Buddah Lounge

**joho** · 05-03-2012, 09:20 AM

Excellent Food..............sexy sushi and tantalizing tapas menu

If you haven't checked this new place out..........it's your loss!

Completely renovated behind Sally's in Blue Mountain Beach

"Them that know, know, and them that don't, never will!"

**Andy A** · 05-03-2012, 02:42 PM

They ruined the place. No more dart boards.

They have great food, though, if you like Asian.

**Will B** · 05-03-2012, 03:04 PM

So, Sally's Backside is gone?

**joho** · 05-03-2012, 06:25 PM

This just printed in NWF Daily News:
Buddha Lounge a delightful addition
Colleen Sachs
2012-05-03 10:11:07

BLUE MOUNTAIN BEACH – Mid-March Buddha Lounge opened in Blue Mountain Beach. If you didn’t notice it while driving by that’s because it is at the back of Sally’s by the Sea Store gas station. The entrance and parking for the restaurant is around back. Step inside to find a casual, comfortable sushi and tapas restaurant with a funky flair.

The food

The menu features tapas on one side and sushi on the other. Happily it is not a huge menu, but instead focuses on doing a good job with what is offered.

Sushi, which is served from 5 p.m. to midnight, features good versions of expected items. Tuna sashimi, cucumber salad, seaweed salad, and nigiri sushi are all on the menu. Spicy tuna and Boston (smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese) rolls are also offered.

But there is variety as well. Smoked salmon wraps feature lump crab, basil and cream cheese wrapped in smoked salmon. For the Blue Mountain Beach an avocado half is filled with a salad of shrimp, red onion and portabella mushroom in spicy mayonnaise.

The Garden Roll of cucumber, asparagus, avocado and arugula is a good light option. For something richer opt for the popular Loco roll. A roll of tuna, cucumber and cream cheese is fried with tempura batter and topped with spicy mayonnaise.

Tapas are served from 5 to 10 p.m. and also provide light and rich options. For bright flavor go for the tuna ceviche or West Indies jumbo lump crab salad.

Fried green tomatoes, a Southern staple, get a twist when layered with goat cheese and served with basil aioli. For jalapeno poppers, the fresh peppers are filled with cream cheese and tempura fried.

Cream cheese also makes an appearance in the firecracker shrimp. A crisp spring roll wrapper surrounds the cream cheese and shrimp filling. As a personal preference, next time I order this dish I will ask that the cream cheese be omitted so the flavor of the shrimp can shine through.

Tuna salad is served over arugula for the Sea Oats Salad. And arugula provides a bed for crab cakes topped with a tangy sauce of lemon, capers and sour cream. They are billed as sliders, but this version is served without the buns.

Buddha Lounge has a nice selection of beer and wine. For most of the menu items, the Stella Artois beer is a good match, and a glass of Caymus Conundrum is a great wine pairing. Sake and plum wine are also offered.

The atmosphere

Buddha Lounge offers plenty of seating options. There is a bar along one wall, and high and low top tables in the main dining area. As the restaurant extends to the back, tables give way to a lounge area filled with comfy sofas and chairs. Seating is also available outside on and near the deck that leads to the entrance.

Deep red walls add drama, while corrugated metal siding gives the restaurant an edgy feel. Bold art brings everything together. Music is subtle and laid back (think Jack Johnson).

The service

Service was excellent. The service staff has good knowledge of the menu, and made sure that everything that was necessary to make the meal enjoyable was there. The restaurant is also available for private parties.

A final taste

Buddha Lounge is a delightful addition to Blue Mountain Beach. It provides a comfortable place to catch up with friends while enjoying sushi, tapas and beverages.

**beachmouse** · 05-03-2012, 08:16 PM

Colleen is the one Daily News restaurant reviewer who is actually pretty critical, and getting a good review from her, especially for a restaurant aiming for sophisticated, is not an easy thing.

**Andy A** · 05-04-2012, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Colleen is the one Daily News restaurant reviewer who is actually pretty critical, and getting a good review from her, especially for a restaurant aiming for sophisticated, is not an easy thing.

I am not sophisticated. My formal wear is a tee shirt and shorts. Do you think they will continue to let me in? I really live very close by and enjoy the place.

**Arkiehawg** · 05-04-2012, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Andy A

I am not sophisticated. My formal wear is a tee shirt and shorts. Do you think they will continue to let me in? I really live very close by and enjoy the place.

Only if you have formal flip flops....

**Andy A** · 05-04-2012, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by Arkiehawg

Only if you have formal flip flops....

I DO have those, so I guess I'm in!!!!

**beachmouse** · 05-04-2012, 11:32 AM

Doesn't everyone down here have a minimum of four different pairs of flip flops ranging from the dressy ones you'd wear to a wedding to sand and salt-encrusted from the beach?

**Arkiehawg** · 05-04-2012, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by beachmouse

Doesn't everyone down here have a minimum of four different pairs of flip flops ranging from the dressy ones you'd wear to a wedding to sand and salt-encrusted from the beach?

Cowboy Formal Flip Flops