"Chinese Buddha's biggest advantages are its convenient location and accessibility. The restaurant is situated on the ground floor of the 100 Midtown student apartment building near Georgia Tech, at the corner of 10th Street and Williams Street, adjacent to the Downtown Connector I-75 and I-85. There’s free parking available behind and below the restaurant in the garage at 100 Midtown. While the garage doesn't feel the safest, it offers more security than having no parking at all, as it is under video surveillance 24/7.
The restaurant had a better ambiance than I anticipated. It’s an upgrade from many typical Chinese takeout spots. The dining area is spacious, and there's a bar serving beer, wine, cocktails, and even sake, along with a red-tinted window offering a glimpse into the kitchen. There's also a covered patio, though I'm unsure if it belongs to the restaurant. During late-night hours, a security guard is stationed at the entrance.
The menu features a variety of dishes, though it leans towards the basic. Unlike some Chinese restaurants that offer off-menu options for culinary enthusiasts, this place sticks to what's on the menu. You’ll find items like chicken wings, egg rolls, wonton soup, sesame chicken, fried rice, and lo mein. There are a few Chef Recommendations with Thai and Malaysian influences, such as Siam Basil and Malay Curry. Expect to spend around $4-7 each for appetizers and soup, and about $9-15 for entrées. Dinner combinations are priced at $10.95 each and include an entrée, steamed rice, egg roll, and soup. I’m not certain about lunch specials, but I assume they have some, although the restaurant is closed for lunch on Sundays.
We visited for a late-night dinner looking for something light and healthy. We ordered the Spicy Garlic Pork ($10.50) and the Spicy Bean Curd with String Beans ($9.25). Each entrée came with a choice of white or fried rice; we got one of each. Unfortunately, the fried rice contained little more than tiny fragments of fried egg.
The food was decent. I found the spicy bean curd with string beans to be better than the spicy garlic pork. However, the bean curd dish was overly saucy—perhaps too much for my liking. The string beans were drenched in a deep brown sauce, although they were fresh. I wished there was more bean curd, as there were only about six pieces; the dish was mostly string beans, with just a few carrots.
My fiancée thought the pork in the Spicy Garlic Pork dish tasted old and a bit stale. While the slices of pork were somewhat tough, they weren’t terrible; I've certainly had better. The dish was accompanied by vegetables such as broccoli, celery, white onion, snow peas, zucchini, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms, but there were only three pieces of broccoli—definitely wished there were more.
The service was excellent. Our server, an older Chinese man, conversed in Mandarin with my fiancée once he realized she could speak it, and he also spoke Cantonese. He was friendly and checked on us several times.
After tax and tip, our meal totaled around $30, which I felt was slightly pricey for what we received. In the end, I’m unsure if I would return, but I wouldn’t rule it out. If I do come back, it will likely be due to its proximity and convenience. Flavor-wise, it’s average at best compared to similar restaurants."
