China Garden Super Buffet

1717 S. Pleasant Valley #280, 385-858

Monday-Friday, 11am-10pm; Saturday, noon-10pm; Sunday, noon-9pm

China Garden has the most sumptuous (and most expensive) buffet on the E. Riverside strip. The space is bright and open, and the service punctual. The buffet sells for $5.75 for lunch during the week ($6.50 weekend) and at night for $7.99. For that, one gets a large selection of salad items to begin the meal, including boiled shrimp, sushi, kim chee, fresh fruits, and desserts.

Treats such as spicy crawfish and green mussels were in evidence on our visit one weekend day. General Tso’s chicken, chicken with black bean sauce, pork chops with garlic sauce, and fried beef dumplings sucked us in for repeated visits to the heavily laden bar. There is a standard Chinese menu for those that choose to order from the menu or to go, and the buffet can be purchased to go as well.

Signs outside promised karaoke being available for parties, and it occurred to us that a Chinese buffet with sing-along might make for an interesting get together. If you don’t mind springing for a few extra bucks, China Garden will provide a large selection, complete with seafood items that seldom appear at other buffets.

This article appears in December 14 • 2001.

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Mick Vann is a retired Austin chef who is a food writer and restaurant critic, cookbook author, restaurant consultant, and recipe developer. He moonlights as a University of Texas horticulturist with a propensity for ethnic eats and international food, particularly of the Asian persuasion, but he also knows his way around a plate of soul food or barbecue.