Grand Buffet

FOOD

The hibachi is Grand Buffet’s most flexible part of the meal. Chicken and steak are among the meat possibilities, paired with vegetables and cooked to order. You can discuss the seasoning with the cook, including a preference for more heat. It’s a useful counterpoint to the prepared dishes: the buffet supplies the familiar favorites, while this plate can be a little more your own.

On the hot line, jalapeño chicken and teriyaki chicken offer two different reasons to reach for the serving spoon. The first puts peppers at the center of the dish; the second has the sweet-savory appeal of teriyaki sauce. Fried chicken rounds out that part of the repertoire. The selection changes, so think of these as dishes to look for rather than a promise that every tray will be present at every meal.

Shrimp is another recurring attraction, with fried and salt-and-pepper preparations among the possibilities. The salt-and-pepper name shouldn’t be taken as a promise of a dry, crisp coating; preparations can vary. Crawfish boil gives the spread a Gulf Coast accent and a very different sort of seafood plate. This is one place where taking your time has less to do with leisurely conversation and more to do with the shells.

Vegetable lo mein supplies a substantial noodle dish, while rice makes a straightforward companion to the sauced mains. Egg rolls add a fried appetizer to that familiar Chinese-American combination. A lunch built around chicken, noodles and an egg roll is entirely at home here; the seafood and sushi broaden the choices without changing the restaurant’s basic character.

The soups offer a quieter start. Egg-drop has the soft strands of egg associated with the classic broth, while hot-and-sour brings a sharper, peppery flavor. Both fit naturally with the hot dishes, whether you’re keeping lunch simple or adding a bowl before a hibachi plate. There is no need to make every part of the meal elaborate.

Sushi is included and displayed at the rear counter beside the hibachi. It is a supporting selection within a broader Chinese buffet, rather than the basis for a dedicated sushi-bar outing. The attraction is being able to add some sushi to a meal that might already include shrimp, noodles and something freshly cooked.

Fruit, cake and ice cream provide the sweet finish. Nothing particularly complicated to work out there. If the savory dishes have taken most of your attention, a small dessert can still make a perfectly satisfactory final decision.