Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with My Sun Day News.
Nancy has been having a taste for some crab legs. They seem to be getting harder and harder to find, and when you do find them, you have to get a home equity loan to pay for dinner. She remembers that back in our hometown of Hoffman Estates there was a seafood buffet that somehow was overlooked by us. So, with high hopes and empty tummies, we decided to finally try the Royal Sushi and Seafood Buffet.
Royal Sushi & Seafood Buffet
31 Golf Center
Hoffman Estates 60169
(847)885-0688
www.royalbuffetil.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to I-90 East to Roselle Road and south to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 25 minutes
When you pull into the parking lot, the size of the building hits you in the face. We then remembered that this was the home of the Harlem Furniture Company years and years ago. This will give you an idea of its size. When you walk into the huge lobby. You immediately see a large pond with a working fountain. You then walk through another set of doors and another lobby with a hostess stand. The hostess then escorts you on a hike to your table.
Your jaw will drop in awe when you see the size of this buffet that is sprawled out in front of you. You must walk through it once to get the lay of the land. First you start off with the Mongolian section. Here you can fill a bowl up with assorted vegetables, meats, and seafood. Then add some sauces and hand it over to the person in front of a giant circular griddle, where it is cooked to order.
Moving on is the salad bar, peel and eat shrimp, dumplings, and their steamed bun section. Venturing along you arrive at the sushi station. There was a huge selection which was constantly replenished by the sushi makers.
Now is when it gets tricky. You enter a section where some things look familiar and some things don’t. The motto here is “do you feel lucky”??? There were such Asian delicacies as octopus, breaded chicken feet, and something that looked like noodles. We don’t think they were noodles, but at least they weren’t moving.
Now comes the Chinese section. They offer all of your Chinese favorites like General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli, and shrimp kung pao to name a few. This is not like the average Chinese buffet. The entrees were made fresh and replenished often so that the food was always fresh and not dried out. Nancy spotted giant lobster claws and went crazy. She broke into one claw and the meat inside was sparse and surprisingly dried out.
Next comes the appetizer section. Nancy was in heaven. She feasted on crab Rangoon, gyozas, and shrimp wrapped in phyllo dough. There was also breaded fried shrimp and pizza for the kids.
Last but not least comes their dessert section. There was an assortment of cakes and Chinese pastries, along with the ever-popular Jell-O cup and tiramisu??? Jim being Jim had to try the tiramisu and now knows why Chinese restaurants don’t serve it.
This restaurant will satisfy any craving you may have for Asian food. You can have fun like Jim did when he made the chicken feet do the can-can on the table. We enjoyed everything we ate, but we wished that they would have labeled all the dishes that they served. Only some had labels.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
Dining Duo Tip: Go for lunch, it’s only $24 plus you get a $2 senior citizen’s discount. Lunch is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The price for our “royal feast” was $52.08, dancing chicken feet, priceless…
Jim’s take: They offer excellent food, and the quality and quantity of it is amazing.
Nancy’s take: I was so disappointed that a seafood buffet didn’t serve crab legs, bummer….
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com
