While many of its neighboring restaurants cater to the student pocketbook, the new Buddha Lounge (1504 E. North Ave.) aims for a more upscale clientele. The menu cherry picks from Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese and Chinese staples, with price points to match the dining room’s lavish modern décor: $12 banh mi sandwiches, $15 pad Thai and $16 dragon rolls. Depending on how authentic diners want it, the pho ($16) can be served with or without tendon and with either a beef or chicken broth. The beef broth is aggressively seasoned, unusually sweet and much saltier than at other Vietnamese restaurants. Many items can be made vegetarian or vegan on request, which can lead to some unorthodox preparations. For the vegetarian order of the restaurant’s signature Buddha bowl—a heap of grilled beef or pork served with shrimp over rice noodles ($16)—the kitchen swapped those proteins for slices of dry egg roll.
