I've made a mental note since a long time ago to never frequent Asian buffets anymore. Every one that I've been to was horrible - Moonstar, Hokkaido, Kome - the fried foods were not fried properly and plain greasy, Chinese dishes were always sitting in a puddle of oil, and the sushi always tasted frozen and unfresh. Yet, despite the low quality in food, these types of places keep popping up everywhere around the Bay Area, and the lines never go away either. For that kind of price (around $15-$20 on average), I would rather have smaller portions and eat at a sit-down restaurant where each individual dish is prepared and served with love and heart. I usually eat too much at home anyway.
So today when my friend, who wanted to thank me for helping him out at school, took me to yet another Asian style buffet, I was not excited to say the least. Especially since it said "Sushi Buffet". I've never had one decent piece of sushi from these buffets. But it was still a nice gesture of him, and I appreciated it a lot.
Yet, upon entering the place, to my surprise, the sushi section looked very clean and put together, in contrast to places like Kome in Daly City. I was also shocked to see so many seafood items that were refilled promptly, since the ones I've been to before always had their seafood sections looking like a warzone.
The sushi and sashimi tasted surprisingly fresh. The sushi rice was not stale and would not fall apart even if I tried. It was cooked to the right consistency, not mushy yet not dry either. Some rolls which included tempura items like tempura shrimp and tempura soft-shell crab could've had a bit more crunch to it, but I wouldn't blame them since the rolls did have to sit under the lamps for a period of time. The sashimi, especially the tuna and salmon ones, was smooth and firm. Though it did seem to be sliced sloppily, I didn't mind it that much, because the quality of the fish made up for it.
The seafood selection was pretty impressive. They had baked scallops, coconut shrimp, baked shrimp, salt and pepper shrimp, steamed crab legs, steamed oysters and clams in black bean sauce. I'm not that big of a seafood fan so I only had some shrimp, clams and an oyster, but they were pretty good and I'm sure a seafood lover would be very happy here. Great bang for the buck.
The Chinese food items were your standard Panda Express fare. I did appreciate their fried rice though (not pictured here), as it was actually fluffy, not covered in oil or oversalted. The teriyaki chicken had a nice grilled flavor to it as well.
The dessert consisted of assorted fruits, cakes, creamed puffs and egg tarts. I got some fruit and a donut-like pastry. The sugar-coated pastry was spongy and springy, albeit a bit greasy. The fruits were alright, not particularly juicy or sweet, but could you really expect more for $15? I think not.
Overall, no particular item was exceptional, but out of all the Asian style buffets that I tried, Kokyo really outdid them all. Don't expect too much, after all, it is a $15 buffet, but for the price and its endless amounts of sushi and seafood, I definitely won't mind going back.
KOKYO SUSHI BUFFET
Address: 1071 B St
(between Main St & Foothill Blvd)
Hayward, CA 94541
Phone: (510) 881-8868
Price range per person: $9 for lunch, $15 for dinner
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