The M.L. Guide to Beating the All You Can Eat Chinese Food Buffet
I fully admit that I am not a food expert. I’ve never been to culinary school, my palate isn’t particularly advanced and I probably have no business writing about any kind of food (even if it is crappy carts and dives in Midtown). But if there is one thing I could be considered an expert on, it’s Chinese Buffets. I am a huge fan of the All of You Can Eat Chinese food buffet (emphasis on the huge). The concept of all-you-can-eat is brilliant on its own, but once you throw in one of my all time favorite foods (Chinese), you’ve got one of the greatest inventions of all time.
In fact, it is a personal goal of mine to eat at a Chinese buffet in every state in the country. Here are the states I’ve tackled so far:
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- New Mexico
- New York (Just recently… and the inspiration for this post.)
- Nevada (Obviously)
- Pennsylvania
- Texas (A great buffet just outside of Houston that had fried frogs legs. Delicious!)
- Tennessee (Terrible. My wife will never let me live that one down.)
It’s clearly a work in progress, but I take my work very seriously. I really love Chinese Buffets. And it is not just the fact that you get to stuff your face (something I enjoy doing very much). It’s also the no waiting (you start eating right after you sit down), the variety (it’s the spice of life!) and of course, the competition. That’s right… the competition. You vs. the Buffet. The price is really just a dare. A sign that says “All-U-Can-Eat for $14.50″, might as well just say “I dare you to eat more than $14.50 worth of food. Signed - The Buffet.”
Basically, your goal from the moment you walk into the buffet should be “Win the Game”. And the game is to eat so much food that the restaurant loses money. You want to eat so much that when they see you come back the next time, they get scared. You want them to worry that if you eat at their buffet too often, they might have to close it down. But before you can learn how to beat your enemy, you must KNOW your enemy.
The three kinds of Chinese buffets, PLUS my tips to winning the game (and more buffet porn)- after the jump…
Working just outside of Boston for 8 years, I became intricately familiar with the all you can eat Chinese food buffet. There are three kind of Chinese food buffets, and all were in driving distance from my job in Lynn, MA:
1. Small Scale - The small scale Chinese buffet is exactly how it sounds- small. Only one station, it usually has only about ten items, but ideally they do those ten items really well. What you sacrifice in quantity, you gain in quality. There was a great example of this in Swampscott, MA, about 5 minutes away from my work. I don’t remember what it was called, but it cost $7.95 and was delicious.
2. Medium or “Regular” Scale - Most Chinese buffets will fall under this size. Anywhere from 2 to 4 stations, a regular all you can eat chinese buffet will have anywhere from 20-40 items across 2 to 3 stations (or one really long station). All your standards should be covered, a few different kinds of rice, soup, noodles, a few chicken dishes, a few pork dishes a few seafood dishes, some dumplings, egg rolls. Just a standard buffet. A ten minute drive to the Mandarin Super Buffet in Salem, and we were golden. Don’t let the name fool you… this place was not a super buffet. They only had 2 stations, and nothing out of the ordinary. And that brings us to the third example…
3. The Super Buffet - The mother of all buffets. Finding a true super buffet is an awesome feeling. The Super Buffet has that wow factor. Buffets are awesome in and of themselves, but if a buffet makes you drop your mouth when you walk in, it gets the title of Super Buffet. A super buffet will have at least 4 stations (or a few super long ones), with 50 or more items. When you see it, you’ll know it. Sure, sometimes you’re sacrificing quality for quantity- but the sheer size and fun of it all makes it worth it. There was one of these on Route 1 in Saugus, but I’m pretty sure it’s gone now (International Buffet King).
Massachusetts was a great place to work if you liked all you can eat Chinese buffets. Manhattan, not so much. There are tons of Indian buffets in Midtown, but only one Chinese buffet- the Mid Town Buffet on 7th Ave. btw. 39th & 40th. It’s a regular size buffet, and only costs $7.50 at lunch time, making it fairly easy to beat. But this is not always the case… so here are some tips for beating the all you can eat Chinese buffet.
1. Sit as close to the buffet as possible. Walking back and forth between the buffet takes up valuable time, so you want to be as close to the action as possible. Plus, at buffets with big money items, they always run out of the best stuff (crab claws, etc.). You will want to be as close as possible so that when the refills come, you can be front and center stocking your plate as quickly as possible. They saw me for the professional buffet eater that I am when I walked in, and seated me in a corner as far as away from the buffet as possible.
To make matters worse, they put a guy on the outside chair of the table- totally blocking the aisle to get out. These guys were good… but it wasn’t enough to stop me.
2. Never order a soda. The first thing they will do at any buffet is ask you if you want a drink. Don’t even think about ordering a soda. It costs them pennies and fills you up- making it much harder to win the game. Sometimes it even costs extra, so they’re giving you the double whammy. You can’t eat as much, and they make you pay for it. The smart places know this, and will give you the soda for free. Don’t be fooled.
3. Your first plate should be a feeler plate. Your first go around, don’t load up on any one particular item. Take one bite of everything, that way you don’t waste any space on things that end up tasting bad. On your second go around, load up on all your favorite things from the “taster” plate. Can you see what’s wrong with this first plate:
6 shrimp! 2 dumplings! 3 pieces of sesame chicken! Terrible. And only 6 different items. (You should have at least 8-10) A chinese buffet professional might be able to pick out the 5 or 6 good items on a buffet just from looking at them… but I suggest the feeler plate for everyone else.
4. Seafood is a make or break item, both a blessing and a curse. A big part of beating the game is making sure you get your fill of the “big money items”, and this is always going to be the seafood. The problem is, if the buffet is too cheap, you have to be wary of the seafood. If the deal seems to too good to be true, it probably is. (If you are going to eat seafood at a crappy buffet, make sure it’s not on a Monday, chances are it’s leftover from the Friday weekend delivery). If a buffet is more than $10 because it has crab claws, shrimp and mussels you MUST eat your share to win the game. It’s the suckers who don’t eat the seafood that are paying for your seafood.
5. Beware the “American” food. Chicken Nuggets? Mashed Potatoes? French Fries? Corn? If you want American food, go to Hometown Buffet (or Sizzler… I used to love their buffet!). Chinese buffet is for Chinese food. The chicken nuggets are for kids and losers. (The one exception I make is for onion rings. I love onion rings, and allow myself to indulge in one or two… just to see how they taste.)
6. When you think you’ve eaten as much as you can handle, eat the crab. I know you are going to think I am crazy, but on numerous occasions I ended a huge buffet with a plate of crab, and ended up less full when I finished eating the crab than when I started. I kid you not. Crab has some sort of magical restorative properties. I don’t know if it’s all the work breaking the shell that burns calories, or what… but I am telling you- eating crab at the end of a buffet makes you less full. It’s some sort of strange buffet miracle… try it for yourself.
7. Don’t waste your time on the desserts. Chinese buffet desserts are terrible. Occasionally there will be a soft serve sundae bar, or the random decent eclair- but for the most part those cakes and cookies are always terrible. Stick to the fruit, which is a decent money item, and a great palate cleanser. I’m also a big fan of the post Chinese Buffet Jello. You can’t go wrong with Jello, and for some reason they have it at every Chinese buffet I’ve ever been to. (Although preferably, you don’t want it to be touching the peel and eat shrimp)
8. And finally, DON’T EAT THE BREAD! It really should be the #1 rule. Everyone knows it, but I’ve got to say it. Never, under any circumstances should you ever, eat the bread at a Chinese Buffet. It costs nothing, and fills you up. In fact, if it wasn’t for pork fried rice, I’d probably say the same thing about rice. Needless carbs. Stay away!!!
If all this has made you hungry for a Chinese Buffet, I have only been able to find one in Midtown (it’s where all the pictures came from). The Mid Town Chinese Buffet on 7th Ave. btw. 40+41st is a regular size buffet, and nothing special. It’s only $7.50, but I would still only recommend it if you truly love Chinese Buffets. It’s the kind of place I will go to every six months, to remind myself why I only go there once every six months.
So there you have it… the Midtown Lunch guide to eating at All You Can Eat Chinese Buffets. It has taken me many many years of buffet eating to compile it…. so use it wisely & enjoy!!!
Posted: 9:16 am, March 7th, 2007 under Blogroll, Buffet, All You Can Eat.
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57 Comments
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Awesome and hilarious post! I wish there were more chinese buffets in Manhattan.
On an un-buffet related note–i was in chicago a few weekends ago and we went to a Mongolian BBQ place called Flat Top Grill (http://www.flattopgrill.com/index.htm). I have always been a huge fan on the Mongolian grill concept (i.e. pick your fillings, noodles, sauce, etc and then have it stir-fried for you on a huge round grill). There was a place near my old office called Food Depot that had one. Other then that, does anyone know of any other’s in Manhattan?
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This eatery is easy to miss, and I live on the same street as it and never took notice! Yet, it’s an amazing find, because after 5pm, dinner is only $4! Where else can you find that?? The place serves Chinese food buffet style, so you purchase your $4 plate first, and then pick any 5 entrées. There is a large selection of vegetables, chicken, beef, noodles, pork, even some random dishes like mashed potatoes and fried chicken that aren’t Chinese. Add a drink for another dollar. This is including tax, and there’s no tip since it’s a buffet. The place is cafeteria-ish, but there is plenty of seating up stairs, it’s clean and who can beat this price! If you’re looking for a fast, cheap, and filling meal, this is it for sure.
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Try the Lunch Box Buffet on 34th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues.
This eatery is easy to miss, and I live on the same street as it and never took notice! Yet, it’s an amazing find, because after 5pm, dinner is only $4! Where else can you find that?? The place serves Chinese food buffet style, so you purchase your $4 plate first, and then pick any 5 entrées. There is a large selection of vegetables, chicken, beef, noodles, pork, even some random dishes like mashed potatoes and fried chicken that aren’t Chinese. Add a drink for another dollar. This is including tax, and there’s no tip since it’s a buffet. The place is cafeteria-ish, but there is plenty of seating up stairs, it’s clean and who can beat this price! If you’re looking for a fast, cheap, and filling meal, this is it for sure.
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There is a deli on 40th bet. 7th and 8th (two doors down from the new Popeye’s) that does the Mongolian grill thing. It’s at the back of the deli. I think there might still be a Chinese buffet on the same block as an added bonus. :)
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Try Minado, granted its not mid-town but all you can eat sushi for $15!! Its not Nobu quality but nothing to freak out about either. The place is always fresh and clean; for those not into the whole raw fish part there is a hot buffet with tons of great salads and typical japanese cuisine. check out their website http://www.minado.com I’ve been to their Natick,MA and NJ location many times, the Manhatten one has got to be good
The Midtown/Koreatown version of Minado no longer exists. It was bought out by Todai -zach
http://midtownlunch.com/blog/2006/11/06/todai-aka-the-buffet-formerly-known-as-minado-2/
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Great article and funny, too. I been to too many chinese buffet for my own good around the SF valley, West LA, and South Bay area. I also want to include the Chow Mein as something you should have minimally. Most chinese restuarant serve those noodles that’s been cooked with alot of oil. Just one serving could fill you up. So if you’re spending $14 bucks for the buffet dinner and you have say-half plate of this appetite plugger, game over, you lose.
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I like you’re style. A real pro!
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you are a GOD
a perfect master of the AYCE Buffet -
Very interesting article about how to “best” a buffet. I recently wrote a blog on the economics of buffets that readers may find interesting…especially on how low the margins are. It is titled “How Do Restaurant Buffets Make Money.”
The blog can be found at: http://www.pricingforprofit.com/blog/blog-view.php/blogid/76
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Jordan - there used to be a deli on 45th between Madison and Vanderbilt that had awesome Mongolian BBQ; I haven’t been there for ages, but if it is still there, I definitely recommend it!
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To read all about buffet dining come join us at The Art of the Buffet at buffets.blogspot,com.
A new buffet article is posted every late Friday night. You will find buffet restaurant reviews, commentary on buffets, news of the buffet chains, buffet observations, and “The Rules of the Buffet”.
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I’m sorry, someone said there’s no tip because it’s buffet? Can you repeat that please? I think they deserve more tip because they’re clearing more dishes. They don’t “bring you food” but they clear away more dishes and garbage than normal, especially if you’re eating crab and are a normal/semi-sloppy person.
http://feistyfoodie.blogspot.com/2007/01/14-northern-blvd.html I know you commented on this, but I hadn’t realized the various types of buffets. You have to go here. It’s a super buffet (especially if you like all seafood).Also, there used to be (or still is) a buffet in LI, right off the Meadowbrook “Stewart Avenue” exit called “International Buffet”. They served half lobsters (split lengthwise), topped with some breadcrumbs and baked- they were small enough that the tail was the only part worth eating at that point, but still. They also had frog’s legs, prime rib, some other good stuff, I went there for a few birthdays or family events. Yum. We stopped going because they started having the lobster less often (at first it was consistently, every time for dinner) and they started raising prices, downgrading food.
We think it’s because my brother in law and a few of his friends went once and one guy ate 19 lobster halves in addition to other food. The other guys were up there in the over 10 halves each, but I don’t recall exact numbers. :)
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I think you’re the one who made my family’s restaurant go under. It was an all-u-can-eat in Houston called Hong Kong Cafe, a standard sized buffet with two stations but really high quality food. Our hot and sour soup had strips of tender pork.
Yes, tip your table clearers, you cheap fux!! They have to pay their snakeheads back some how.
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I can tell from the way this is written that the writer is a fat bastard.
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The Buffet with the frog legs near Houston off College blvd is in Beaumont, TX. I don’t remember the name. Off I-10, exit college, it is in the strip center southeast between college and I-10. They also had decent sushi.
That’s not it. It was a stand alone place (not in a strip mall), and it wasn’t in Beaumont. It was just outside of Downtown Houston, going West on I-10. But thanks for trying! -zach
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all in all, you sum up typical chinese buffet eating standards. it’s easy to not play the game if you grew up around too many substandard super buffets like myself. i’m a chinese guy, 19, and i’ve hit up so many subpar buffets that the game, and chinese buffets in general, are no longer fun.
and yes, every chinese buffet has jell-o. i was in china a few years back and you wouldn’t believe how many gelatin products they had. just to give you an idea, the amount is probably about.. two of those warehouse styled racks full, like the ones you’d see in a wholesale place like costco. of course, it was laid out in supermarket fashion. it might be more than that.. it was really gelatin heaven.
additional tips:
this goes along with the seafood: look for places with decent sushi. yes, they do exist! while realistically, it’s not the most expensive item, a good cost comparison with other sushi places makes it easily worth it, eh?look for places with dim sum. also rare. also, not the most expensive to make. but if you go to a dim sum restaurant, you get charged anywhere from $2.50 to $5 for about.. four of whatever finger-food sized item you get. cheap by comparison. i personally like the ones with shrimp inside, and it’s usually a good game winning item.
avoid pan-fried dumplings. why? they’re usually not very good in buffets and soaked with grease. that’ll leave you feeling heavy and sick. varies with each place, of course. this is just a general rule. almost the same with egg rolls, except they’re usually too ungreasy and filled with crap items. that makes them dry, a little flavorless, and overly filling.
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Have you ever been asked to leave ? I have. The manager came over, and in his best English said, ” You eat too much ! You go home now. ” Oy.
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My post at ChowHound about Midtown Buffet.
It’s best to eat when it’s busiest at dinner time; about 6 to 8 or so, although they’re open to 11. It aims to be a reasonably priced sea food buffet. At both lunch and dinner, grilled squid and salmon are (nearly) always out. At dinner, Alaskan king crab legs last until 9 or so. Also at dinner, but only when they’re busy, Peking duck pieces are available. Sometimes, they also have frogs legs, which are very good.
Standard Chinese buffet items like beef with broccoli, general tsao’s chicken, and roast pork pieces are always there. If you take your time and watch as they bring stuff out to the buffet to replenish, you can get the food when it’s steaming hot and fresh.
Seeing some of the people who eat there is part of the fun. There are some very big gangsta types trying to eat their way to their money’s worth, fraternity brothers visiting the city from nearby suburbs, UK commonwealth rugby and soccer teams traveling together, and Parson’s students. Some of the very thin young men at Parson’s must have very fast metabolisms because sometimes a pair of them will eat more than a group of three 300 pound trenchermen. French tourists and the Brits go to the buffet a maximum of two times, no more. Gangsta types and lower middle class Black and Hispanic families eat until everybody is very full.
Dirty plates are promptly removed. Guests are provided two soft drinks per person, unlimited water and tea. If you’re alone, your waitress will bring you a check after your third trip to the buffet line, whether you’re ready to leave or not.
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This is really good info. There is an All You Can Eat Buffet restaurant here in houston called China Bear located on the feeder road of I-45 @ Airtex if ever your visiting.They have a lot to offer. They even have a shopping mall inside of the restaurant. You’re going to enjoy it I gaurantee .
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Feh, I stopped eating at Chinese Buffets when I realized the following: 1) The seafood is substandard - if I want shrimp, I’d rather eat 6 giant shrimp of amazing quality than 100 shrimp of subpar quality. 2) Chinese Buffets are the dirtiest and most unsanitary of restaurants. After seeing the cockroaches at three of my favorite buffets, I called it quits. 3) The food is super oily, greasy, and fried, even the veggies. 4) The quality of the ingredients is subpar.
#1. True. #2. Eh. I can ignore some pretty gross things for the sake of stuffing my face. #3. That’s a negative? 4) Who eats vegetables? -zach
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If you’re ever near Notre Dame in Indiana, Kings Buffet is great. for about 12 bucks you get dinner. Snowcrab legs and sushi- not just the cheap california role crap- theyve got salmon and tuna sashimi in addition to the aforementioned fishes in rolls. Excellent clams, but the standard New Zealand mussels. Duck at lunch and dinner. I throw in a piece of dessert with every plate. Fill up on crab, but don’t go too heavy on the fake butter dipping sauce. When you leave, take out the largest soft-serve cone possible.
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We’ve got a great Buffet here in South Lawrence , MaSSACHUSETTS C1 Buffet that had specials on Monday and Wednesday for 5.95 all day. 4 great stations, great seaford (Mussels are terrific) and great Ice Cream and fruit section too. My wife and I dine there every week and the staff is great.
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yuor prabley right about that buffet in houston. theres a million here. I lie right across the street from one in houston (Clear Lake) right by nasa. Its a super buffet with a sushi bar. Mastering this one was a toughie, but i did it and im going to eat there tonight. the quality is decent enough. The name is Oriental Gourmet and is practically on its way to galveston.
just get off of i-45 south onto bay area blvd (going east), about a mile and a half away is el camino real, make a left, go down 1 light, and viola! youre there dude! e mail me if you ever go there super buffet master! -
[...] Spice Fusion is what I would consider to be a small scale buffet. There are usually 3 meat dishes, 3 vegetarian dishes, one rice, one dessert, two salads and and array of sauces and chutneys. You can actually apply most of my Chinese food buffet rules to Indian buffets, with the exception of “don’t eat the bread“, which clearly needs to be ignored when dealing with Indian food, where the naan is going to be one of the best parts of the meal. [...]
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This is hysterical! I am making a movie that is about this very subject. I would love to interview the writer of this article.
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[...] tips on how to beat the All You Can Eat Buffet. Most of the info is already covered in the “Midtown Lunch Guide to Beating the All You Can Eat Chinese Food Buffet“, but now you can check it out in audio form! Notice how Stretch, the DJ, refers to me as [...]
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In response to Jordan for Mongolian style in mid-town is a place called Pergola on 39th between broadway and 6th i believe… look it up to confirm
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You are the reason the good buffets never last.
The sign says “all you can eat”, not “you eat everything”
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Yay! More Chinese Buffet nuts! I live in Pennsylvania and the countryside is randomly dotted with Chinese Buffets. My advice, if you are ever headed this way, look for “Gourmet Buffet” or “Super China Buffet” - two of the best I’ve ever had and they operate in chain form along the western side of the state. My kids (who are 4 and 6) adore seafood… what better way to satiate their cravings than a Chinese Buffet? They can have all the crab and shrimp their little bodies can hold and they don’t cringe at the site of the seasonings atop it like they do at Red Lobster. Hoo-ray for Chinese Buffet!
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If you like Chinese buffets, you should come to NJ. There is a good one in Lodi (our favorite - Lodi Buffet), another one in Saddle Brook, another so-so one in Lodi (Bon Buffet), still another no so good one (City Grill) and ones in Bergenfield and Ramsey.
I’ve always been surprised there is only 1 chinese buffet in NYC. Guess it is too expensive in NYC to have one.
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As an avid, lifelong Chinese-buffet lover, this was one of the best things I’ve ever read. It resonates so strongly with me because I’ve thought about much of what is written here. Bravo. Whoever the author is, I’d love to hit up a Chinese buffet in the city. Just moved here and am checking out the Midtown Buffet tonight.
Ken
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Yesterday, I went to MidTown Buffet, and I’m sorry to say that it no longer fits into the $10.50 and less rule. They raised the prices by $2, making the dinner $11.95, and Lunch $7.95, which isn’t all too bad. But the $4 difference comes just from having or not having the crab legs. But realizing that there was MSG all over after reading this, I didn’t want to eat too much. I ate all the cheap stuff (7 eclair looking things, a roll, 2 cake pieces, jello, lots of peaches) because I didn’t think they had MSG, and then had 2 nuggets, onion rings, rice noodles, Lo mein, beef, and different chicken entrees. Overall, I really didn’t like it too much. If any of you ever go to Chicago (I moved here not too long ago), I would highly recommend a place called Buffet Castle on Belmont. It may not be in downtown, but it is probably one of the best Chinese buffets I’ve been to hands-down. I don’t think they use MSG because I don’t have “the feeling” afterwards. They also have a variety of items, and after experiencing that and a few local places here that I also don’t think use MSG, it seemed at this buffet I could see the oozing MSG. Also, they forced a tip on us…… I personally thought that we could bring the drinks ourselves…. IF there’s any other all you can eat buffet other than the ones posted here, could anyone please tell me? Thanks.
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Forgive me on the MSG thing…I don’t know where I got that.
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[...] The only chinese buffet in Midtown raises their price to $7.95 [ML Comments] [...]
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The food at this place is mediocre to bad, and when I went they added a $1 tip to my bill without asking. I’m a de rigeur tipper, but I do mind when they add it in without asking me (I dined alone). How can I be sure the server got it and not the owner?
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I am the Exe. Chef of “THE” largest Buffet Restaurant in China.I have seen people eating for thier “Dead or Alive”around the buffet lines.
Not much people enjoy but punish themselves.
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That was an amazing article. Every time i go to a Chinese buffet my goal is to “beat the price”. Being small, i have to aim for the tasty expensive items :P
The first picture really made me laugh, they known you were an expert, don’t let them win! I’m going to the Chinese buffet tonight, that article got me in the mood :) -
You are an inspiration to my life. I’d like to shake your hand and buy you a beer.
I’d like to add a personal tip of my own. Never go to a chinese buffet within the last hour or so before closing (on a weekday especially). It will be mostly old food thats been out there for a long time, and I’ve gotten food poisoning from this.
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Good stuff..
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[...] of Ketchup’s strategy, like Zach’s at Midtown Lunch, is all about beating the all you can eat. A lot of it is a result of trying everything East Buffet [...]
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Off topic for sure, but the best buffet i have ever been to is the Red Apple (3123 N Milwaukee and 6474 N Milwaukee) in Chicago. Polish food with everything one would expect from that, two roasts and great white borscht. Everything is good quality (plenty of fried, but nothing over-greasy).
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This is probably the best blog post I have ever read. I think you might be my long lost cousin… and if you knew how crazy every member of my family is at a buffet, then I think you might agree. Its like we have an innate need to get the most for our money… its in our blood… and it looks like its in yours too!
Please tell me where you have eaten in California… especially LA. I want to go there!
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Brilliant article. There’s a “super buffet” here in England called Wing-Wah’s, fantastic choice for £12.95… they try and fill you up with large bowls of prawn crackers on your table, but as a buffet-expert (although not up to your standard) I ignore them and stick with the expensive stuff. I have to argue with your desert statement though… Wing Wah’s have a chocolate fountain and loads of marshmallows to dip into it. Lovely. You ought to come over to the 51st state and try it!
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Go to Peking Buffet in Williamsburg, VA and YUMS Grand Buffet in Waldorf, MD. They are awesome.
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two words, China Buffet, 87th and Harlem, clean, cheep ($7.85) crab ragoon to die for, and American ribs with meat so tender it falls off the bone! This is an amazing hidden treasure, look this place up! (by the way, i’m not welcome there any more, i sat there for about 2 hours) “you been here two and one half hour, you go home now” =)
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oh yeah it’s on the southwest side of Chicago!
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IF anyone one is looking for a Super buffet there is one in Chinatown in Flushing queens. Its a littler pricier, around $13 for lunch but they boast not only great quality but also several HUNDRED items. Including full sushi bar and a raw bar with everything from shrimp to oysters on the half shell. They also almost always have peking duck and lobster. Its a huge sized restaurant and i believe 1/2 of it is the buffet area and the other 1/2 is a higher end restaurant/dim sum dining. Great quality and selection just a little pricer but worth every penny.
This place is so nice that it is also the site of many weddings/private parties/events. I believe its called EAST buffet and restaurant on Main Street.
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GREAT ARTICLE
Your da man! -
I thought I was the only one!! This was like reading my own mind. I have been kicked out of a small buffet once. The owner got angry. I always thought it was a joke until it happened to me.
It’s refreshing to know there are others with a good sense of humor and hearty appetite in this world. I love everything about my wife, and we are kindred spirits on 99.99999% of things in life, but I must admit… she does not like buffets or chinese. Life’s not fair, but I suppose no one’s perfect. ;)
I’m the type of person who dreams about good food and buffets. Stupid stuff in life gets me excited. A cool keychain or a neat tool or an awesome buffet gets me more excited than a sports car or yacht. My birthday’s a month away, and I’m already googling the best buffet in the DC/SOuthern MD area.
One of the best memories I have in life is eating at “The International Buffet” in Chesapeake, VA. It was close to Regent UNiversity and I would eat there with friends after working out. Get this…. $4.99!!! Man I loved that place. One of the most depressing things was noting that it has since gone out of business or changed hands. Life stinks, sometimes.
Anyhow, great piece, and now I’m starving. If everyone thought like this, we’d have cheaper fuel, no poverty, lower taxes, and legitimate candidates for the presidency.
Peace
P.S. You don’t have to be a fat b— to love these buffets. I’d say I’m in decent shape.
Peace!!
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BM6vec hi! nice site!
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Actually there’s another Chinese buffet in Midtown, on 45th between 5th and 6th, it’s called *looks out the window*, Sun Yip.
I won’t comment on the quality beyond to say “it’s alright”.
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@monkey - it’s not all you can eat… it’s pay by the pound.
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What a wonderful! Try to keep it up at the best level. Would you mind to send a nice Chinese restuarant name with meaning in my mail id? Thank You very much.
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If you’re ever in northern california go to super freash buffet in Novato, CA….
Crab Legs refilled about every 5-7 minutes and fried calamari is to DIE for…
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im stupid and bored and i have a ugly face talk to me plz
love ya -
I really like the food their. Its incredible. If you ever dont have enough custumers,you can count on me to get you some. I would be glad to help. PLEASE. With the food you have somebody that goes their alot and enjoys the food,like me should help out. Trying to get more custumers in. It would probably get you and your emploies rich. Who would ever know.BYE.
Great tips! Do you remember the name of the place with frogs legs outside Houston?
I wish! All I remember is, it was right off of I-10, just west of Houston- and I think it had “College” in the name of the exit (College Ave. or something), if that makes sense. -zach