Hong Yip Restaurant — Restaurant in Thomasville

Some dining experiences have to be taken at face-value. Try not go in with high expectations and see what unfolds. That's exactly what I did, on a recent business trip and decided to indulge my guilty pleasure....Chinese Buffet! The selection was pretty normal with a one standout...Black Pepper Chicken. The atmosphere was quite casual. The place is a haunt for the local crowd, for sure. Plastic cutlery is the flatware of choice and you pay before picking-up your first melamine plastic plate to begin the adventure. Most of the selection were gravy covered and the oil was in abundance on many selections. The buffet was kept full by an attentive staff and bussing of tables was quickly performed. The restaurant had an unusual smell...akin to a cleaning solvent, of some type. Sadly, I was excessive, but for the wrong meal type. If this teaches me anything it may be, I'm over the guilty pleasure...

I use to order from here many years ago when they 1st opened at Gate Way. I went in to order quickly while out, only ordered 2 items, egg foo yung and pork lo mein. I asked the counter person if bean spouts was cooked in my order. She was rude and said " No". I come from SF Bay area, so I'm accustom to authentic Asian food, with no short cuts...finally food comes and what a disappointment. I've never had pork lo mein so badly prepared, with no taste at all, just "blane basic". The gravy for the egg foo yung, didn't look nor taste like gravy, but like a brown sticky paste. I'll never order from there again... that...

Ordered steamed buns. They took them out of the freezer in what looked like Sam's Club or Walmart packaging. I can make steamed buns!

Shrimp Fried Rice was not fried. It was yellow rice heated with frozen shrimp; no crunchy bits; no egg; no seasoning. The Buffet looked better but I don't do buffets.

I've had friendlier service at a fast-food drive-up window. My second and last time trying this. I grew up outside Chicago; and lived near San Fran and in NYC. Beautiful Chinatown's in all three not to mention the Asian community in Jamaica, WI. I KNOW what GREAT Asian food tastes like....