Chow Time Buffet #8

The third time's the charm. Or so I'm sure the owners of Chow Time Buffet #8 hope. After two failed attempts at opening Asian buffets at 17th and Wanamaker, a third one is now open, under a new owner. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported that the owners are from Georgia where another Chow Time Buffet is located.

Many people I've talked to are skeptical about this third restaurant so I decided to check it out.

When I first walked in I noticed the new owners redecorated, but I did recognize some of same decor from the previous restaurant (just like the signs on the buffet, really). A couple walls were knocked
 out but the buffets were all in the same spots. Now, there is a chocolate fountain along with a variety of ice cream on the west side of the buffet. The hibachi grill is still on the north side of the room with the sushi across from it on the south side of the room. I noticed there was an entire buffet full of American-style food such as pizza, mac and cheese and meatloaf, if that's what you want. I didn't try any of that because I came for the Chinese food.

The sushi was about what you'd expect -- smaller portion sizes than if you ordered a roll at a sushi bar but fresh and tasty. They had a wide variety and a sushi chef actively building more sushi and making sure everything was fresh.

The cold bar had in-shell cold shrimp on ice and cocktail sauce, a variety of composed salads and a basic salad bar. The hot food had all your basics, kung-pao chicken, chicken and broccoli, white and fried rice, sauteed green beans, egg rolls and much more. One item that I found weird was this shiny roll-looking thing. When bit into it was kind of weird because it wasn't like the dinner rolls I'm used to, it was chewy and you could hear it. Inside was some kind of orange stuff, which I think was soy or something. Yeah, not gonna try that again.

My only complaint is that the crab Rangoon didn't seem to be fried long enough. The bottom part was kind of soggy and soft, and didn't seem to be cooked long enough for me. The egg roll was the generic kind you find at most Chinese restaurants, same with the sauteed green beans. The white rice was soft and fluffy, the chicken and broccoli was good. I appreciated that it was pretty fresh so the broccoli still had a bit of crunch left to it. Overall, I was satisfied with my meal.

My favorite part was the dessert. Most of the time, desserts at Chinese buffets aren't the best. I was impressed with their selection and with the quality of the products. In the photo to the right, you will see I tried a little bit of a few things. Starting with the donut on the left: It was caky and frosted and tasty. I was surprised that it was soft and sweet and not crumbly. The banana cream dessert right above that was good, too, with vanilla wafers in it and everything. I wasn't a fan of the apple salad next to it. The dressing wasn't sweet enough and didn't really add much to the flavor of the apples. To the right of that, I tried a large marshmallow dipped in the chocolate fountain. It was good, but I think I'd rather have a s'more. The fried Chinese donut below was typical of most buffets. Basically, it was fried biscuit dough tossed in sugar. Always one of my favorites. Last, on the bottom of the plate, is a mini cinnamon roll. It was cold, but it was still soft and good. I was surprised that I liked it. But, I was surprised that I liked as many desserts as I did. I usually end up wasting most of my desserts and this time I practically cleaned my plate.

The food was good, everything looked clean and the waitstaff was friendly. I hope this time the place lasts because I didn't find anything wrong about it, except for that weird roll. But hey, I saw another girl get one and she ate the whole thing, so who knows.

Kim's Vietnamese

Asian food is one of my all-time favorites. Sometimes, though, I can get a little tired of the same thing, and most Asian restaurants in Topeka offer a variety of the same dishes.  In 2010, Kim's Vietnamese opened on 10th Street and at the time I worked for the Washburn Review so, I wrote a review.  I gave it a good review because it was different, fresh and tasty.

Now, the restaurant has moved to 29th and Kansas but the food is still exceptional.

When I first decided to check it out, I thought it was interesting because it boasted Vietnamese food as opposed to Chinese or Japanese, which we see all over the place in T-town. Vietnamese was new for the area. I was intrigued. (It opened in November 2010.)

Scrumptious pork dumplings

The menu features noodle soups, stir-fries and spring rolls. The noodle soups were new to me so the first time I went that's what I tried. The soups come with different noodles and if you ask the waitstaff to help you decipher which noodle is which they are more than willing to help you out. I think they want to educate people so they know what they're ordering, like what they're offering and possibly they will order it again.  The noodles come in a hot broth -- choice of what kind of broth -- with vegetables and herbs. Check out my previous review (linked above) to find out more about the noodle soup.

If you don't want to mess with all that, Kim's also has stir-fries and other dishes you may be more comfortable with. Recently, I tried the chicken lo mein stir fry, crab Rangoon and pork dumplings.

The new location reminds me a lot of the their original location with tons of windows and lots of plants and foliage. I don't remember seeing any booths, but the tables were comfortable enough. Each table is loaded with silverware, napkins, sauces and anything you may need to eat your meal.

The pork dumplings were inspiring. Inspiring in a way that I wish I could make them myself they were so good. Fried dumplings filled with meat and spices I couldn't even begin to describe. Hot, fresh , crispy and juicy I would order them again and again. They were served with a sweet and sour sauce but they didn't really even need any sauce.

The stir fry was good, with a flavor that was a little different than what I'm used to. I love that. I couldn't quite put my finger on what was different but I could definitely tell they used soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and some kind of sweetener, maybe honey. The noodles weren't greasy and they were just saucy enough. The vegetables were cooked thoroughly and so was the chicken. There were carrots, broccoli, onions and cabbage.

My only complaint is I think it would be better if the dish had dark meat chicken. It had white meat and I feel in dishes like stir frys, the white meat chicken gets really dry. Just a personal opinion, I know a lot of people who prefer white meat. But to me, fat is flavor and dark meat always has more fat. I understand if you're watching your waistline, so get this dish, it's got white meat. (haha). But seriously, it was still a good entree I would order again sometime.

I also tried the crab Rangoon, mostly because I just love crab Rangoon. I was glad I gave it a chance. Crispy, fresh and creamy on the inside. Plus, there were chunks of crab that you could actually see inside, unlike how most of the time you're not even sure it's there. Yum.

Crab Rangoon

Our waitress brought us a plate of cold grapes to conclude our meal. She said they don't always give grapes but she was able to get some on sale. It was a nice ending to a fine meal.

I plan to return to Kim's Vietnamese and soon.  Their menu isn't typical of what can be found in Topeka so if you're looking for something different but not overwhelmingly so, check this place out. Like I said before, the staff is willing to help you choose something you will like, just ask questions.

Another Chinese Buffet In Topeka

The University Chinese Buffet at 21st and Washburn

I can't say I got my hopes up because I didn't. I figured The University Chinese Buffet at 21st and Washburn would be just another Chinese buffet in Topeka, and I was right. But, that being said, it wasn't a bad Chinese buffet, it just wasn't surprising. The most surprising thing? The variety of ice creams they offer for dessert. Yeah, seriously.

Upon arriving I noticed the restaurant was opened up more than it was when it was a Mexican place. But the decor was the same and the owners didn't change much. I did like that it was more open, especially for a buffet.

My (first) plate.

The food was your typical Chinese buffet food selections: kung pao chicken, lo mein, chicken and broccoli, crab Rangoons, egg rolls, sushi and rice. There's fresh fruit and salad, and I was impressed they had in-shell shrimp cocktail. It's not every day buffets offer that. I have noticed that newer Chinese buffets incorporate sushi as this one did. I didn't try any sushi but it looked like they used cooked fish and vegetables so you don't have to worry about raw fish sitting out on a buffet, if that bothers you. It doesn't bother me, I just wasn't feeling sushi that night.

I got my favorites: vegetable lo mein, white rice, chicken broccoli, sweet and sour chicken, egg roll, crab Rangoon, sesame chicken and some fried rice (pictured at the right). Everything tasted good, but the lo mein didn't seem hot enough to me, temperature-wise. I thought maybe it was because I had left my plate sitting for a minute, but when I went back for the fresh batch they put out, it still wasn't piping hot. Not sure if the steam table was messed up or what, but I thought I'd mention that. Everything else seemed up to temp, so it struck me as odd that it was the one dish that was luke-warm. Fluke, maybe?

I scream, you scream.

As I mentioned before, I was excited about the ice cream selections. Usually, at Chinese restaurants they offer vanilla soft serve, and who knows if it's any good. Here, at University Chinese Buffet, they have a variety of ice cream to choose from. strawberry, chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip and for those of you who like traditional, they also have vanilla. I am not supposed to be eating dairy but I went ahead and tried some strawberry and mint chocolate chip. As a person who's worked in food service most of her life, I have to say I appreciated that the ice cream wasn't rock hard. It was soft and easily scooped so you didn't have chip away at rock hard ice cream. I've had to, and it's awful.

The buffet line the woman was complaining about.

Overall, I enjoyed the buffet. I will go back in the future since it's only a few blocks from my house. If you're looking for a large variety, go to King's Chinese Buffet, but if you're happy with the classics, this place is for you. I don't mind not having a million items to choose from because I usually get all the same stuff anyway.

I also wanted to mention that I went at 8 p.m. on a Monday night, when they close at 9:30 p.m. All the food was fresh, the cook was putting out new, fresh food on a regular basis and the waitress, even though she was cleaning up for closing, was attentive and helpful.

There was a lady at the buffet who was complaining about the selection, but I couldn't understand what she was complaining about. The lo mein needed replaced, (which they did like 3 minutes later) and everything else was full and looked fresh. I guess I just don't know what she was meaning. Her family sat there for another 20 minutes, then left. As if they were waiting for something and never got it. So... I guess for some the buffet wasn't worth it, but to me, I thought it was.