NOT FOUND: ericsrestrauntreview.jpgIf you are a regular reader of this column, besides being highly intelligent and, likely, extremely good looking, you also know that I am not a big buffet fan. There are a large number of Chinese buffets all over our fair city The buffets generally offer about 50 Chinese selections as well as a salad bar, sushi bar, Mongolian bbq and even a bevy of American selections... If you ate at one of these joints twice a day everyday between now and the 4th of July, you might get to try everything once. There is something fascinating about all those selections that draws people as if some how a buffet with 100 choices is going to be better than one with only 25. NOT FOUND: ericsrestrauntreview2.jpgAnd you can get it all for about 10 bucks.
Recently I have made a habit of eating Sunday lunch all by myself at a local buffet. Yes dining alone at a buffet. I have never been one of those people who has a problem dining alone. I have eaten at 5 star restaurants with nothing more than my wallet as my companion. At this particular buffet, they NOT FOUND: ericsrestrauntreview3.jpgactually have a very conspicuous table for one right by the register. I know many of you do not like to eat in public alone because you feel everyone is noticing you and taking pity. Really now. get over yourselves. Nobody is looking or thinking anything about it.
Now Sunday after church the rest of my family has other things to tend to so I head off to The Hunan Garden Buffet at the corner of Watt and Elverta. The HG has a small buffet and only one of them, so I’m guessing there are about 20 to 25 items for lunch, including the soups. I would have taken an exact count, but I want to at least give the impression of having a life. Sure, you’ve got your standards like sweet n sour pork, pot stickers, chow mien and fried rice. Oh, and we shant forget the crème cheese filled won tons that are so delectable dipped in a little sweet and sour.
Sure none of this is new. You can find these goodies at any Chinese buffet from here to Maine. However, sometimes all the quantity we find at buffets can understandably hinder the quality. Such is not the case at Hunan Garden. Though the buffet is small, they found room for mussels and green beans with shrimp, along with some very tasty battered fish. I quite enjoyed dipping the fish into the pot sticker sauce.
They even offer a hot and sour soup that, to my liking, leans toward the hot. And, yes, I did say mussels for those of who (like myself) go there.
HG is a bargain for after church lunch at $6.25. Plus you might see me. I’ll be the guy sitting alone with a plate stacked with mussels and fried fish.
In the tougher of economic times, most folks are looking for ways to inexpensively go out to eat. Next month’s article will not help in this endeavor. No, I’m just funning ya, though we may go a bit upscale. I haven’t had a good reason to get dressed up since mid February when High School Musical 3 came out on video. My beautiful, loving (and often confused by my humor) wife, Carrie, and I have not been out for a romantic evening in quite some time. Well there was that special January night at The Sizzler. I know restaurants and obviously I know romance, too.