Crystal Buffet Hibachi & Grill — Restaurant in West Melbourne

I was away in Melbourne on a business trip, and two of my coworkers recommended Crystal. I was on my way somewhere else, but when I saw the sign, I thought I would give it a shot. Boy, I am SO glad I did! The organization, ambiance, food selection, and service are top-notch here.

I'll try to go in order of my experience. I walked in to the restaurant, asked to see the buffet before I was seated, and the hostess said that wasn't a problem. I looked around and was immediately struck by the decor. There is a koi pond with a walking bridge over it. There is also a dispenser for fish food if you want to feed the koi. A family with three young girls did that while I was having my meal, and it was enjoyable to watch them having so much fun. The rest of the decor is beautiful without being gaudy.

I checked out their sushi bar. It is extensive, with rolls, sushi, and sashimi. They also have a selection of cold salads, including one of my favorites, octopus salad. They have a variety of soups and hot foods, many of which I enjoy. There are some that didn't visually appeal to me, like the fish heads. Then there is the hibachi. I was struck by the fact that they have eggs and steaks (roughly 6 oz) on the hibachi. They also had a good assortment of desserts, including ice cream, fruits, cakes and cookies, and my favorite, sugared peanuts which I mix with vanilla pudding.

I really enjoyed the appearance of the food, so I asked for a table. She confirmed to me the price for my Saturday dinner, and I was appreciative that they would do everything they could to avoid sticker shock. Having read the sign on the front window, I said that I understood completely.

After being seated and giving my drink selection, I went to get my first course. I noticed that the restaurant has gloves for patrons to use to serve themselves. Personally, I am not frightened of COVID-19, but I can respect and have consideration for those who are, so I used the gloves. I started with a selection of sushi, and a plate with some octopus salad and ginger. I brought that back to my table. I then went back to make my personal dipping sauce, which is a combination of wasabi, sweet and sour sauce, and some dim sum or dumpling sauce. Unfortunately, they don't have any steamed dumplings or dim sum, so I couldn't make my ideal sauce. I had to make do with adding eel sauce and soy sauce instead.

By the time I got back to the table, my drink and silverware were waiting for me. I found the sushi to be fresh and tasty, and the octopus salad to be tasty, and surprisingly not too spicy, as many Chinese restaurants tend to put too much spice into the dish.

After that, I went for my main course. I first went to the hibachi, and realized that I was either going to have the hibachi or the hot foods, because the sushi was so filling. I opted for the hot foods, because they looked so appealing when I checked out the line earlier. I picked some coconut shrimp, some peppercorn steak, some glazed pork, and some broccoli. I brought it back to the table. My waitress Chen asked me if I wanted a refill on my drink, and emptied the table of used plates. It appeared as though she had been waiting for me to return to the table before cleaning the plates, just so that she could ask me for my drink refill. The food was fresh and tasty, although the pork wasn't bite sized. There were probably some meat knives near the hibachi, but I was too tired from my day's work to take the extra steps to look. I used my teeth instead.

I then went for dessert. I got my vanilla wafer pudding, and topped it with sugared peanuts. The pudding was perfectly chilled, with just the right amount of wafer.

I used the restroom, which was clean, and had a maintenance time checkoff sheet on the wall. I was disappointed that the 6:00 time slot had been checked off, even though it was only 5:30.

If I could give the restaurant 4 3/4 stars, I would, but only whole stars are permitted, and the few slip ups I mentioned before don't override the entirety of...

My experience at this establishment has been a rollercoaster, unfortunately ending on a decidedly low note. My initial visit was promising, leaving me with a positive impression and the inclination to return. However, subsequent experiences revealed a concerning inconsistency in service that ultimately led to my decision not to patronize this place again.

My second visit, with a group of friends, was less enjoyable. While not overtly negative, the service felt rushed and unwelcoming. We were made to feel pressured to leave shortly after paying, which dampened the experience of socializing and enjoying our time together.

The final nail in the coffin, however, was my most recent visit with my significant other. Upon arrival, we were promptly seated, which was a positive start. Our drink order was taken efficiently. However, the expectation of a full-service restaurant quickly dissolved when it came to the food. The phrase "we got our food" is key here, as it accurately reflects the self-serve nature of the experience. We manually assembled our plates, with the waitress's involvement limited solely to taking our drink order.

Given the minimal interaction and service provided, I was taken aback when the waitress implied we would be receiving separate bills. I clarified that we would like one bill, which she eventually provided. After paying with a card and completing the receipt, I chose to leave a zero tip, reflecting my dissatisfaction with the lack of service. The waitress did not come and check on us like a good server would do. I’m normally a very generous tipper as I’ve worked as a server for most of my career. However its interactions and personable traits That’s earn tips.

This decision was met with an unexpected and frankly unprofessional response. The waitress returned to our table specifically to check the signed receipt and informed me that if I wrote "0" for the tip, I was required to tip in cash. This statement is not only inaccurate regarding customer obligations but also demonstrates a lack of understanding of common payment practices. As a former server myself, I understand the importance of tips, but they should be earned through attentive and engaged service, which was clearly lacking in this instance.

Ultimately, the significant disparity between my initial positive experience and the subsequent decline in service, culminating in the bizarre interaction regarding the tip, has solidified my decision not to return. While the first visit showed promise, the inconsistency and the unprofessional handling of the final visit have left a lasting negative impression.

And to add a fountain drink cost 5.00+ tax. That is...

The waitress forced me to tip, ill elaborate.

Food was okay, some stuff was cold or hard, however; I'd been here three or so times before and had a lovely time. This server in particular was extremely awkward to me. Shortly after seating, she comes around to my table, me and my partner were sitting and thinking of what to get. She makes eye cobtact with me, looks in my direction, and says hello, how are you. Naturally, I assume shes talking to me. I make the small talk and then she proceeds to look confused, greet the people seated behind me, and then shoo us from our seat. She made a shooing motion, and confused I asked "were you talking to me?" and she goes "yes yes go go!"

After trying to understand what just happened, we get our food and eat as normal. After we finish our dessert plates, she gives us the bill and stands there. Usually, we pay at the front. so i ask her, "We usually pay at the front? Should we pay here?" and her response is "No, pay me pay me"

I realize i forgot my card in my other bag, me and my partner are standing up and scrounging our pockets to make sure we don't have it. She starts to panic and orders us to sit down. However, I know they take tap pay. I dont know why she didn't suggest this before I did. She guides me up into the servers nook to pay, and then tells me to wait there. But then she orders us to go sit again.

After this, she brings the receipt, 44.80. It has the usual tip slot, and says nothing else about any extra tax or charge.

She ushers the bill and says "service charge not included." She doesn't tell me how much, or what it will be with that after. I wrote 44.80 and signed, assuming they'd just charge me later. She says "no, no, service charge not included." Internally, Im livid. I can tell what the idea is here and I have no way to stop her, or else I would probably be labeled a thief and make a fool of myself in front of this entire side of the restaurant. I take a grand old guess of $3 and write 47.80, and, if there was a service charge, there's absolutely no reason for it to be specifically $3. She accepts it and I leave.

I don't know if that's even legal. I would usually tip as well, but I did not enjoy my experience, so...