Name：Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant  佛菩提
Add：77 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013
Web: http://www.buddhavegetarian.com/

Introduction:

Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant is famous for our vegan interpretations of classic Chinese dishes. The original vegan dim sum restaurant, Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant has been featured on ABC, CBS ad WNBC for our delicious take on authentic vegan dim sum cooking.

Reviews:

The fact that this place is all vegan deserves applaud in itself. There's barely any meat-free options in asian cuisine so I have been dying to try this place out. And it really is worth the hype!! So many delicious options, pretty affordable (four dishes shared between my friend and I came out to $23 and a hearty meal, even after the $1 they tack onto dim sum plates after 4pm). Recommend the veg meat rice roll, pan fried turnip cake, and char siu bao (my fav!!). Soup dumplings, unfortunately, were a miss.

They also have all the other features of traditional chinese dining I miss at many of the new asian places in ny (orange slices, tea, peanuts) and its a homey establishment. They offer vegan sushi also, so I'd love to go back to try that.

Fabulously good, affordably priced, confident and friendly service by a very funny host. menu items clearly marked. Something (many things!) for everyone. GF

We came in early on Sunday as a group of 8 and the restaurant didn't miss a beat in taking care of us well

The dim sums are so good here!! One precious thing about this restaurant is that they're 100% meat-free, which is very different from other Chinese restaurants that have very limited vegan options. Price is super affordable - ordered 4 dim sums and one congee for myself, only costed me 21 bucks in total. The quality is superb, dim sums are definitely freshly-made by the texture of the skin and the stuffing.

I love Chinese dimsum, but most of the time they are heavy on meats which I don't consume (like beef and pork), so I miss out on some of the favorites!
I came across this vegetarian dimsum restaurant on yelp, and we went on a Saturday evening for dinner. We got the soup dumplings, vegtarian baked buns, steamed "meat" buns and a pepper pot "chicken" entree with rice. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the dishes tasted really good, and I was impressed with the quality and taste of the protein.
FYI: the dimsums are 1$ extra after 3:30PM. Also ask for the spicy sauces, it was delicious.
+1 for the friendly and attentive service by the nice woman there, who guided us on some dishes we ordered. Overall would love to come here again with some friends who are vegetarian, I think they will like it.

This place gives you peanuts as free appetizers and dim sum all day. Less dim sum options than the Mott street one especially when it comes to sweet items ( no dessert). But otherwise they are comparable in taste. Specials here: soup dumplings / pan fried buns. These are like shanghainess food that I miss the most. I also ordered another special - salt and pepper ribs (I don't know what it is made of) but it worth trying. Always order dumplings and Chang fen. Service is fast.

Wow! I was blown away by this vegan Chinese Dim Sum restaurant. My sister, wife, and I all traveled to New York on a week vacation and amongst al the food we ate during the week THIS was the definitive place.

Location: Located in ChinaTown this place has a large easy to find sign outside on a flag with "Vegan Kosher Chinese" you enter the front room and then the main dining room.

Service: service was polite and swift with our server recommending a number of different dim sum dishes.

Food; We ordered the Cantonese Din Sum, The Home Style Dim Sum, The Soup Dumplings( 100% get this!!), and pad Thai. We loved every single dish and would 100% recommend getting a large array of different dim sum dishes.

If and when I return to NYC this is my first stop

Bodhi was one of the highlights of my trip to New York. In fact, this was the only place we visited twice. It was the first place we went on our first night and it was the last place we went before we left. Even though there are 100s of places to try in Chinatown alone, it was nice knowing we had a reliable option.

First off, I have never had dim sum before, let alone vegetarian dim sum. I stopped eating meat before I ever had a chance to try it and vegetarian options tend to be few and far between. Conversely, my partner had grown up eating dim sum regularly so I left most of the ordering to him.

On our first vist, we wanted to try everything and definitely overdid it. Two people don't need to order more than 6-8 items depending how hungry you're feeling at the time. Dim Sum options range from $4.50-7.95 so it's easy to have an affordable, filling meal here.

I enjoyed everything I tried here but my top three would have to be the Steamed Soup Dumplings, Cha Shui Baos, and the Cruller Rice Rolls. It was awesome having so many veggie dumpling options and not having to worry about ingredients. They also have a separate gluten-free menu for anyone who might be interested.

This is the kind of place I would end up being a regular at if I lived in New York (helloooooo take out!). I will definitely make an effort to stop by next time I visit.

I finally tried this establishment after walking passed here dozens of times and I'm so glad I did.  I was able to eat here with someone who does not eat meat and with another person who is allergic to shellfish, because the restaurant is completely vegan they was no issue with anyone trying to find something to eat. The mock meat steamed buns along with the barbecue mock meat and all the other items I tried to the spicy laksa soup with the coconut sticky rice balls were fantastic. I also highly recommend getting a smoothie because my friends and I tried them and the kiwi smoothie was delicious with chunks of kiwi at the bottom and the mango smoothie was so sweet and thick just like drinking a pureed mango.

Great vegan/kosher Chinese food.

Went there once, I had
- a hot and sour soup
- a variety of dumplings
- the mock chicken chow fun

I'm not vegetarian, and I don't strictly keep kosher, so I can compare with other Chinese restaurants I've been to.
Everything was super tasty.
The hot and sour soup was among the best ones I've had in NY.
The dim sum were based on several different vegetables (think spinach, seaweed, lettuce, carrots, etc.) and weren't just the same variation of different mock meats.
The chow fun was veeery good too!

I'll definitely come again.

Fav place! We have taken many of our non vegan friends and they loved it too!
Our fav dish is the sweet & sour chicken, bbq meat fried rice! I just wish they had more dessert options.

We stopped here for lunch when we were in chinatown. This is no doubt an awesome vegan chinese spot! We are vegetarians and I was a little skeptical on the fake meat options first, but rest assured its all vegetarian :)

Dim sums are a must try. I would recommend steamed over fried ones.

We had:
Steamed Curry Dumplings
Steamed Home Dumplings (which is vegetable dumplings)
Lunch special mapo tofu and bean curd with basil.
Lychee bubble tea

All of them tasted delicious.

Beware, there is also a restaurant called "Buddha Bodai Kosher Vegetarian Restaruant" that is 0.2 miles away. They both seem very similar but make sure you specify addresses when you are going to meet someone. We made that mistake!

This restaurant is extremely good. It's in the middle of Chinatown and run by Chinese. It's authentic dim sum and Chinese food for sure. However, it's also completely vegan. They even have a ton of gluten-free items on the menu. It's also certified kosher. There are a mix of Asians, hipsters, and religious Jews eating in this restaurant - all congregating together for delicious food. The prices are also quite reasonable, especially for a Kosher restaurant! We had the sticky rice, meat buns, curry dumplings, and lotus rice in addition to a few other items. Everything was absolutely delicious! The fake meat and fake shrimp, while they didn't taste like real meat and real shrimp, weren't bad! The dishes were filled with flavor and buns, dumpling, rice rolls, etc. were exactly en part with comparable dim sum restaurants.

If you're looking for affordable vegan, gluten free, or kosher dim sum, this place is absolutely for you!

It was my first day in NYC and right after we dropped off our luggage, off to Chinatown we went! We first experienced all-veg dim sum our first trip almost 3 years at the Vegetarian Dim Sum House around the corner and I was in love. Then I heard about this place. Having said that, I don't know the relationship between this location and the one on Mott but I stuck to this place for reasons unknown.

It's pretty easy to find and has a steady amount of customers. We went twice: Monday and Wednesday, both times at around 1 or 2 pm. Most of them seemed to order off the lunch menu with more special meet ups for the dim sum.

Like most places in Chinatown no matter where you are, don't really go for the service. The staff do speak English (not great though) in addition to Cantonese and mandarin. The place is fairly clean and the restrooms are located down a narrow flight of stairs into the basement.

Their menu is pretty extensive. There's dim sum that you can order by marking on a piece of paper, lunch specials, individual dishes that are eaten "family style", and sushi. We ended up getting the dim sum since though we have a place in Houston, their dim sum selection is quite limited. I also tried out their sushi because it's my weakness back when I wasn't vegetarian and I wanted to see how it was.

Their food was pretty good. My steamed rice rolls with the veggie meat looked a bit small but when I ordered them again, they were quite good. In fact, I can't really say there was anything I disliked. The filling of the BBQ buns were on the wet side and weren't as flavorful but I didn't mind it. The Christina roll in particular tasted quite close to the real deal and was also $13. We ended up ordering the snow pea leaves so we could get some green into the spread. Let's just say it's more expensive than the sushi (but delicious).

All in all, great variety (perhaps too much - it always takes a while for us to decide), good food (not overly salty or greasy), decent service, and fairly clean. You also get complimentary peanuts and tea.

All time favorite place! Vegan fresh gluten free, tasty & authentic!!

Best mock meat you will ever taste!!! Great menu! I always come with friends or alone! With other vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters alike and everyone always enjoy the food!

You can try anything on the menu and you're sure to love it! Next time I check in I will update with what I typically order! Happy eating!

I'm quite surprised I haven't yet left a review, as this is my FAVORITE place to come for dimsum. I've always struggled with being vegan/vegetarian at restaurants because the offerings are slim, especially in a culture known for their meat delicacies. It was hard to give up sushi, dimsum, and a lot of other Asian cuisine because they are so delectable, but this place hits the spot. I usually order for 2 and take the rest home for leftovers. My favorites are the mushroom congee, sticky rice balls with coconut and peanuts, and cha sui bao. The salt and pepper ribs are also delicious (however, not totally equivalent to the pork original). If I lived closer, I would order here every day! The service is sometimes not great, but the man at the counter is always so friendly and accommodating. They even offer hot tea or water if you're waiting for takeout! They deserve 6 stars!

I'm quite surprised I haven't yet left a review, as this is my FAVORITE place to come for dimsum. I've always struggled with being vegan/vegetarian at restaurants because the offerings are slim, especially in a culture known for their meat delicacies. It was hard to give up sushi, dimsum, and a lot of other Asian cuisine because they are so delectable, but this place hits the spot. I usually order for 2 and take the rest home for leftovers. My favorites are the mushroom congee, sticky rice balls with coconut and peanuts, and cha sui bao. The salt and pepper ribs are also delicious (however, not totally equivalent to the pork original). If I lived closer, I would order here every day! The service is sometimes not great, but the man at the counter is always so friendly and accommodating. They even offer hot tea or water if you're waiting for takeout! They deserve 6 stars!

Fun find. All vegan items on the menu. The sweet potato sushi roll was good as well as the vegan (fries) general chicken. Hot tea was complimentary and very hot and fresh. Would return if visiting again.

New space, but just about the same old menu as the original - kosher, veg*n Chinese food with dim sum and otherwise.  This place is a lot shinier and cleaner, sparklier and more inviting than the original location on Mott.  Maybe it is the bold decor of mural-like images and bright lighting fixtures?  Whatever it is, I like it better than the original location.

The best part of this restaurant can be summed up in three key words: cedar & dim sum.  The dishes with cedar flavoring are phenomenal.  Everyone loves the flavor profile- whatever it is!  I don't know what it is, but this green herb based sauce flavors up the fried rice with pine nuts and the tofu so wonderfully, that no one can get enough of it.  After that, the dim sum menu!  They have large, medium and small dishes, so the prices vary.  Do I have a favorite?  No.  However,  I can say that their dim sum menu items are preferable to my palate when compared to Veg. Dim Sum House just a few blocks away.

The rice rolls have many options (so many!), including fresh vegetables like spinach and snow pea shoots.  They have a great number of steamed dumplings, but I perhaps like the watercress best - it has a gluten free wrap/ dough to it, which is nice.  I love the dumplings that have a translucent wrap/ dough - so yummy and inviting!  They have taro dumplings too, but they also have deep fried taro.  Many fried choices!  Still, though, it's probably the steamed items that make me happiest, like the shui mai and lotus wrapped sticky rice.  Fried items that are classic though, are the taro, sesame balls with sweet bean filling and pan-fried radish cakes. 

Additionally, I appreciate the half a dozen or more fresh veggie dishes they have of sautéed freshness, from watercress to choy sum to Chinese broccoli, they have one that you'll like.  There are other non-dim sum dishes, like noodles (noodle soup, chow fun, thin rice noodles), fake meat and tofu with veggies  There are some tasty soups too, like the mushroom and the pumpkin/ squash.  Fragrant and satisfying fare, with some being more spectacular than others- noting of course, that it's all veg, and quite filling.

The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and most importantly in this turnover matters establishment, is their efficiency.  They all work together in specialized ways to ensure the food is created fresh, but also, as quickly as possible.  There are peanuts for complementary appetizers with your complimentary hot tea (it's Chinatown- these 2 are standards!).

Plenty of seating, but, as you might expect, it can get quite busy on weekends around lunch and dinner, and really, around the normal lunch and dinner rush of the work week, too.  Most people here are dining at Buddha Bodai because they are veg.  This means that there is a mix of all different people, not your "traditional" mix of folks you'd see at a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown.  Because of whom the restaurant caters to, there is a menu to meet those palates.  Namely: fried foods and fake meats, galore.  This is exciting for those folks who want meat analogues and Chinese take-out style food.  However, to me, that's not that exciting. 

It is exciting, though, that they label the Gluten Free items!  It is also exciting that they have traditional Asian food festivities, like an incredible assortment of sweet treats for the Lunar New Year (rice cakes of multiple varieties that you slice and boil/ saute/ fry/ steam) and for Harvest Moon Festival (moon cakes that are vegan!!!).  They even have fake sushi?

Really, this is an extraordinary choice for folks who need kosher and/or veg*n food in the Chinese traditions of dim sum and other foods, but Chinatown keeps you away because of the meat and seafood.  Go here if you have those dietary needs and/or restrictions.  You'll be super satisfied!  I can't wait for more!

Amazing gluten-free rice rolls and dumplings! Their skins are a bit sticky, which is my only complaint, but the textures are awesome otherwise.

Bodhi has honestly perfected the art of making imitation meat. Can't wait to go again.

The vegetarian soup dumplings are TO DIE FOR.

I was stuffed at the end of the meal (which filled up two people for under $40) but still ordered more soup dumplings and I want them right now!

The staff was really nice and the place was clean. I'm happy to know that there is no meat cross-contaminating anything in the kitchen.

We also ordered bubble tea and fried veggie dumplings and sesame balls for dessert. Next time I'd go with the coconut balls for dessert. Will make it a NYC tradition!

If you're looking for fantastic dim sum Buddha Bodai has got you covered Not just fantastic vegan dim sum but fantastic dim sum period. When you come here, get a large group together or binge eat and scoop up all those buns for yourself.
There are plenty of small and large tables alike, but expect to wait a good 10-15mins if you come for a weekend lunch. Be advised all the dim-summiness is served all day long however outside normal dim sum hours (11-4) you'll pay about an extra dollar each dish.

For real, dim sum good rolls son.

YUM! I can't believe it took me so long to get here. I really enjoyed my lunch here recently and they did a good job with my favorites: pan fried turnip cakes and spring rolls. They also had harder to find items like soup dumplings, which were good, but I liked the regular dumplings better. Honestly, I can't even remember a few of the dim sum items I had but all of them were delicious and I will definitely be back.

Amazing! The dim sum was on point. We ordered way too much food, but I'm not complaining about having leftovers! It was delicious and they had all the usual favorites. The staff was very friendly and attentive, and the restaurant was very clean. My dining companions are omnivores and both loved what they got.

Very special and friendly vegetarian restaurant. We had wonderful family dinner here. My 4 daughter fist time tells me they love the vegetarian now

I'm a vegetarian and getting dope dumplings is sort of hard to come by. This place was hands down amazing. The employees are all so nice and informative and really accommodating. It was a little confusing when we first walked in because there's not much room to stand and the employees didn't really greet us. But once we were seated, our server was super helpful and funny. If you're visiting Chinatown, make this your stop. (great place for those who like meat too!)

My husband jokes around with me and says that I have a boner for this place. I shrug it off, but what he says is true.

I love this place. The food is so good and it's all vegan/vegetarian. I'll go here with hubs for dinner dates and recently we went here with a big group. Some of the meat eaters were shocked that some of the dishes were vegan substitutes.

I can't say more than this is the best place. Tasty food, friendly staff, nice environment. Plus, there's even a party room in the back (that's where our group ate most recently). It's fantastic!

Here's my list of dim sum and dishes ordered and recommended without hesitation:
- Fried Taro Dumpling (Small DS)
- Sticky Rice Shumai (Small DS)
- Sweet Sticky Rice Sesame Ball (GF) (Small DS)
- Crueller Rice Roll (Medium DS)
- Steamed Vegetable Bun (Medium DS)
- Sweet Lotus Bun (Medium DS)
- Steamed Veg Shrimp Dumping (Medium DS)
- Steam Watercress Dumpling (Medium DS)
- India Pan Cake (Large DS)
- Ribs in Black Bean Sauce (Special DS - MY FAVORITE!)
- BBQ Veg Meat (Special DS)
- Veg Ribs with Salt Pepper (Special DS)
- Crispy Stuffed Tofu Mixed Vegetable (Main Course item)

The Best, most realistic texture on vegetarian meats that I've ever had. The BBQ meats flavor and texture was unbeatable, you could feed it to a meat eater and they wouldn't be able to tell. They taste exactly like the bbq pork spare ribs you would get any any Chinese/ asian spot. The lemon chicken was good, the sauce was a little too sweet for me, tasted like candy syrup, but the texture was good. I would definitely be back with friends.

This is my third time at this establishment. Today decided to go here to celebrate my lil bro and my bday earlier this month. Love the food here. Food is vegan vegetarian but doesn't disappoint. Taste close enough to the real meat/poultry/fish equivalence. Definitely recommend this place. Try it out and you won't be disappointed.

Absolutely delicious! I have been here twice now and the sesame chicken, wonton soup, and barbecue chicken were so good

Excellent Chinese vegan food!  I was impressed with the variety of plates and their great flavors.  The customer service was very personable.

I would definitely come back, and recommend this place to my friends...  we came with a non-vegan friend, and she couldn't believe how good the food was.

Fantastic food, one of the best Chinese vegetarian I've tried thus far. You cannot go wrong with most of the dishes.

Best dim sum I've ever had! Loved the range of vegetarian options. The sticky rice in lotus leaf and fake jellyfish are amazing (I recommend trying)! Servers were nice and the manager even came to out table and talked to us when we ordered the durian pastry. Seriously recommend, I have been dreaming about the food ever since I went.

This place is my go to for dim sum in Chinatown. They offer a full vegan menu and everything tastes amazing. Very affordable, and fast service. I like to come here during lunch to escape the madness at work, and they give you a kettle full of hot tea, and a plate of peanuts while you wait for your food. The owners/employees are really sweet and they seem to know a lot of the customers that come in (regulars?), but seeing that gives the space a really positive and welcoming vibe. Another great plus is they accept card payments! For those of us who hate carrying cash, this is a godsend in Chinatown.

You can get decent Chinese food in almost any city in the US. You can't get decent Dim Sum and you especially can't get Veg Dim Sum just anywhere.

So, don't order anything else: grab their DS menu, and just check off everything... OK, maybe not everything but the next time I go, that's what I'm doing! The buns were moist but not soggy, the veggies were sautéed to perfection, and the pan fried dumplings were that mouthful of crunchy, smooth goodness you want from a pan-fried anything.

Shared three plates and a pot of tea with my wife: the good life in Chinatown.

Stoked: So refreshing to just order straight off a menu: no subs, no picking through a million fried meats. Just good vegetables in dough. Ahhhh... Oh, and the service was good too.

Bummed: Not much to be bummed about here. The place was on point!

Tip: It's not the original Buddha Bodai! Make sure it says "Kosher Vegan"

A MUST for anyone!! Never knew this place was here. Everything is vegan and the options range from sushi to your favorite Chinese takeout options and an extensive menu of dumplings!since cutting meat, I had yet found a way to enjoy Chinese food again. Everything here tastes amazing and you can enjoy the food without the crash you would feel eating the non-vegan options. Portions are VERY generous and I would suggest splitting several dishes in a group. Service is great and helpful

A great vegan addition to the dim sum restaurants in Chinatown. This is a huge restaurant, so don't be fooled by its unassuming door front.

I always loved Buddha Bodai but that place gets a little busy and I'm not sure if all of Buddha Bodai's foods are vegan. But with the Mulberry restaurant , everything is 100% vegan.

I love the plethora of vegetarian dumplings options, as well as the deliciousness of the mock-meat dishes.

The service here is great too. Give vegan dim sum a try!

This is the best veg. dimsum place in Chinatown, hands-down. (choose 77 Mulberry one over the Mott place always!) I used to invite friends over and order delivery from this place as a special treat. They all raved about the food and it became a regular and special experience for all of us because there was so much variety and the food was always so good. I often over-ordered and froze the dishes so that I could just have them handy all the time. Favorite dishes include: pan fried turnip cake, fried taro dumpling, veg meat rice roll, mushroom congee, steamed buddha's bean curd roll, cha shiu bao, steamed pea leaf dumpling, sticky rice in lotus leaf, ribs in black bean sauce, and for the spice-lover -- the szechuan pepper pot.

People should come to nyc just to eat here! Seriously can't get enough!! It's all vegan too so that's rad

I came to Buddha Bodai on a Wednesday for dinner. Now I'm a big fan of dim sum, so this place did not have it easy. Like most places in Chinatown, the staff does not speak English very well, but at least they have a menu that's in English.

We ordered the BBQ Veggie Meat, Indian pancake, fried veggie shrimp balls, sticky rice shumai, cha siu bao, fried taro dumpling, sticky rice in lotus leaves (lo mai gai), and the veggie soup dumplings (xiao long bao).

So the first thing to come was the BBQ veggie meat, which looked and tasted like cha siu, but had the texture of a fishcake. It tasted just like the meat it was imitating. The Indian pancake was more like the roti canai you would find in a Malaysian restaurant. It came with a potato curry dipping sauce. It was OK. The fried shrimp balls had the taste and texture of actual shrimp, and were not as salty as the bacon wrapped non-vegan version. I would pass on the sticky rice shumai, they're just balls of rice with a little bit of the BBQ veggie meat. You're much better off getting the sticky rice in lotus leaves, which is a larger ball of well seasoned rice with a larger amount of BBQ veggie meat. The cha siu bao were indistinguishable from their non-vegan counterpart. If you told me they were from Jing Fong, I would've believed it. The fried taro dumplings were really good too.

Vegan soup dumplings look slightly different than regular soup dumpling. They had thicker skins and were missing the signature top knot. But somehow, they are better than regular soup dumplings.

The bill was pretty cheap in the end too. I would definitely return.

By Yelp