The Golden Phoenix in Tampa... A+

[Mild Bill]

On Dale Mabry Highway, a block south of Waters Avenue, is a GREAT new Vietnamese / Hong Kong Chinese place called The Golden Phoenix...

Friends who live around the corner strongly recommended I get there, and my wife and I smiled and looked at eachother when we walked in...
They have it set up beautifully--- totally redecorated from how the previous occupant had it set up... Lots of nice Vietnamese families filled the tables...

On December 16th they started offering lunch and dinner buffets, along with their extensive and interesting regular menu...

We ate like kings at the lunch buffet for about $8.00 each...
The stuff was quite a few notches above what you'd usually see and taste at an Asian buffet... Really nice ingredients and perfected flavors...
The Lemongrass beef, the Hawaiian Bourbon Chicken, a curry noodle dish, the beef satays, a seafood veg combo, all were spectacular!

No big generic stainless steel steam table!
It's arranged and decorated pretty, like a nice boutique Sunday brunch buffet, with gigantic woks containing huge bamboo steamers, holding large platters of foodz...

The food was shockingly delicious, and my picky wife said; "Ok, this is the place!"...

I went back twice by myself since then, and observed and appreciated how sincerely friendly and sweet the waitresses are...

Again the buffet was great, and the following visit I ordered off of the menu--- a 'grilled' pork dish with noodles, and spring rolls...
Really tasty and fresh!

It came with a bowl of prepared vinegar for a drizzle that didn't make sense when tasted alone, but when I poured it on the big bowl of meat, veggies, and noodles, it transformed it into a spectacular dish that I'd get again...

This is a special place it seems, and I hope you guys pop in regularly and support it...
I'll be a regular...

We're lucky to have China Yuan, Yummy House, and this place so close together...
It's 300ft south of where 'the old' Pho Quyen used to be...

A smaller (not that small) place, but kickin'...

[RibDog]

Sounds good! Will have to try it.

Thanks Bill.

John

[eatnbmerry]

TY also Bill,

Sounds like a great casual rec for my tampa bay area excursions.

[rhnault]

Thanks for the review! Might be a good place to take all the family that will be in town this weekend! I was debating terrorizing China Yuan with them but a buffet might be better!

[CFishman]

Bill,

Some friends and I went to Golden Phoenix last night and I have to say our experience was quite a bit different. The buffet was not well stocked and the food that was there was not particularly fresh. For instance there was like a handful of salt and pepper shrimps in a warmer or the same number of pieces of duck. You felt like you couldn't take too much because you wanted there to be something for the people you came with. I don't mind sharing/conservation but the food wasn't worth the trouble. Several items were dried out from being in the warmer too long. It was so bad that I don't think my friends and I would go back to see if ordering off the menu was any better. Rhnault, I would think twice about taking your family there for the weekend. I think they would enjoy much more any of the Vietnamese or Chinese staples that we discuss all of the time. I would like to think we hit the place on a bad night. I would be glad to hear that someone else had an experience more like Bill's.

[Mild Bill]

We went the other day for lunch, and it was good...
I 'think' it was best on my first visit tho-- to be honest...

I've only gone for lunch, and usually at off hours, after the rush, as is my practice...

Consequently, the place has never been crowded when I was there, and the trays weren't bare for long if they ever were...

I have yet to experience the place in the evenings, during their busy hours, or on the weekend...

I feared giving a review too quickly and impulsively, but I get excited...

I have a service business and I enjoy Asian buffets when I'm on the road---- and I definitely like it enough to go back and try lots of things, but I agree that it could be dangerous 'bringing people' if the place can't keep up...

The buffet thing just started there, so maybe they're learning the hows and whens as they go, I dunno...
Their regular menu looks pretty cool, but I've only ordered off of it once...