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Review content:
Let's be clear up front. This is not a place to go for ""typical"" New Orleans food. Also, it's a buffet, so haters pointing out below-average service need to put that in context. The 5-star rating is meant to be a relative rating among New Orleans buffets. Trying to compare to Vegas buffets is a futile effort for any buffet not in Vegas.
Lunch is $10, Dinner is $15 (with somewhat better selection). Parties of 20+ get a 30% discount when I was there (12/2009).
The restaurant serves a combination of Japanese and Chinese cuisine with a touch of Korean (Kim Chee). I found the sushi rolls to be well-prepared and of ample variety. For a $10 lunch buffet, I was able to find eel, avocado, California, vegetarian, crab, and several others that slip my memory. There was a steady supply of rolls, and sushi chefs were quick to resupply trays as they got empty.
The Japanese cuisine expanded beyond nori-wrapped fare. There were tempura, salads, and hibachi offered with udon.
On the Chinese side, dishes appeared to be properly prepared. Broccoli, which tends to be overcooked at many buffets, was excellent here. The stir-fry dishes were neither over-starched nor over-sauced.
Dessert was good. Again, keeping in mind that this is a buffet, the selection was decent. There were three or four cake-like deserts, fresh fruit, desert salads, and ice cream. The best selection is in the ice cream. Most buffets offer soft-serve ice-cream. This is the only buffet I've been to at ANY price point offering ""real"" ice cream, and there were about a dozen or so flavors to boot. In keeping with the Asian theme, I sprang for the green tea ice cream, a convincingly good concoction that carried just a hint of green tea bitterness balanced well with creaminess and sweetness.
My overall impression was impressive. With this 5 star rating in mind, the creations here are not meant to rival the unique fare at Shogun, Five Happiness, Nine Roses, Sushi Brothers, or the other ""nicer"" Asian restaurants in NOLA. You will not find Peking Duck served to you and your party in a proper manner here. Still, selection was varied enough to offer something for any discriminating diner: vegetarians/vegans, beef-centric, seafood lovers, Muslims, etc. It may not be so varied that all picky eaters will feel completely satisfied, but all should be able to leave on a full stomach.
Pros: It's a Good Buffet
Cons: It's a Buffet
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