Midtown Lunch

A lunch’er wrote in on Friday to let us know that Ichi Umi, the all you can eat sushi buffet on 32nd btw. Mad+5th, was shuttered by the DOH last week.  It wasn’t exactly in the ML price range, but you know how we feel about all you can eat buffets!  We couldn’t find a listing on the DOH website for Ichi Umi, or Todai (the name it used to go by), so we’re not sure why they were shuttered.  But if anybody notices them reopen, let us know in the comments. (I’m sure there are more than a few competitive eaters who will be checking back!)

Related:
Attacking the Todai Sushi Buffet With Competitive Eating Masters

If you read this site often, you know I have fairly strict rules about price. I feel in my heart that lunch should not cost a person more than $10.  But I have equally strong feelings about buffets, and when it comes to something like the concept of all-u-can-eat, well… I can’t help but think that rules were meant to be broken.  I’ll admit up front I don’t break the rule too often for Indian buffets (there are good Indian buffets in Midtown for $10 to $11… so why spend $17?) but when it comes to Asian buffets, all bets are off.  So, two years ago this month I made a price exception and hit up the Todai buffet on 32nd btw. Madison+5th. I thought it was just ok, and definitely not as good as when it was Minado (its previous buffet incarnation, before being bought out by the big buffet chain.)

Since that time the price has gone up to $18.95, not completely shocking for a sushi buffet, but waaaay out of the Midtown Lunch price range (even for a buffet lover like me.)  But when I got an email invite to buffet it up with competitve eater (and profiled Midtown Lunch’er) Crazy Legs Conti and a few of his competitive eating buddies, how could I say no!?!

The play by play of our meal, their pearls of wisdom, and a photo of every plate put down by Crazy Legs… all after the jump.

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