Klinefelter’s Buddha

April 24

Buddha Bar’s a massive space that can seat more than 600 people, and it’s all adorned in darkly stained wood — I could still smell the stain at its opening party this evening.
The place is dominated by a big dark Buddha that reminded me of one notion, explained to me in Thailand, of how Lord Buddha should be depicted. Since the Buddha image is supposed to represent all of humanities’ ability to achieve enlightenment, the statue should be androgynous. Buddha Bar’s statue appears to have man-breasts, which I guess is about as androgynous as you can get.
My favorite feature in the restaurant: a glass, roofless chamber for smokers. Seems like a smart way to follow New York’s smoking laws while still giving smokers a bit of dignity.