# What the fuck did you put in this? A Restau-Rant

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [October 30, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510 "2001-10-30T13:24:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510/41 "2001-10-31T02:24:49Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by spoffy220 \*  
> \*\*…as long as you stay away from the buffet and ask for a menu.  
> \*\*

Isn’t that true for _every_ Chinese restaurant? I’ve _never_ had a buffet that could be described as better than adequate.

Fenris

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**Author:** ![Demise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@Demise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demise)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510/42 "2001-10-31T04:25:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Fenris \*  
> **I’ve _never_ had a buffet that could be described as better than adequate.**

Hey, I’ve had a Chinese buffet that was _almost decent_! Miracle of miracles!

An aside: do Mongolian Barbeque places count as buffets? They are usually all-you-can-eat…

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**Author:** ![k.os](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@k.os](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k.os)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510/43 "2001-10-31T04:32:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Fenris \*  
> **Isn’t that true for _every_ Chinese restaurant? I’ve _never_ had a buffet that could be described as better than adequate.**

Well, I guess I’m lucky. Here in Montreal, we have a couple of restaurants in Chinatown that have buffets that are quite interesting. I guess what my dad told me about chinese restaurants is true: If there are mostly non-asian clients in the restaurant, you will be disapointed. If most of the clients are asian, chances are the food will be more interesting. Not a hard and fast rule, mind you, but still a good rule of thumb, I find.

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**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2001, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510/44 "2001-10-31T10:45:45Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by k.os \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Fenris \*  
> > **Isn’t that true for _every_ Chinese restaurant? I’ve _never_ had a buffet that could be described as better than adequate.**
> 
> Well, I guess I’m lucky. Here in Montreal, we have a couple of restaurants in Chinatown that have buffets that are quite interesting. I guess what my dad told me about chinese restaurants is true: If there are mostly non-asian clients in the restaurant, you will be disapointed. If most of the clients are asian, chances are the food will be more interesting. Not a hard and fast rule, mind you, but still a good rule of thumb, I find. \*\*

There is an interesting Chinese buffet across from the theater at 75 and Spring Valley in Dallas, I can’t remember their name right now but it was something very non-descript. Most of the customers are Asian, and there are weird things on the buffet. They don’t have much variety when it comes to the stuff you usually get at Chinese buffets (only about a half-dozen kinds of stir-fry) but they also have a sushi bar, a section of American foods, and stuff like whole squid (I like calimari, but not if it’s got eyes and tentacles), chicken feet, fish-heads…oh yeah, and on certain nights you get a free whole steamed lobster if you order two buffets.

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**Author:** ![saudade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@saudade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saudade)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510/45 "2001-11-01T03:39:46Z")

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I used to go to this really nice restaurant in New Mexico. Well it used to be very nice. It was an old stagecoach stop, and it served great New Mexican food, with a bar, courtyard and live music.  
Over 2 monthsago, I went there and ordered enchildadas suizas. They service was very quick, and the plate looked good. Anyway after it cooled off I took a bite, and it tasted…well after a second bite I realized they were made with Cambells Cream of Mushroom soup. Uggggh.  
Thats ok when your cooking noodles at home, but to have that in enchilidadas is downright horrible.  
I just paid the bill and walked out. It was terrible. Basically 3 chewy tortillas microwaved in that stuff, with some cheese and chile mixed in. What were they thinking. And their food was perfect until then.

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**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-did-you-put-in-this-a-restau-rant/90510/46 "2001-11-01T04:08:29Z")

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There’s a decent Chinese buffet back home, in East Greenbush, New York of all places, housed in what used to be a Ponderosa. They have another location, same owners, in downtown Hudson, but the one in Hudson isn’t as good. Of course, Hudson is a river town, and their water system tends to taste like the river. Everything in Hudson is kind of grungy. I don’t trust Chinese food from Hudson. But the one in East Greenbush is good: a decent selection - a little heavy on the seafood and of course nothing too far from your standard Americanized food - inexpensive, and one of the waiters is extremely hot but doesn’t seem to speak much English.

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