Who doesn't like a good 'all-you-can-eat'? Sometimes, despite better judgment, one just has to let their inner 'fat-kid' out and go nuts.
But let's be perfectly clear on something - it is very rare should one come across an a.y.c.e. where the food is exceptional. Most a.y.c.e.'s are about pumping out lots of cheaply prepared, carb-rich, salty food that separates a fool from his dollar after just two plates. Now, if you're a seasoned buffet professional, you know all the secrets to swindling the swindlers. Start with the proteins, specifically the high-end stuff - skip all the things that are going to trip you up; rice, noodles, pastas, and breads. I like to start with the snow crab legs, lobster tails, boiled shrimp (not fried), and obviously, Prime Rib.
But you won't find any of those items on the menu here. This establishment gives you two options. Just two.
Sushi or Cajun.
Now, I know that sounds bizarre, and it is. You can't even combine from one menu to the next. You have to make the decision whether or not you want Sushi or Cajun.
Now this is a conundrum for me, because Sushi and Cajun cuisines are my favorite - so you can imagine my disappointment when I asked to do both and the waitress said I had to pick just one menu.
Major Point Reduction.
I went with Sushi. And the wife and I went all out. Okay, truthfully, we went overboard.
The result, well... I had mixed reviews. You see, they did some things right, but mostly wrong. And they prepared a few things well, but mainly, it was kind of mediocre.
We started with a Miso soup. It was tasty, but it was practically all broth and little to no tofu, scallions, and nori. Next, grilled squid, or ikayaki, in a teriyaki glaze. It was okay. But the shumai and the gyoza, now those were good (even though I think they came from a bag).
Then our sushi arrived, and I realized that perhaps we had been a little overzealous, as the pictures would suggest. But I wasn't about to pay the additional fee for food wasted charge, so I soldiered on and finished my meal with zest and fervor... and immediately regretted the overexuberance of my folly.
It was my first and only meal of the day. I couldn't eat another bite afterward.
Now, as for the sushi. The quality of the ingredients was very good, but the preparation was lacking. The fish to rice ratio favored the rice, and the rice was underseasoned.
For $28.99 per person, we pigged out - and that's okay. I was in a sushi coma by the meals end. But was it worth pig-out? My answer: sort of. Some of the rolls were very tasty, and others were bland. The fact that specialty rolls and common rolls are both included in the same price means that a diner should stick to the specialty rolls - you get a lot more value for what you are given. But if nigiri is your thing, then this place is a bit of a letdown. I was disappointed that the nigiri pieces I ordered were as bland as they were.
If you're the kind of person who mixes Wasabi into your soy sauce and drowns your maki pieces in the mixture after slathering each piece with a slice of pickled ginger, or a person who values quanity over quality, then this place is perfect for you. If you are, however, a purist, then stick to your high-end omakase.
Would I go back? Yes, I believe I would; but to try the Cajun side of the menu and compare my findings, or to scratch a sushi gorgefest if ever the craving to be a disgusting piglet arises again.
