Budaixi Puerto Vallarta (Versailles) Review: A Modern Take on Chinese Food That Blew Me Away
Wow. Here we are sitting in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and the food is so good no matter what the cuisine is you’d be CRAZY not to try other cuisines here. I am always put through the ringer when trying new foods here becasue I am always impressed at how good everything is. Recently I did a little tour of Versailles for my YouTube channel, and I was walking around trying to figure out what restaurants I wanted to try in the area next… Check that video out below:
Of course, I wound up at one of my favorite restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Tuk Tuks. Its thai/Asian fusion kinda vibes. Incredible flavors and delectable bites. But that’s not what we are going to today… We’re going to Budaixi.
When we arrived at Budaixi we were sat in the front dining area…. just a note, if its a warm day the back area is a bit warmer and the front has AC flow a bit better.
We started off with a series of appetizers. Let’s get to reviewing… But first, I should add this was a special menu for Chinese New Year. So I’m not sure what all is on the menu currently. But I’m sure it will be just as tasty as what we had.
These were one of my faves. They were the cucumber salad of sorts. It was tangy, sesame seed, unami… JUST BOMB. From the menu, it said it was garlic, sesame oil, vinagrette, chili, and of course, the cucs. Simple yet…very flavorful and crunchy cucs — I wanted another plate. I literally could just snack on these ALL DAY. 10/10
Up next were these tasty and super crunchy egg rolls packed with shrimp and calamari filling. They were absolutely divine. We ordered 2 orders of these for our table of 5. And there wasn’t a single one left. In fact, we were fighting over the last one. The sauces that accompanied these and every one of the dishes were also very tasty! 9.5/10
Now these spicy wontons, I could’ve ate all of them. They were filled with shrimp and pork and served with a spicy soy sauce for dipping. I love anything that’s like a pot sticker. LOL! They remind me of my childhood Idk why? But these lil things and that sauce were so divine and JUICY!!!! Perfect bite. 10/10
Idk bury me in these. From the plating to the taste, these Dumplings filled with Pork and Napa Cabbage were pure perfection. I would eat and could eat these every day for the rest of my days and be okay with life. For real, I pray these weren’t just a special for CNY because I will be back just for these. 100/10
Review will continue after this…
Now this is the star of the show. Like WOW. When I tell you I am slowly becoming more enammored by bao than men these days… Like throw this in front of me before a man anyday. The Korean Fried Chicken was cooked to perfection and the buns were soft and doughy — just the way they were intended to be. I felt like I was in Asia enjoying this. But yet, I was in Mexico. Confusing… but welcomed. I’d eat these again and again and again. My friend also got these and opted for the shrimp, hers were also divine. Wow… 10000/10.
And last but not least for the savory bites. My friend got this shrimp, chicken, crab fried rice situation… that was also absolteuly divine and so flavorful — I mean, you can’t really go wrong with a fried rice but this was delectable. 9/10 — only because he made it so spicy! LOL!
Keeping with the theme, and just the generally incredible hospitality in Mexico — they brought out these little desserts. The white stuff at the bottom is a farro creamy sauce, with a little treat on top. The sauce wasn’t my favorite but the cake was a little tofu I believe and it was tasty. I don’t know that I would’ve typically ordered something like this but it came out on the house and was a nice little pallet cleanser and if anything bigger than this would have came out as dessert I wouldn’t have had room for it. I was STUFFED. I’d rate this a 7/10.
And, another treat, they gave us this little envelope for Chinese New Year… Wait for it…
So all in all everything from the food to the service was bomb… so let’s rate it overall.
Food: 10/10
Vibe: Modern, Kinda echoy, and contemporary feel
Will I Go Again: Yes, absolutely and everything was reasonably priced. Our bill was 3,000 pesos amongst 5 people, which with tip turned out being 700 pesos each. A STEAL for all that good flavor!! Shhhh. ;)
Traveling to Puerto Vallarta and want to learn more? Get your hands on my Ultimate Puerto Vallarta Guide:
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An honest review of Budaixi in Versailles, Puerto Vallarta — from dumplings and bao to Chinese New Year specials, pricing, and whether it’s worth the hype.