Chinese Buffet

I’ve always loved buffets. It’s a good way to try different types of foods without getting too terribly burned. Instead of paying money for one meal (which you may or may not like) you can pay one price and try the pigeon, as well as more familiar fare.

Then, you can always create the most unbalanced meal ever. If you want to gorge on sweet-and-sour pork and nothing else, have at it.

The search for reliable chicken fried rice remains a problem. I found it in Xiamen, but not in Guangzhou or Beijing. Trip Advisor recommended Lunar 8 for the rice. It was okay, but not exactly what I was looking for. I still got full, and the manager was very attentive.

First plate was chicken nuggets, sweet-and-sour pork, and noodles.

Buffets in China are more elegant than their American counterparts. The food will also be more authentic, especially the Chinese selections. It’s common at the better buffets to find a salad bar, dessert bar, and hot food areas.

One thing you’ll find at Chinese buffets in China is duck. My second plate was more sweet-and-sour pork, duck, and some rice. Duck is super-common here. I never had it in the states, as I associated it more with with ritzier restaurants. It certainly wasn’t available in the grocery stores like it is here. It comes pre-cooked and pre-packaged, and you can grab it at the deli. People have told me about the famous Peking Duck, which I’ve had, and I’ll share that experience on another blog post.

Finding Egg Drop soup has been challenging here too. I’m beginning to think that Egg Drop soup is more American than Chinese, just like chicken fried rice seems more American than Chinese. So I was thrilled to find the soup on the menu. Most Chinese soups are more like broth, clear, and with maybe a few veggies thrown in.