Budatai

Description:

• The new home of Puerto Rico's "Iron Chef" mixes local flavors with Asian ingredients to deliver one of San Juan's finest dining experiences. Scrumptiously situated in an Art Deco town house overlooking an oceanfront park at the heart of Condado's redevelopment revival, Budatai's muted brown interior is as stylish as the designer boutiques surrounding it. With wall-sized windows inside and a rooftop terrace, diners have great views and are pampered with oversized tables and leather chairs. Chef Roberto Trevino, who fell just short against Mario Batali on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" (the secret ingredient was catfish), reworks the Nuevo Latino and Asian fusion concepts he developed at Old San Juan's Parrot Club, Dragonfly, and Aguaviva restaurants and kicks up the portion sizes. Get started with the sesame crusted pork-wrapped asparagus with a soy mayonnaise, an explosion of flavor and texture, or if sushi's your thing, the geisha roll -- lobster, cream cheese, jicama, and meringue kisses. The soy-glazed salmon with coconut hash main course artfully balances the salty and sweet, while the veal sirloin with lobster mashed Asian potatoes is as rich as it sounds. Skip the lo mein with chicharon de pollo and the Karate pork chop, which are not bad, just ordinary. The waitstaff is friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable about the menu and extensive wine list. The second floor bar and lounge is a hotspot for the city's young and beautiful, especially on weekends.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Very Highly Recommended 2010