Best Chinese buffet in Dallas

[nitlsu]

I was looking for the board's opinions in what they consider the best chinese buffet(s) in DFW. Best = fresh, tasty food, variety.

I noticed threads for Houston and Austin on the same topic but not DFW :)
Thanks

[Schmendrick]

If you want the highest-quality, best (and biggest) selection of really, really, REEEEEALLLLY good tasting Chinese food at a buffet, then the only place is "New New Buffet" in the "Babies R Us" shopping center on the corner of Belt Line and Marsh in Dallas. I live in North Richland Hills, and I drive 60 miles round-trip just to eat there with my buddy! They're cooking and changing-out their food CONSTANTLY so it never has a chance to age. Every time I go, the food is fresh from the kitchen, hot and delicious. And they're most well-known for both their Butter Shrimp and their Sesame Chicken. They've won awards in "D Magazine" several times. They're quite proud of what they do.

Try it. No other Chinese buffet place in the Metroplex will compare, and it'll ruin places like Great Wall for you forever. =]

(And no, I don't work there or have any involvement with the business. I'm just a 5 year loyal customer. New New DEFINES what Chinese buffet everywhere SHOULD be.)

[twinwillow]

That's a hell of an endorsement. I'll have to try this place. Thankfully, It's only about a 12-15 mile round tripper for me.

[irodguy]

I would have to call it a generic okay buffet. I got dragged there by friends, it was okay but not worth a trip.

[twinwillow]

Thanks. Actually, after reading all the "Yelp'"reviews, that does indeed seem to be a just description.

[irodguy]

The only buffet I go out of my way for is Maxim's. It's even hit and miss, but they at least normally have a few "real" Chinese dishes. I understand how it is, every so often you just have to hit a buffet. Overall though I would rather get a bunch of friends together and eat family style and skip the buffet.

[Scagnetti]

I know a lot of people will disdain the Chinese AYCE places, but as many of us long time CH'ers have discussed in other threads, including Jim Leff the Top Dog his ownself, we ALL know that every eating experience doesn't have to be a CH experience.

Like others who over indulge in a bag of Oreos, PBJ sandwiches, etc., when the urge hits me, I go for a Chinese AYCE place.

The one at Meadow and Central is not bad but the one that's already been mentioned is the China Town Buffet at Knoll Trail and Arapaho is better. China Town Buffet only has the buffet at lunch and on weekends and offers many selections including several dumplings, roast duck and roast pork. Be aware though, some times are better than others.

[caliking]

Sushi Awaji in Irving/LasColinas area.

One of the best Asian buffets I've been too - not quite Chinese since they have an extensive sushi selection, ramen counter, Korean beef ribs etc. If you go on a weekend for lunch, maybe 1 hr after they open, all the food is fresh and replenished constantly, Seems to be a good place to take a large group too as they seem to have tons of space. Have not been for dinner, so don't know how the selection varies.

[oliphant]

I agree. Although not Chinese - the best for a sushi buffet! Tons of selection (I only went to dinner there) and good sushi!

[atanr]

My family and I went to Sushi Awaji for dinner last night. I was not too impressed. Sushi selection was good, they did not have the Korean ribs. The food seemed stale for dinner selection. There weren't too many hot food selections either. They came out with very few Tempura fried shrimp, maybe 6 out at a time, so it was very hard to catch. Maybe they had an off night.
For this type of sushi buffet, I would definitely drive further to get to Osaka Sushi in Plano. They have a fresher, more plentiful selection. More generous hot foods selection. The restaurant is always full, a lot of Asian clientele (always a good sign).

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Osaka Sushi
5012 W Park Blvd, Plano, TX 75093

Sushi Awaji
7835 N MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75063

[luniz]

I went to Osaka Sushi for dinner a few weeks ago and was very disappointed. The sashimi was ok but the rice in every piece of sushi was very poor with a strong sour (not vinegar) taste that made it very unpleasant. The desserts were poor. On top of that it was quite a big more expensive than it's competitors (ie Japan House) without any higher level of variety or quality. I wouldn't recommend this place to anybody.

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Osaka Sushi
5012 W Park Blvd, Plano, TX 75093

[air]

I went to this amazing chinese place in Albuquerque (Best Lee's) based off a blog post that had me drooling. The pan fried noodles were unlike anything I'd ever tried before, it looked gorgeous and had the perfect crisp. It soaked in the flavor of the sauce but didn't immediately get soggy or mushy. For reference here is the post:
http://nmgastronome.com/blog/?p=3344

The hostess proudly mentioned being honored on this top 100 Chinese restaurant list. Fung's Kitchen is also up there and I agree they'd be one of the better Chinese restaurants in the entire state. They've actually made numerous appearances. Haven't heard of Royal China off Preston/Royal though.

Now here's the point: there's a buffet in Carrollton also on this list. Has anyone tried China King Buffet on Josey/Bush? Wonder if it is outstanding.
http://top100chineserestaurants.com/a...

[joanna.mcmaster]

Not sure how much I'd rely on a list that suggests a buffet as one of the top 100, I know TX is hurting for them, but seriously. It can't change the fact that whatever you are consuming has been sitting under a heat lamp for god knows how long. No thanks.

[air]

Well yeah I'd agree with you on that heat lamp thing, I'm not a fan of buffets either. Maybe they have a non-buffet menu that you could order fresh dishes from, or the buffet really could be good. Just curious to see if anyone's been there.

[DallasDude]

I failed. I was heading up to Jeng for lunch and I saw the Kirin building and diverted. i even called buddies for reinforcements. New converts to dim sum, but missed Jeng by a few blocks. I will try again tomorrow.

[joanna.mcmaster]

Awww, as long as you didn't bring the new converts to an all-you-can-eat, eat-until-you-die chinese buffet, i would in no way consider it a failure.

[J.R.]

funny, I did Jing cuz this thread had me Jones's. my office is in the hood luckily. It was ok, not great. Kinda dirty in there.

[amokscience]

I generally agree with the sentiment that Chinese buffets are usually the least great way to enjoy Chinese cuisine. That said I do get that insatiable craving every once in a while and if I can't get a group together I'll go to either Best Buffet (Plano) or Suma Veggie Cafe (Richardson).

Best Buffet has a large variety of offerings (a bit too large imo: sushi, udon, and a grill station?) and I've had some Chinese friends say they go for buffet eating. I probably settled on it because it had decent noodles, rice, and (sometimes) soup in addition to all the usual Chinese-American meat dishes.

Suma Veggie Cafe is, well, vegetarian, but most people won't know the difference. As my American co-workers state: It's almost exactly the same taste, greasiness, and calories, just without the meat. It's best to go earlier in the lunch hour and the selection is small compared to traditional buffets. This would be my preferred choice.

There's a buffet at the nearby International Buddhist Progress Society (2nd floor) if you're willing to experience zero-ambiance, cafeteria-style vegetarian. A decent lunch spot for local business workers, probably not a drive destination unless you need to try vegetarian. They have a tea room next door that is beautifully decorated but I've never eaten there.

[mahalan]

"Best Chinese buffet" ??? What an oxymoron.

Chinese food was made to be served immediately after cooking. It's not made to sit on a steam tray.

It's a shame that these all you can shove down your throat places have killed the existence of good Chinese food in the U.S. There's only a handful of places in the entire country where one can still eat one of the truly great cuisines.

[joanna.mcmaster]

Without intending to sound snobby, i have to agree. IMO, no thank you.

[chefdean1964]

BLah blah blah...I go to the real places too, but if you haven't noticed there is a market for the chinese/american buffet. I like GREAT WALL in plano on plano parkway. very busy. But for the real thing I like JENG CHI on greeneville between arapaho and beltline.

[DallasDude]

Well, chef, tell us about Jeng Chi. I am highly interested.

I have a conversation once a week with a gentleman I know from my favorite pub about restaurants. He asks for recs and such. He asked this same question, where do you find a great Chinese buffet. He also added he was good for nine plates. Nine. At nine platefuls why does it matter if its good?

Edit: Just pulled the following off Jeng Chi's website. Thought it was worth a giggle. I will try this place for lunch this week. Their website has virtually no info, but a google uncovered they serve XLB. Woot! A third haunt for XLB in Dallas area!

"Our restaurant services for food of North and Southwestern China. Such as, Dumplings, Noodles, Pancake, Hot Pot Stickers.
We also have some dishes and Suchuan dishes."

I like dishes, and I also like Suchuan dishes. But I like dishes the most. ;)

[air]

Jeng Chi is a dumpling house in that Asian strip along Greenville/Main in Richardson, it's similar to Lai Lai in Houston. Their xiao long bao isn't bad, wish we had other options though.

[DallasDude]

I just read 50 reviews and feel moronic for never having tried it, or heard of it. This is why I like Chow though.

[LewisvilleHounder]

I am with air on this one. The XLB is good for a pinch but I just don't call them outstanding. The Sichuan dishes are better left to Little Sichuan in Plano. The Ma Po Tofu is just decent. Stick with the dumplings and I don't think you can go wrong. Jeng Chi has been around for ever and most of the restaurantuers in town all eat there. The Kangs who own Mr. Wok in Plano and formally Kang's Cafe in Irving are good friends of the owner of Jeng Chi.

[J.R.]

I like Jeng Chi if not only for the reason that I can stop by there after work (close to my office) and bring home, homade dumplings to steam at home. The also have really good green onion pancakes and black pepper chicken and zuchini.

[HalfBaked]

Hound, you just blew my mind.
I was a big fan of Kang's Cafe Peking duck presentation as well as their reliable take-out goodness. I lost touch since moving to Dallas 10 years ago and was disapointed to find out the place had closed along with another favorite pho place that was in the same strip mall.
Do you know if they offer this special at Mr. Wok?

[air]

HalfBaked, glad to see you back, haven't seen you post in a while...

Always nothing but good things to say about Mr. Wok and the Kangs. They still do the Peking duck, you just have to call in advance. Presentation is definitely there as Jack will carve and debone it tableside. The menu mentions duck soup for the second half of it, or you could have the bones fried. If you like the interactive presentation of the duck, then I think you'd also enjoy smashing open the beggar's chicken with a mallet, it's another good dish.

Contact info and both English/Chinese menus are on their website: http://www.mr-wok.com/

[twinwillow]

Kang's in Irving always had the best Peking duck in the DFW area.

[horseshoe]

August Moon used to be good but I don't know if they are still around.

[twinwillow]

I believe August Moon is gone.

[irodguy]

It's still there http://www.august-moon.com/home.html. I cannot say that I have been there in years, but the buffet was good many moons ago. Okay I know I had to say it.

[eurotrashwonton]

I live around the corner from where August Moon was, and I can assure you they're closed. The place is currently in the middle of being gutted and turned into yet another bank. Just what we need!

[HalfBaked]

Funny you should ask. Hubster and I have lived @ Arapaho and the Tollway for 9+ years. August Moon was great when we first moved in but slowly did a downward slide till they closed last year. There has been a ton of construction near the old place. Anyone been by?

OH! Don't fret yet, if you really like Chinatown Buffet on Arapaho just east of the Toll Rd. you are in LUCK! It is owned by exact same person who owned August Moon. The guy who used to answer the phones tho is now doing delivery. He gave us the low-down.
The buffet is typical run of the mill chinese buffet, however, the location (near Wallyworld) affords it a steady clientele during the peak hours so it has a good turnover. Good selection of hot and cold dishes, including dessert, sushu and grill area where you can pick your proteins, veggies and the like and they grill it up.
What I really like is the take out/delivery. It's mediocre at best, but is easier than if I heated up something frozen and its quick. They don't use a ton of mgs. Also, they they have stuff from their old menu - shrimp w/candied walnuts.
It's not awful.

[DallasDude]

Years ago August Moon was greatness. They slipped, fell then did the unspeakable. They jumped the shark and did the buffet. Nothing good comes from a buffet. They are best left to bar mitvahs.

[twinwillow]

Yes, I'm anxious to know as well. The one at Meadow / Central isn't too bad. Neither is the one on Arapaho just East of the toll road.

[irodguy]

I would agree that the one on Arapaho just east of the toll road is decent. I would call it 85% americanized Chinese. Maxim's in Richardson has a buffet that is more true Chinese depending on the day. The problem is that they way most of my Chinese friends do "buffets" is that eight or 10 go out and everybody selects something different to share. Occasionally I will get invited to go out with them, but more often I get a big group together and go somewhere and do the same.