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| - Ichiban Buffet had its grand opening the other day. I figured this would be a good time to grab two of my kids and try out the new place. We were not disappointed.
The lunch buffet price was $6.99. This restaurant, which is next to the Schnuck's off Mattis Avenue, has had several tenants over the years, most recently a different Chinese buffet. The restaurant can seat quite a few people and appeared to have a pretty decent crowd that came in to give it a try at its opening.
The food was typical for a local Chinese buffet -- similar to Chinatown Buffet. Aside from the usual assortment of Chinese dishes, there was an extensive assortment of sushi -- approximately 25 different kinds. There was a station to create your own stir fry that would then be cooked by a chef, but no one used it in the time we were there. The dessert bar was similar to other Chinese buffets.
While there was nothing that seemed to jump out at me as being over-the-top excellent, I would say that almost everything I ate was very good. The only subpar item I had was a small piece of fried chicken that was dry and did not have enough seasoning.
I was pleased to see some seaweed salad available and an interesting dish, cabbage with bacon, was very good.
Seating was prompt, drinks were delivered quickly, and empty plates were carried away in a reasonable amount of time.
There was a sign at the counter saying that carry out sushi was $8.25/lb. If someone were looking to take home a variety of sushi, Ichiban would appear to be a solid choice.
Things seemed very well organized for a new restaurant. It is much closer to my home than other Chinese buffet choices, meaning this place has the potential to become a regular family stop.
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