BUDDHA NOODLE
Pop-up offering modern Asian cuisine at Sinclair Saratoga
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » A wellknown Spa City chef has a new venture called Buddha Noodle, offering modern Asian cuisine at Sinclair Saratoga.
Chef Brady Duhame and Sinclair Saratoga have teamed up to launch a six-month pop-up at the downtown bar and game room, which opened last summer at 17 Maple Ave. in Saratoga Springs.
Buddha Noodle opened last month, serving a variety of Asian dishes with Duhame’s twists — like Tonkotsu Ramen, Spicy Dan Dan Noodles, Shrimp Bao and Buddha Donuts.
Opening Buddha Noodle has been a longtime dream for Duhame, whose nickname since childhood is Buddha.
At first Duhame wasn’t sure where to open his Buddha Noodle, but when he found the opportunity at Sinclair Saratoga, he decided to go for it because he felt that Saratoga Springs needed a contemporary Asian restaurant, particularly one with small plates and ramen.
Sinclair Saratoga owner Hilary Morrison was totally on board with Duhame’s vision.
“I met with Chef Brady and he shared his nine-year dream of opening an modern Asian restaurant and we bonded talking ramen and all things noodles,” she said.
The collaboration just seemed fitting, Duhame said.
A Spa City native, Duhame most recently worked as director of culinary operations for Saratoga Hospitality and before that as the executive chef at 15 Church.
Now, in Duhame’s first time opening his own restaurant, he’s making his mark on the downtown dining scene by launching an Asian joint like none other around.
Duhame first had a chance to cook Asian food when working in New York City in the mid’90s, he said, “and I just wanted to build upon it and learn more about it, play with the ingredients. I just fell in love with it.”
Some of the most popular menu items at Buddha Noodle are the K-Town Chicken Wings, Crispy Tofu Bao and ramen bowls.
“Saratoga was lacking in this,” Duhame said. “It didn’t have a ramen place or a place that you can get these dishes.”
Duhame recommends that newcomers try the wings, shrimp dumplings and the bao buns.
In the future, Duhame wants to expand the menu to include lots of different Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Japanese and Chinese foods.
“My goal is to franchise this,” Duhame declared, adding that he’s already taken steps toward doing so. He’d like to start first by expanding within the Capital Region, with eventual dreams of opening Buddha Noodle in Vegas or Los Angeles.
For now, Saratoga Springs residents are getting the first taste.
“Brady is such a talent and we are so happy to have the opportunity to work with him,” Morrison said. “My customers are really happy with the menu, and it has brought in a lot of great people excited to try the food.”
To go with the cuisine, Sinclair Saratoga has revamped its cocktail menu to include drinks like the Buddha Mule (vodka, guava, honey, lemon, orange, ginger beer), Hong Kong Coolada (coconut rum, white rum, raspberry, lychee, lime) and Pineapple Express (aged rum, Chinese five spice, lime, pineapple, Money IPA) along with craft beer and wine.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options are available on the Buddha Noodle menu.
The Buddha Noodle kitchen is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Buddha Noodle offers takeout, and delivery is expected to be offered soon.
Along with operating Buddha Noodle, Duhame oversees all private event catering in the second-floor event space of the Maple Avenue building.
More information about Buddha Noodle is available online at www.sinclairsaratoga.com/buddha-noodle or the Buddha Noodle Facebook page.