Crazy Buffet – West Colonial

FOOD

Sushi is a worthwhile starting point at Crazy Buffet, rather than a token addition to the Chinese hot dishes. Spicy tuna sushi and tilapia nigiri are among the selections, with salmon sashimi another option when included in the assortment. That mix gives diners both rolls and individual fish choices to explore. The selection changes, and seafood offerings can differ between lunch and dinner, so a look around before filling a plate is time well spent.

Fried crab is another reason seafood enthusiasts may want to linger. It adds a cooked shellfish option to a meal that could otherwise concentrate on sushi and sashimi. The appeal is in having those different preparations available within the same buffet, whether you prefer a small seafood course before the hot dishes or intend to make fish and shellfish most of your dinner.

The hibachi counter offers food cooked to order alongside the ready-prepared buffet dishes. It is a useful part of the restaurant’s variety: you can include a freshly prepared order in a meal that also takes in sushi and Chinese favorites. Pho provides a different sort of course, a bowl of noodle soup among all those plates. Leaving room for it may require some restraint at the first counter. A noble aspiration.

General Tso’s chicken, honey chicken and bourbon chicken are among the familiar American Chinese choices. For anyone who habitually debates between chicken dishes on a takeout menu, a buffet makes the decision considerably easier. A small helping of each lets you find your favorite, then return for more of that one. There is room for a dinner built around these staples as well as one focused on seafood.

Chicken wings, spring rolls, vegetable rolls and dim sum add smaller dishes to the hot-food selection. They give you something to try between larger portions without turning dinner into one large entrée. Dim sum is another reason to inspect the assortment beyond the chicken dishes, while the rolls and wings offer familiar choices for diners who already know what they enjoy.

Pizza is part of the broader selection too. It is particularly useful when the table includes someone with little interest in sushi or shellfish. One diner can have pizza and wings while another chooses fish, with no need to negotiate a separate restaurant. For families and groups, that everyday usefulness can matter as much as the more distinctive items on the buffet.

Ice cream provides an uncomplicated finish. After sushi, soup and perhaps a cooked-to-order plate, something cold and sweet is quite enough.