El Buda Latin Asian Restaurant to open next week on Church Street

Roberto Treviño, the man who battled Mario Batali on Iron Chef America, is poised to open his Nuevo Latino restaurant, El Buda, inside the Bumby Arcade on Church Street next week.

In addition to making some impressive changes to the space, Treviño changed the name of the restaurant from Buda Libre to El Buda to avoid a legal wrangle.
But whatever the name, his Latin-Asian fusion menu is quite unlike anything currently being served in Orlando. A section devoted to "dim sum platitos" (small dim-sum plates) will serve some intriguing bites, like:

• pork and sweet plantain dumplings
• katsu Cubano pork buns
  
• octopus pimenton kaisu
• pork belly char siu mole

Some of the other dishes you can expect to see on the menu:

• ropa vieja bibimbap
  
• fluke marinated in yuzu with a coconut reduction and toasted garlic
  
• salmon poke with pineapple and peppercorns over black quinoa
  
• duck breast with miso-honey potatoes
  
• congri fried rice with thick-slab bacon
  
• ho fun with grilled churrasco

"I want the menu to be fun, accessible and exciting," Treviño says and, no doubt, he and executive sous chef Andrew Lewis (who worked with Treviño at both Bar Gitano and Budatai), along with general manager Hari Rosario and Trevino's business partner Luis Garcia, are out to impress.

Naturally, attention will be paid to the restaurant's cocktail program, and why not? The bar is a beaut.
I've always thought the cellar inside this restaurant space has been one of the coolest places to dine in the city, and Treviño plans on making good use of it during dinner service.
Plus, he also plans on inviting guest mixologists to take over the quaint bar area in the back for special themed events.
And the temperate weather this time of year means the restaurant's patio will be a popular gathering spot.
El Buda is targeting Thursday, Dec. 7, as their opening date. They will open for lunch (bento boxes!) and dinner, and will commence brunch service Saturdays and Sundays a couple of weeks after opening.
El Buda
116 W. Church St.
Orlando, FL 32801
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