Papaya – Buffalo

This is the best place to eat. Cool atmosphere. People were great «servers» can’t explain enough how happy our party of 8 was. Just all around A + Thanks. Will be back for sure

We brought our work crew for a celebratory dinner after a very hectic season. We had a party of 8 and were seated right away. The restaurant was barely occupied at the time and through our meal only a handful of diners came in. Our server seemed efficient at first but quickly went down hill throughout our meal. We ordered cocktails to start I had a French kiss a very nice Hendricks gin cocktail served in the worst glass ever. It’s a take on a martini glass without the stem but is for some reason very hard to grasp and it wobbles. We ordered our appetizers and took our time with the dinner menu. Our drinks ran out our water ran out and she finally came back to take our dinner order. The appetizers arrived quickly after. The pork belly is amazing and the Calamari one of the best I’ve ever had. The short ribs super tasty but the spring rolls were just meh. Finally one of our guests got up and grabbed the water pitcher to re-​fill our glasses as our server was nowhere to be found. Second round of cocktails came 15 minutes later. For our entrees the Sizzling duck was cooked perfect but the sauce a bit too sweet. The Bento Box with Tempura Scallops and Short Ribs was Superb. Everyone else was pleased with their Pad Thai and Spicy noodles. Tom Ka Ghai soup was a bit bland but with added chilli paste which is on the table it was brought up to taste. We were in the mood for dessert but trying to find our server again was well. She finally arrived back and we asked her to see the dessert menu. One of our guests ordered another cocktail it eventually came after asking for it a second time. Desserts were OK Crème Brulee wasn’t crunchy enough. and the Lava cake was more of a glorified as one of our guests put it Hostess cupcake. There was No lava anywhere. She eventually brought our check then disappeared. I had to take it to the bar and then to another server to have them run it through. Another 10 minutes for our server to bring it back to the table. So to sum this up the food was very good it would have given it a 4 but the service really only deserves a 2 so I settled on a 3.

I came here with a group of 10. It took an hour to be seated and 2 hours to get our appetizer. Our waitress came and checked up on us once an hour to refill our waters never asking how we were doing as well as never giving us an update of our food. When the first person in our group finally received their entrée, it took another 30 minutes for the rest of our group to receive theirs. Our waitress was nice but she seemed very ditzy and uninformed with any of the business. There were multiple times in which we asked when we would receive a certain item to be told it was on its way. And two seconds later she would come back and ask what was the exact thing we ordered again. We all ordered the 3 course meal and she had told us she would ask for our dessert option later. When she handed us the check (which was half printed so we were only able to see the prices) we asked about our dessert since it was part of our 3 course meal. She was like «oh yah, what would you guys like?» We all stated we wanted the banana spring rolls only to be told the chef left 30 minutes ago. We were all astounded that you would tell us you would take our dessert orders later, only to forget to in which the chef left already. We were all dumbfounded and had no words for her, and just told her to give us the already prepared cheesecake, as well as giving us a new check since the first one she gave us was not legible. And it didn’t end there. We were over charged for things we did not get and tried to explain this to her. She didn’t get it and went on to explain why we were charged and gave us two different stories. It took half an hour of expanding before she understood her mistake and fixed our bill. After being here from 8:30pm-12am, we just wanted to be out of here. It has to be one of the worst service experiences we all have ever had. This is really sad considering we have been here before and genuinely liked it. We would of been more sympathetic if our waitress had a lot of other tables, but this wasn’t the case. We were her last table of the night.
The food is pretty good but the service is horrible. I am sorry to say this but we will never be back here again.

Worse service ever. Waited an hour to get seated, would not have been a problem if the lady in the front didn’t give us an attitude about it. Once we got seated the server took forever to get our menus. We waited 2 hours for our food and the service was horrible. The server repeatedly forgot what we ordered and we had to remind her multiple times. My friends and I would ask where our food was because of the long wait and the server would say it’s on the way, but 10 seconds later ask us what did we order again. We were going to order dessert but our server said to do it after our meal, after finishing our meals before asking us if we wanted our desserts she gave us our check, we had to remind her that we still haven’t gotten our desserts, but while she asked us what we wanted, she told us the chef had left and we couldn’t order 1 of the 2 choices we could have picked from. When it came to pay for our bill, she had overcharged us and didn’t realize even though we explained to her that everything didn’t add up.
Overall, food was good, but horrible customer service.

We came here last Thursday night for our restaurant week outing with some friends. Beautiful restaurant, great ambience & good music. Weird though — one of the waitresses was having a very personal conversation with a patron (which included a number of expletives & iPhone viewings) & they were standing right by the hostesses podium while they were doing it. Mind you — she didn’t even glance at us when we walked in… finally a gentleman came over who was very polite, attentive & professional. It was like night & damn day between the two of them. So anyway…
Like I said, the place is beautiful, the food was deliciously overpriced (as many people have told me). Our waitress was super witty & also very attentive. Our party of four ordered calamari (best I’ve ever had), tuna rolls, salads & the butterfish. All very tasty! We shared wine & beers & sat for a couple of hours because again… the ambience is right on at this spot… very cozy!
I’m looking forward to trying their lunch special that I always see advertised in the window. I recommend giving this place a try, get that calamari for real though!

I came here on a Saturday night as a last resort for a Birthday dinner since the Chocolate Bar was packed. The place has a beautiful décor and the service is great, but I did not like the food. Although I only ordered the spring rolls, that was enough for me to pass on for a full entrée. My friends enjoyed their meals and I loved my drink, but the spring rolls were nasty with a weird blend of flavors. I won’t be returning.

The Mgr at this restaurant Joe was very disrespectful. About me getting sick off the crispy Asian wings even after I showed them the wings. All I got to say is this people w new tranplant should avoid this place. Because they don’t care if there food makes you sick .only was said is long as he has being there nobody has ever got sick

Worst experience ever. The food is amazing but the service is horendice. I do not recommend coming here if you don’t want to wait 3 hours for your food and ask 5 times for you drink menu and then wait another 2 hours for your bill to arrive. Service sucks.

Come here every year for Valentine’s Day as a tradition with my boyfriend. Never had issues with service until this year. Waited insane amounts of time for drinks, food, Bill, etc. actually still waiting while writing this. Disappointed to say the least and reconsidering the tradition for next year. Food was amazing.

Came in for a business lunch. The Hostess (who ended up being our server) seemed to be irritated at first by the fact that we weren’t ready to sit, as we did not know how many people were going to be in our party. It got better, though. She ended up doing very well.
The food was decent. Pretty consistent with other reviews on here. Myself and 3 colleagues each got a soup, which were all good. 2 got a salad with seared tuna, which came out smaller than expected, but they still said it was very tasty. Myself and another got the pad thai which was great.
My biggest complaint is definitely the sushi. I’ve had better rolls at a gas station (literally). It was completely bland and dried out. There is NO WAY that roll had been made just before our meal. Save yourself the trouble and do not order the sushi!

Had dinner yesterday ¹⁄₂₇ food taste good, service is ok. I do find it a bit too expensive for the quantity of food.

The only critique I have is that the sushi rice kernels were too large (like Minute Rice) Otherwise, good place. Wonton soup was very good. The ginger salad was good. Sushi was pretty basic but fresh and tasty. Noodle dish was excellent. Service was polite and attentive. Some music would have been nice.

Attached to the hotel I was staying at so I thought I would try it out. Atmosphere is nice, drinks cold and good. The bartender was fantastic all the way. With that said, the chicken pot stickers were pretty blaaaaa. Had a salad with this and it was just typical. If only for drinks, fine… food that I had…3 stars. Not sure if I will try it again ’cause first impressions mean everything and if the appetizer and salad didn’t impress, I’m not too sure the dinners would be much better

Stayed at the Hampton Inn in Downtown Buffalo which sits right on top of the restaurant. We came down for dinner. As people have mentioned, the calamari is fantastic here. The ambiance was cozy and maybe intimate in a certain light. Unfortunately, the rest was less than inspired. I had their filet mignon which was average as places like these go. What really got me was their price of the surf and turf ~ individually the items range from 28 – 33 dollars but when combined ~ they charge $ 70 or $ 7-​$ 10 more for two less sides. Not really sure how that makes any sense. Probably would come back for drinks and apps but not for dinner as there are definitely better and cheaper options in Buffalo.

Came here for dinner
Pros:
— My friend said that the wonton soup was good
Cons:
— The beef pad Thai was a disappointment: not enough peanut sauce, wrong type of noodle, too much bean sprouts, etc…
— The tempura asparagus sushi was too slimy (similar to eating eel sushi) b/​c the batter didn’t stick onto the asparagus creating a slimy layer
— The Pinot Grigio and Riesling (talking about the only ones that comes in a glass, there are a couple of Pinot grigio and Riesling) was a disappointment

I really used to come here alot! I enjoy the fried calamari and its only $ 6 here! They have good udon noodles and sushi also. I’ve had better, but it is a nice ambiance.

Service is so so. The menu is a little overpriced. My Miso Ginger salad was delicious. My sushi was very good as well!

The food was good, though far from spectacular. The Tom Yum soup was good, though there was a lack of spice to the Fiery Udon noodles. The waiter was friendly, along with the rest of the staff, and definitely loved the location and ambiance. A good place to come for a romantic date out, and if the flavor of food isn’t the only thing on your mind.

Came here for appetizers and drinks the other night. Love it.
Calamari: Best I’ve had in buffalo so far. Amazing.
Pork Belly: the BBQ sauce was awesome. Thoroughly enjoyed this app.
Sashimi Spread: fresh and perfectly cut. They truly nailed it. I love fish and having lived in LA prior to Buffalo I’m a bit spoiled with my taste buds. Their selection isn’t vast but it’s quality.
I will be back and you should check them out.

Wasn’t impressed with my dish… Far from authentic. I ordered a fiery dish, anticipating some spice. My toddlers were able to eat it without a problem. Its a nice atmosphere.

A friend and I stopped in here for dinner quick before a show at Shea’s a couple days ago… it was perfect! They were just starting to get busy but we snuck in, just in time. This was the third time I have been here, and I have had the same server each time. She’s fabulous! and she is the reason I wanted to write this review! I always forget names… so I will update this after the next trip :)…but she makes you feel very comfortable and has The BEST descriptions of the specials! You can tell she has definitely been a successful server for years. :)
We asked for a few accommodations and there were no problems whatsoever! (my friend can not have fruit, and I asked for no added salt/​seasoning or grains)
And as a perk, I love the atmosphere. All three times I’ve sat in the upper corner near the window… love to people watch and sip on cucumber water :)
I’m docking one star because although my steak was tasty, I felt like it was a bit pricey. I’m not a steak connoisseur but I’ve definitely had better steak at a better price. And the vegetables that came with the order were soaked in some sort of sauce… which I supposed I should have asked about ahead of time, but with our accommodations that we asked for in the beginning, I was hoping the server or cook would have noticed and thought to ask if I wanted the veggies plain. No biggie… totally my own fault in the end :)
I’ll probably return, because it is in a good location when going downtown for various events, and is a great spot to catch up with friends.

We’ve been there twice and both have been a very good experience, lovely waiter who is very tentative and the food has never disappointed :) the sizzling duck is amazing! And the calamari is crisp and light and veryyyy good!

I came to Papaya for a second date with my now boyfriend and it was fantastic! I have to admit, I am not a big fan of going down to Chippewa as it tends to get flooded with college students who drink too much. However, located towards the end of the Chip Strip, Papaya is classy and the food was great. Add to that, everything was very reasonably priced and service was great.
Whenever I stop by a Thai place, unless I see something that really stands out, I always go for the pad thai. It’s safe, and albeit a bit boring, but it is a good indicator of how good the food will be. It’s a classic and less messy than saucy/​brothy dishes (and I was on a date, afterall). I cannot remember what my date ordered anymore but I remember he thoroughly enjoyed it. My pad thai’s portion was HUGE and I could not even attempt to finish it.
For dessert, we shared that chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream on the side. I checked their website and do not see it on the menu anymore which is such a disappointment because it was absolutely delicious! I wonder if it was a special. The cake was molten, warm and gooey on the inside with a fantastic vanilla ice cream.
We have yet to be back to this place, but I was thinking we should head back for our 1 year anniversary. Though this place is not my favorite Thai restaurant in Buffalo, it definitely is on the top end of the list. Check it out for sure!

The chicken mixed vegetable pad Thai was good, edible but not great. The sauce was more sweet than spicy and the chicken had no real taste outside of the sugar ladened sauce that covered it. The Resturant has great ambiance. The waiter was a great conversationalist and obviously well versed in drawing in clientele from the outside. Nevertheless, unlike the other waiters, she failed to explain or was unfamiliar with the entrees on the menu. Overall a drab experience.

I liked the service and I really enjoyed the food. I had the fried calamari which was amazing, the Korean stew which was also very good, and had tofu pad Thai but I didn’t enjoy that as much as the appetizers. The atmosphere was also romantic and enjoyable.

I like when I can enter a restaurant with no preconceptions. Papaya was one of those and I can say everything was a pleasant surprise.
Upon arrival for the reservation I was greeted pleasantly and seated promptly. The décor and atmosphere was warm and comforting. The waitress was not only very pleasant but professional. Any questions were answered in great detail but also she helped in making a decision on an appetizer.
They say people eat with their eyes which maybe but everything tasted as good as it looked.
I do recommend the crab cakes but after that it seems like you can not go wrong with anything on the menu. Next visit I will have to save room for desert.

Atmosphere: Modern Buddha with dark stained wood and a minimalistic flavor. What would you expect from an Asian «fusion» place?
Food: Delicious and fresh!
–Crab cakes were served with a nice remoulade and were hot and. Well. Crabby.
–Wonton soup was very light but bursting with flavor.
–Pad Thai = Excellent. A large serving with a lemon for garnish. I thought it was very good, but I am no expert.
Service: Perfect.
I can’t wait to come back!

(03÷16÷14)
Food — delicious!
Service — great!
We ordered the Spicy Korean Seafood Stew, Sizzling Duck, and Tofu Pad Thai. All of the dishes were delicious! Particularly, the Korean stew which had a great variety of seafood and very flavorful soup base. The duck was substantial and cooked perfectly medium rare. The mushrooms with the duck definitely brings a great contrast in textures.
The only critique I have is that the Sizzling Duck had too much sauce that was very salty.

I dined here for lunch with a fellow Unilocaler a while back and found the food A-​OK yet, overpriced. I’ll give them another chance someday (and then update my review), but my hope for them is that they rethink their menu. I think they would do well by offering less items, but executing much better on each of them.
When you come here, what you’re paying for is ambiance. No doubt about it, it’s a gorgeous restaurant. Every time I pass by with my fiancé, she asks me when we’re going on a date there. There’s classy music, low lighting and a sleek bar. If you’re bringing someone here for dinner, perhaps stick to the Pad Thai (it’s reasonably priced) and just focus on your date moreso than the food (isn’t that what you should be doing anyway?).
I had the fish tacos and shared a pepper tuna steak appetizer with my friend. The pepper tuna steak (see photos) included 5 small cuts of tuna (mostly raw) seared around the edges with a heavy pepper seasoning. The cut of tuna itself was subprime — lots of heavy blotches of redness. The seasoning was nice on its own, but the cut of tuna needed to be much fresher.
The fish tacos were OK. My favorite part were all the greens: parsley, sprouts, cabbage. The fish could have used better breading, seasoning or a combination of the two to have it taste better. It was my least favorite part of the taco! Clearly, something could be improved.

I should visit Papaya more often, but I tend to stay away from Chippewa. Hopefully since things look to be changing and growing up I’ll actually visit often.
The first time I ate here was years ago (2010) when I moved to Buffalo. I remember liking it but finding the menu kinda confusing. I think the mix of sushi with steaks and/​chicken in a menu was throwing me off. I eventually decided to go with sushi.
The food is really good! My girlfriend and I ordered a few different rolls and the bento box. The service was also great! They were very accommodating with us, we came in with a knee scooter, because my girlfriend had foot surgery. I felt a little bad because it was in the middle of a «blizzard», the tires of the scooter had plenty of snow. But no one made any fuzz, they were nothing but nice and accommodating.