New China Buffet

FOOD

Peanut butter chicken and coconut chicken set the tone for the more particular pleasures at New China. Two familiar pantry ingredients have found their way into the chicken selection, giving this Eustis buffet a couple of names worth remembering. Japanese-style chicken adds another preparation. It’s a substantial chicken offering, with those peanut and coconut variations giving the meal a little personality before dessert has even entered the discussion.

Baked mussels with cheese deserve their own attention. Served in their shells with a cheese topping, they have a wholehearted comfort-food attitude. Well, hello. Breaded shrimp also joins the seafood selection, so shellfish has more than one place in the hot spread. The mussels are the particularly recognizable preparation when they appear in the rotation: seafood dressed for an indulgent buffet dinner.

Sesame chicken and beef with broccoli keep the Chinese-American classics close at hand, with ribs also appearing among the savory dishes. These familiar preparations give the hot selection a substantial main-course emphasis. They’re the company around the more distinctive chicken variations and cheesy mussels, anchoring the meal in recognizable favorites. New China’s food has plenty of familiar territory, with a few preparations that make this particular spread memorable.

The hibachi station cooks a selected combination of meat, vegetables, and noodles, with sauces available for the preparation. Here, the chosen ingredients go to the cook for an individual dish within the unlimited meal. Sushi has also returned to the buffet, with the assortment changing. These Japanese-style elements belong alongside the Chinese-American hot food, and give the grill order and sushi a place in New China’s established offering.

Cheesy spinach and stuffed mushrooms are among the rotating sides. The spinach has clearly declined a life of austerity. Its cheese preparation continues the indulgent streak of the baked mussels, while the mushrooms supply another particular accompaniment. They’re worth keeping in the portrait of this meal: the hot selection has an interest in comfort food that extends beyond its meat dishes. The exact spread changes.

Banana pudding and scoop-your-own ice cream make a persuasive sweet finish, with a dessert doughnut another variation. The pudding gives dessert a familiar favorite to anticipate; the ice cream leaves the portion committee entirely in the hands of the person holding the scoop. A sensible system. These are approachable sweets with their own appeal, a fitting final chapter for a casual dinner.