China Buffet

August 12, 2024 - Context is important , when reviewing a “ Buffet “ ! My wife and I go out to restaurants of all shapes , cuisines, and countries. Understanding the nature & operation of a Buffet helps when passing judgement.

1. A buffet is not a restaurant in reality.

2. Buffets are for serving clients quickly!

3. Buffets offer many entrees & sides

4. Tough to keep hot entrees hot & fresh

5. Food consistency changes as it sits

6. Goal, offer quantity fast, quality suffers

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My advice is to avoid the breaded entrees!
Sitting under heat lamps ruins the dish such as sesame chicken, General Tso’s Chicken, Mongolian Beef, breaded Shrimp is a NO !

Stay with entree meats that were cooked in hot oil & veggies. Try to watch as the staff adds a fresh tray , and run for that option! It’s fresh and the consistency is perfect out of the kitchen! Fried rice is generally fine the 1st hour or so under a heat lamp.

The soups are OK, ingredients don’t include dairy /milk . . . Prefer not to let sit long! I like a hot & sour soup. . . then I add mushrooms, bits of pork, or chunks of chicken, or shrimp 🍤 to kick up that choice with hot sauce!

Veggies are suppose to be crunchy in most Chinese entrees! Usually cooked or steamed quickly. Folks in the U.S. over cook veggies to mush! I guess it’s tradition or poor dental health. As veggies sit under heat lamps the crunchy crispness in veggies are lost.

To wrap up, a Chinese Buffet will NOT give you the freshness , crispness , and quality of a true cuisine of a top Chinese Restaurant.

So . . . our experience was reasonable to my expectations of a buffet. Quick , with lots of choices. Go into a buffet . . . Knowing the parameters.

Thanks to our server, and cashier at the front desk, Diane! Her family has owned & operated this China Buffet for 12 years!
Maybe your family might transform this into a top notch Chinese Restaurant! Customers would have to wait 15 to 30 minutes for a chef prepared meal in one of the eight true Chinese Regional Cuisines! 😃👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

A while back I reviewed this and gave it 3 stars. I am changing it to 4 stars, since I believe it has improved as far as the food.

I am however basing the 4 stars as to how it compares to similar buffets. I don't compare fast food places to high end restaurants. Same goes here So 4 stars in the Asian buffet category.

It's still in need of some repairs and maintenance but the food area is kept clean, and it's good. Smallish but better than most Chinese buffets I've been to as far as taste. Good hibachi and Sushi, while limited, is very good.

In fact I will say this. If you like sushi, this place for $10 gives you waaaaay more value than what you pay in Shop Rite for a tray of sushi.

As of 9/5/2021 they require disposable gloves at the buffet, and the sign says masks. The staff all wear both. I saw a mix of patrons wearing and not wearing masks, but the staff didn't seem to be forcing them.

I go every month or so, so I guess I can say I like it.