A Visit to a Chinese Buffet

I was never really crazy about the idea of going to a buffet until I went to this Chinese buffet for dinner. The name of the restaurant is Amy Buffet II and is located in Toms River, NJ.

As we walked through the door, my husband, three sons and myself, were greeted by a woman in a long Asian dress. She welcomed us and walked us through the dining area which displayed traditional Asian lanterns hanging from the ceiling and beautiful paintings on the walls. The setting was peaceful and serene with the lighting dimmed just enough.

We were seated at our table and were introduced to our waitress. She was very soft-spoken as she asked what we would like to drink. We placed our order for sodas and a pot of tea and she then directed us to the buffet room.

As we walked single-file through the buffet tables, plates in hand, we noticed all of the different varieties of foods. One table had various choices of seafood, such as shrimp scampi, stuffed clams, and crab legs galore. Another table held all of the traditional Chinese foods such as fried rice, lo mein, chow mein, different kinds of chicken and beef, etc. The next table had foods that my children enjoy. They were able to choose from pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries and onion rings. As we made our way around the room I noticed one whole table dedicated to different types of sushi. I'm not one for sushi but I have to admit it did look good. Around the other side were two more tables, one with salads and one with many choices of desserts.

We sampled a little bit of everything and the food was delicious. From our table I could see into the buffet room, a woman who came from the kitchen with batches of fresh food every five to ten minutes, or so. As we finished our meals, the waitress was close by to take our empty plates away, without missing a beat. Refills on our sodas came just as quick.

When it was time for dessert we headed back into the buffet room. My children wanted soft-serve ice cream and my husband and I opted for a nice big piece of cheesecake drizzled with chocolate syrup. Upon returning back to our table, which was stripped clean of remnants left behind from our dinner, there was a small black tray with the bill and a fortune cookie for each of us. The total bill was for $55. Not bad for a dinner out with the family, not having to cook or clean.

I have now changed my view of eating at a buffet. If this is what I can expect from any other buffet out there, I will frequent them more often.