East Buffet — Restaurant in Hawaiian Gardens

To da East, my brotha, to da East

East Buffet is an expansive Chinese buffet, located in the hood of Hawaiian Gardens. After the Walmart Neighborhood Market closed down, the shopping center had been mainly deserted. However, after East Buffet opened up shop, the parking lot has been bustling with hungry tummies awaiting to be stuffed.

$9.99 weekday lunch, with 10% off coupon

Sushi- Better in quality than most Chinese buffets, East Buffet had saba (mackerel) & unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. The unagi wasn't as good as at sushi restaurants, but the saba was delicious, with the brightness of the brine & the fatty slices of mackerel. Another item I enjoyed was the fresh seaweed salad. I helped myself to quite a few helpings of that.

Mongolian BBQ- De rigueur for Chinese buffets, the Mongolian BBQ here had all the bells & whistles expected. Beef, chicken, shrimp, assorted vegetables, noodles, brown eggs & enough diced garlic to vanquish Edward, Bella & the spawn from their loins (Twilight reference).

Grill- I always make this my first stop, as there can be a substantial wait for your choices of meat to be cooked to your preference. Beef, marinated pork belly, pork chops, shrimp & squid. The beef was quite wonderful cooked medium rare. The pork belly was good, although I would've liked it to be cooked to a crispy texture. I enjoy squid, but something about the squid here seemed a bit off.

Hot items- Other than a bowl of miso soup, I didn't partake of any of the hot items. I was more focused on the freshly grilled meat, Mongolian BBQ & sushi. My eyes spied fried chicken wings, pizza, French fries, clams, mussels, breaded & fried shrimp. My brother raved about the bourbon chicken, so I'll have to try that during my next visit.

Dessert- Can't leave without satisfying the sweet tooth! On the healthy side, plenty of assorted fruit to choose from, such as cantaloupe, watermelon & strawberries. More on the sinful side, pastries & small cakes are on hand, like macaroons. Feeling devilish? Then about 12 flavors of Thrifty ice cream are hypnotizing each passerby, with their creamy texture & refreshing temperature. I had the green tea & chocolate, both delighting my tastebuds. To top it off, a chocolate fountain stands flowing it's rivers of cocoa liquid. Marshmallows are directly to the right of the fountain, and diners can always use the fruit & assorted pastries if marshmallows aren't their thing.

Service was good. My brother had his soda filled several times without asking. Our plates were cleared in a timely manner, leaving us more time to fill our table space with more food. Ample seating, with a private dining area for large gatherings. The buffet is U-shaped, surrounding the main dining area. The restaurant, including the restroom, was kept clean the entire time I was there.

Parking is in a private lot, shared by Pollo Inka Express, O'Reilly's & other businesses.

Oh, man! Looks like I have to dust off the elastic pants & XL shirts. East Buffet is a great buffet value, serving various food items which most people can find something to like. If you stick to the freshly cooked items, sushi & dessert like I did, then you won't leave disappointed. I'll have to limit my visits here, as self-control & buffet don't correlate in my mind.

Highly...

On June 14, 2024, at 11:50 am, I took my two good friends to East Buffet. While they went to get their food, I secretly went to the front desk at 12:02 pm to pay the bill in advance. I didn't want my guests to pay for the meal. The lady at the front desk, Cindy, was wearing a face mask, and her eyes looked like she was bothered by something. I informed Cindy that I wanted to pay for three adults and three waters. She responded rudely and disrespectfully, saying, "You eat first and then pay."

I replied, "I understand. I don't want my guests to handle the bill." My guests would definitely pay for the bill, which I didn't want since I was the one who invited them. I also added, "What difference will it make if I pay after we finish eating?" Cindy continued to respond in a loud and unpleasant manner, glaring at me with irritation. Frustrated, I told her that if she couldn't assist customers properly, she shouldn't be working at the front desk. I also pointed out that she needed to improve her customer service skills, as her attitude could drive customers away. Cindy failed to explain that it was the buffet's policy for customers to eat first and pay afterward.

Management should replace Cindy with someone more capable of handling customers with ease. There are several employees at the restaurant who speak and understand English well, and they could replace Cindy. While I mean no harm to Cindy, she needs more training. I understand that English is not her first language, but good customer service skills are universal, regardless of the country.

I called and spoke to the supervisor, who merely apologized and explained that only uneducated immigrants would take on Cindy's role. He indicated there would be no replacement. Unfortunately, I regret bringing my guests to this buffet. This was my first and last visit. It's no wonder East Buffet has pictures of customers who left without paying. The restaurant should revise its policy and train its...

I come here, like all Asian buffets, with my parents. Yes, stereotypically you'll find retired folks dining at these institutions. Trust me, I am happy these buffets exists but I hate being dragged out to be part of the party. However, this one as you see, earned 4 stars from me for being new and the varieties offered.

If you have ever dined at Hokkaido in Long Beach, there's lots of striking similarities. There's a Mongolian teppan (which is really good, get your own veggie and meats), TV, fresh fruits, chocolate fountain, Sushi (Hokkaido is slightly better), all a sleuth of Chinese food.

However, they also have a grilled area (not great selection of meat) and my was grilled dry on the outside and raw on the inside. They have a few fish varieties. (White fish, Salmon, Pike) They have 12 flavors of ice cream.

But inconsistencies here have me thinking twice about coming back. Service from a guy waiter was great while the host lady looks like she held a grudge with someone for a long time. Talking to her was like talking to someone overseas, with mild agitation. Also when getting water, our first batch tasted fine but our second batch tasted strange. As for our utensils, one of our silverware was dirty and wrapped in napkin as plate settings.

I would say tho, coming here and trying it out on a weekday is the way to go. It's only $9.99 and it's $1 cheaper for seniors. Sodas here are $2 and Juices are $3 and you've already heard me talking about the water. Kid's pricing is $0.90 cents (weekday) per year x the number of year your kid is. (i.e $4.50 for a 5 year old -$0.90 x 5) I believe weekends, it's $1.50 per year.

I recommend getting the Mongolian Teppan, fried shrimp, the white fish, cold seaweed salad, the fresh fruits , the chicken wings. I may not get my $10 worth but I do like to munch on food here and there every so often.

The bathrooms here are clean (for now).

So if you want to impress your...