The Original Buddha Bodai Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant 佛菩提

"Continuing the long history of Chinese mock meats, there are dozens of kosher and vegan dim sum options at this Chinatown stalwart. Popular dishes include fried turnip cake, steamed “pork” buns, “shrimp” dumplings, and more juicy delights. Make sure to bring friends so you can try a little bit of everything." - Eater Staff

"Some of Manhattan's best restaurants are packed into Chinatown's 55 square blocks, and the food tastes even better at a place like Buddha Bodai where the dishes are by and large under $10. While some dishes may include some dairy, it's easy to go vegan here where you can find all the classics—steamed barbecue “pork” buns that get the char sui sweetness just right, crisp on the outside and spongy on the inside pan-fried turnip cake, and fried tempura oyster mushrooms. While not your conventional brunch option, their weekend dim sum service is worth the Sunday afternoon trip if you're hosting a big group as the lazy Susans, expeditious and friendly service, and ever-flowing kettles of Chrysanthemum tea make it easy to sit back and enjoy the company."

"Buddha Bodai is a kosher and vegetarian restaurant where most dishes cost less than $20. There’s a long menu of things like vegetarian dim sum and various noodle dishes, as well as some pretty solid faux chicken, duck, and lamb dishes. Order here. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine

"High chairs: Yes Buddha Bodai is a great vegetarian and kosher restaurant in Chinatown, with an extensive menu of vegetarian and vegan crowd-pleasers like lo mein, fried rice, dumplings, and classic dim sum dishes (with gluten-free options, too). They know how to take care of families—our friend’s baby Nora loves the plain congee, and it’s the first thing her parents order when they arrive at Buddha Bodai. That keeps Nora happy while everyone else figures out what they’d like to eat. Use Nora as the blueprint. " - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick

"If you're vegetarian and tired of subsisting on custard buns every time you and your friends go out for dim sum, allow us to introduce you to Buddha Bodai. All of the dim sum at this restaurant on Mott Street is kosher and plant-based. It doesn’t get insanely busy, and most dishes here cost less than $15, so it’s a very useful place to know about—especially because it’s BYOB. There’s a long menu of things like dumplings, spring rolls, and various noodle dishes, as well as some pretty solid vegetarian versions of chicken, duck, and lamb." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, neha talreja, will hartman