China Pavilion

                                 
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The other day for lunch, my husband and I decided to go to China Pavilion, my favorite Chinese buffet in Topeka. I have been going there since I was around 12 years old, when my grandma Pat would take me and sit in the smoking section. We would always order hot tea, and although it’s been almost 2 years since she passed away, I still do.

The selection of entrees is satisfactory, and usually include vegetable lo mein, general’s chicken, beef and broccoli, general tso’s chicken, sweet and sour chicken, black pepper chicken and mooshu pork, among many others. Fried egg rolls and crab rangoons are two of my favorites, as well as the egg drop soup. The only thing on the buffet I don’t enjoy are the sugary doughnuts, they are not very fresh. If you can get them when they are fresh they are great, but usually they aren’t.

They have a cold buffet too, with a small selection of fruit, pudding and jello. I enjoy the bananas in strawberry sauce, and occasionally the cantaloupe is sweet and I will get some of that, but of course it’s hit or miss with that. The ice cream is a little icy, but I think I may be used to it, because it doesn’t bother me. They always have chocolate and vanilla cookies next to the ice cream, but I only like the vanilla ones, the chocolate ones are off I think.

I love the atmosphere there, the walls have Chinese paintings and red archways. They also sell merchandise which they ship directly from China which make one feel as if they are in a real Chinese restaurant.

China Pavilion is full of sentimental value for me but, I also love the food and the people working there are always nice and helpful, which is a plus. The price is low and keeps me coming back after all these years – I think it cost us $14.