Sometimes a name can be deceiving. When I heard U-Like Asian Buffet was taking over for the space formerly occupied by China One on the west side, I thought it was going to be a gimmicky restaurant. But, I still welcomed a recent invitation to dine there, and I discovered a completely revamped establishment that takes food–and decor–seriously.
After chatting with Sunny, one of the co-owners, I understood why. His years of restaurant experience (mainly in New York) and attention to detail are evident, even in the bathrooms, which also are renovated.
The buffet ($8.95 at lunch, $12.95 at dinner) includes mostly the Chinese food you would expect–General Tso’s chicken, lo mein, dumplings, etc.–but also items like frog legs and crawfish, plus some American items and desserts, as well as a sushi station, a noodle station and hibachi grill. I’m guessing that’s why the price is a bit higher compared to other buffets.
Typically at places with all-you-can-sushi, you’ll find mostly vegetable-based sushi rolls. At U-Like, I was delighted to find more meat-based sushi, including dragon rolls (with eel) and salmon nigiri.
You can pick the ingredients you want to make a bowl of noodle soup or a mixed grill plate. I’m a big fan of pho, and that’s what I obviously chose. The broth was so good that I avoided adding Sriracha to it, like I normally would with pho. I would have eaten a second bowl if I wasn’t saving room for the rest of the buffet.
If you’re not in the mood for all-you-can-eat, you can order off the lunch or dinner menus.
Besides the selection, the other thing that would prompt me for a return visit is the sake bar, which is a new addition to the space. With all the businesses in the vicinity, it seems like it could do a mean happy hour, if you can get over the fact that you’re in a buffet restaurant. I sampled two perfectly chilled sakes, and I mention the temperature because too many restaurants mistakenly serve sake at room temperature.
U-Like Asian buffet is open every day for lunch and dinner.
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See more photos at our U-Like Asian Buffet Flickr album.
Thanks Brian and we look forward to return visits. We introduced tilapia steamed in our special sauce, give it a try next time.