Tuesday, March 25, 2008

China Buffet King

Who doesn't love a buffet? This place has always been a favourite treat. Ken and I jumped in the car and zoomed up there, stopping at every red light to rub our hands together with gleeful anticipation.



Part of the fun of a buffet is that you have permission to load up your plate with completely unrelated items, that no self-respecting restaurant would serve together as an official entree. Like deep-fried tentacle with a side of onion rings.



We were actually a bit disappointed. The restaurant is under new management, and they've changed the menu. The dim sum section is gone.

[Just give me a minute here while I get my sobbing under control. *Sniff* Sorry. I'll try to be brave.]

In it's place, there is an expanded selection of Batter-Fried Bits. Chicken, shrimp, pork, spring rolls, etc., all a uniform shade of greasy gold, with gloopy red plum sauce on the side. Yech.

Ken wasn't impressed with the changes. He did select a couple of deep-fried chicken wings, but for the most part he ate plate after plate of brontosaurus ribs. Take a look. Is that not the biggest freaking rib you've ever seen?



I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the cuttlefish in this steam tray. We didn't eat any. They looked a little too... um... anatomical.

17 comments:

Jameil said...

ain't nothin wrong with eatin balls! i don't do chinese food like that. i do like to try exotic things, though so the eyeball-lookin (what did you think i meant?) stuff would've been right up my alley!

Warped Mind of Ron said...

Deep fried Tentacle?! OMG I want one!! I love new things and I havent found a place here that serves tentacles... :(

Leighann said...

My husband was juts talking about the chinese buffet yesterday! He does the side of onion rings too *giggle*

Tink said...

Are you sure that wasn't a human rib??

Karen said...

We have a similar place near me....I think I know what I doing for dinner as soon as my easter leftovers are gone....which could months...

Preity Angel... said...

OMG!! my mouth is watering

Nice restaurant...I think we have a pretty same resturant named MENDARIN

you can see the link

www.mandarinbuffet.com

see you later
Angel

Nilsa S. said...

Always a bummer when new management makes unwanted changes. Maybe a nice letter from a regular customer will help straighten them out?!

Keera Ann Fox said...

LOL! I know what you mean about "anatomical"! I was served a pink, whole baby octopus on Malta, and left it sitting on my plate for 20 minutes while I ate my way around it, trying to work up the courage to cut into it and taste it (all in the name of being a brave tourist).

It tasted nothing. I was so disappointed. When you spend the better part of your meal working up the nerve to try unusual food, it should at least have a taste, yes?

Anonymous said...

Long story short: buffets are bad. If you interested in the long story, here's my full opinion.

R.E.H. said...

Everything looks delicious - except for that last picture... I'd think good and hard about getting any of that on my plate. I'm sure I would find other alternatives.

Gotta love a chinese buffet though!

Sparkling Red said...

Jameil: If you like to try exotic foods, you would have loved this buffet. There was a whole table of foods that I couldn't identify whatsoever. I'm pretty sure one of the dishes was pig's ears.

Ron: I love eating tentacles. Then for dessert I have some eye of newt and toe of frog.

Leighann: Onion rings go with everything. ;-)

Tink: Now that you mention it, I'm not sure. Maybe that's how they "fire" underperforming staff. That would save them the trouble of providing a severance package.

Karen: Sometimes you have to let the leftovers go. There's only so many times you can eat the same meal, reheated out of Tupperware, before it loses its savour. G'wan, treat yourself! ;-)

Angel: Thanks! Actually I have been to a Mandarin here. They have more Americanized Asian food. I'm pretty sure they don't offer tentacles.

Nilsa: I hadn't thought of writing a letter. I shall muse on the possibilities...

Keera: Wow, that's intense! Good for you for trying it. It is disappointing that it had no taste, after all that.
I'm reminded of a friend of mine who has a fear of octopus. She would have run screaming!

Whatigotsofar: I read your post, and I see your point. All-you-can-eat can become disgusting, if people abuse the situation. I've been to a grand total of 3 buffets in my life that I actually enjoyed - and self-restraint is part of the enjoyment. I've also been to buffets where it's quantity over quality, and the view of my fellow diners has squashed my appetite. Classy buffets only need apply!

R.E.H.: Yeah, anything but that, the turnip cakes (they taste like fart), and bitter melon. Stay away from those three, and it's all good.

Jenski said...

I never want to hear "cuttlefish" again after seeing that picture. Do you have a back-up dim sum restaurant?

Anonymous said...

Okay that last picture looked like something you would see on Fear Factor. Yeck!

Anonymous said...

Mmm... I love a platter of stir fried clitoris and labia right after I suck down a few tentacles while watching some hard core Hentai!

Anonymous said...

What on earth have ribs and fried onion rings to do with Chinese food????

:D

Emma Gorst said...

No dim sum? waaaaah!
I highly recommend Wasabi. Highly. Highly highly. Korean and japanese and dim sum buffet, mm.

Sparkling Red said...

Jenski: Unfortunately we don't. We'll have to go dim-sum comparison-shopping.

1218blog: Yes, I think they could do some work on their presentation!

Unsigned: Clearly you are not a person to be trifled with.

Nicole: I believe they're trying to create a cross-generational appeal. Grandma and Grandpa who were born in Asia can eat the cuttlefish and pig's ears, the parents can have Peking Duck and Broccoli Beef in oyster sauce, and the grandkids can have pizza, onion rings, and an all-you-can-scoop ice cream buffet for dessert.

Aurora: I'll see if I can talk Ken into it. Being half-Japanese himself, he's not much in favour of Japanese food as cooked by Korean chefs. In this, and many other respects, he's a purist.