JOY WOK Super Buffet & Hibachi - Topeka — Restaurant in Topeka

I’d give this a solid 4.75 stars, which is not a available option from Google reviews. The food overall was delicious.

Stuffed Mushrooms - Although simply prepared, they use medium mushroom caps for these; so the taste is BIG, and not overbearing on the additional components, very well balanced. A little more salt is all I would add to make them the perfect stand alone experience 👌

Crab Rangoons - A popular item, so the ones I had were fresh and hot which is a essential component for quality. Taste was also within the top 10 I’ve had, which is a good mix between: Crispy Light Savory Sweet

Egg Rolls - Shells were also crispy but not burnt/overdone, the inside components were mostly vegetables, and done just softer than Al dentè, which is a combo I really like.

Spring Rolls - Shells were PERFECT, stuffed portion was overdone and a bit mushy. I’ll not have these again, but this and one other complement were the difference between 4.75 and 5.0

Fried Rice - Another very popular item, which at dinner time was full and fresh. Veggies tasted like they had been previously prepped (sous chefs maybe? Or possibly fresh or thawed before cooking?), and were exactly as soft as I like them in this dish.

Lo Mein - Similar story to the rice, done almost perfectly for firmness, moisture, and flavor. Very excellent dish.

General’s Chicken - This and all of the other chicken dishes were presented in a similar way, lightly fried (not at all overcooked) and tossed at a medium heaviness in the appropriate sauce. Had a good kick, was not too spicy; sizes of pieces were larger than average, making for a much more tender bite than expected.

Jalapeño Chicken - Slightly smaller bites, making for a more crunchy dish. Welcome variety, and the spice didn’t burn me out at all. Well thought out dish.

Sushi - This was course 2, so it was smaller. But, the selection, freshness, variety, and taste was significantly better than I’d expect from most buffets. Certainly a 4.5 or better on a scale of 0-5.0

Atmosphere - This is one of the parts that is pretty subjective. This venue is a fairly new place for our market, so it was packed (I was still seated in less than 5 minutes, even on a busy night) If you are looking for a small, quiet, intimate experience; move along. This is a large restaurant, doing a HUGE volume for the area, and isn’t built for this dinner dynamic.

Value - Pricer than other local options, but for very good reason; 10/10 will return.

Did not try - Fountain drinks Full...

The buffet is in a new, large establishment, so it has plenty of space, and everything looks immaculate. Even with ample seating, if you go at peak times, you may have to wait for a free table.

Despite having a website, you won't find their buffet prices listed anywhere. Having gone twice, the Saturday lunch buffet is $16, and Sunday's is $18 (before taxes). Drinks are not included with that cost, but are only $2.50. I've no idea what weekday or supper prices are like.

There's only two significant changes I saw on Sunday's buffet compared to Saturday. Near the soup section, they have about six cooked seafood items, and the sushi section has more fish included. Unfortunately, even though every other dish is labeled, they don't identify what any of the sushi items are. Also, I noticed that few people were getting those seafood dishes, so I don't imagine they stay fresh and hot. Unless you intend on going for the more premium items, as in getting a few plates of quality sushi, it won't be worth the cost to go on Sunday.

Having tried the food twice now, I'm pretty underwhelmed by what I've eaten. I didn't like either soup base. The ramen was both salty and sweet, in a way I didn't enjoy. The pho just tasted like peanut water. Their self-carving beef tends to be fatty, and unless it's fresh, will be cold by the time you get to it. The steamed buns didn't have great fillings, with far more dough than anything.

Certain items are just a matter of preference: for example, I don't like the slightly sour note in the general tso's chicken, but do enjoy the oily lo mein. However, I tried a fried drumstick, and was baffled by it. It was still hot, and the skin was crispy, but the flesh had such a bad flavor I couldn't stand it. Certain items can be surprisingly bad, although with so many options, you'll likely find some dishes you enjoy.

Overall, if you just want a solid Chinese buffet, this might be worth going to on weekdays, depending on the price. I'd think $12 would be closer to the mark, as you can find some staples that are good here. I've been really disappointed by these add-ons that were supposed to be stand-outs, such as the steamed buns, seafood, and made to order soup. One easy fix would be to start labelling the sushi items. I definitely won't go back on weekends, as I expect amazing food if I'm spending $20 on a buffet, and that wasn't what I...

We tried this place for the first time. Fortunately there was no wait when we got there around 2pm on a Saturday. It was still quite busy but they seemed to be keeping up. The most noticeable thing upon entering the restaurant is how absolutely filthy the floor is in a place that has been open only a few weeks. Beyond that, most of the food I tried was good (except one chicken item tasted like wet dog for some reason) and seemed to be getting replenished quickly. The selection is about what I would expect from a large Chinese buffet. The cleanliness of the buffet area was okay but lots of room for improvement. The dessert area is poorly laid out and absolutely disgusting.

We had a hard time figuring out how to pay at the end. No one ever brought us a check and our server seemed to have disappeared. We just walked to the front and asked the hostess to help us pay. She was confused but after 15 min of waiting for a check our only other option was to...