wanted to try — the durian ice cream, halo-halo…but the combination of chocolate, coconut and pandan cream was a winner. Have a bit of everything on your spoon and you’ll be transported to a waffley soft chocolate heaven.
Food is a bit of a hit or miss at The Lucky Buddha. From what I had, I was seduced enough to want to go back and try more — just as we were leaving I saw the dish of lamb ribs that made me want to reach over and snag one. As with most newly opened eateries, the atmosphere is young and bright with waiters attentive to every eye catch. I just wished the dishes came out all at once but I guess that’s something you can add while doing the orders. The shared plates were a winner so go along with friends who like to try a bit of everything!