🍽️ Ithaca Food Adventure — Chinese Buffet 🥢

Some say life at Cornell is stressful and Ithaca can be boring… but after two years here, I’ve made it my mission to find joy in the little things — like trying almost 90% of the local restaurants 😄. I’ll be sharing my finds bit by bit, hoping to help fellow Cornellians and visiting parents discover good eats! 🎉 Today is Lunar New Year, so of course — Chinese food was a must! I drove an hour to Binghamton to try Buffet Star (aka “Dragon Restaurant” 🐉). The place is huge, with red couplets on the door — very festive! The spread was impressive: salads, cold dishes, hot entrees, desserts, seafood, sushi, ice cream… no wonder my American friends love it. I noticed about 90% of the diners were non-Chinese. 💰 The price is unbeatable: Weekend lunch: $13.99 Weekend dinner: $16.99 Weekdays are $1 cheaper! 🍚 The desserts and soup dumplings were pretty good. My favorite was the sticky rice in lotus leaf 🌯. I skipped the clams since the shells looked a bit broken and I’m not big on seafood anyway. Most dishes leaned sweet and sour — classic American Chinese style. Still, it hit the spot for Lunar New Year vibes! 🧧 🛣️ Recommendation: This is right on the way from Ithaca to NYC — perfect for a pit stop next time you’re driving to the city! 🚗🍍 #Buffet #ChineseFood #FoodReview #IthacaLife #CornellLife #StudentEats #USALiving