Sakura Buffet

On our new journey to find and try every Chinese buffet in and around Ithaca, we joined to Sakura Buffet in Auburn. The unassuming parking lot was devoid of cars -except- around the entrance to the buffet, kind of a good sign. Walking in, the entrance is different than any buffet I've been to. It's a narrow hallway where you place your drink order and pay up front, then are taken to a table. Obviously the main point of being here is the food, and typical Buffet staples are dotted through the six hot bar islands. Sesame chicken, pepper steak and onions, all the good stuff. But, I'll highlight two as things to try, definitely. One- The hibachi chicken. Growing up in Buffalo, I'd go to the Galleria and get Bourbon chicken from a noodle place in the food court that, to this day, has never stood up to any sweet Chinese fried chicken dish. Absolutely delicious. Sweet sauce, slightly charred crispy bits, 10/10. The other was a tray just labeled "Steak." Note: Not the big hunk of steak you cut yourself, but a tray of thick cut beef cubes with the same char the chicken had in a tray with peppers and onions. It had the texture of a cube steak or a top round, typically a tough cut of beef, but the way it was prepared, you can still chew it, it was still very flavorful, and not as tough as I'd thought. Not tenderloin or sirloin for sure, but still a good eat. Overall, Sakura holds it's 4/5 star rating on Google for a good reason. It was about an hour drive out, but it was definitely worth the trip.

A large buffet with, I think, 7 steam tables and a separate sushi section. They have all the typical dishes you would expect at a Chinese buffet, plus some American foods - onion rings, french fries and oddly enough mashed potatoes and gravy. In general, the food was a little better than most of the other buffets I've been to. Some of the seafood was not that great, especially the imitation crab. Back again for our third visit and as the last time, some of the dishes were cold. Went back to try out dinner, pretty much the same dishes, except they had crayfish and fried shrimp. At 6:00 on a Friday night there was triple the lunch crowds we have seen. Contrary to what the bad reviews mentioned, items on the steam tables were refilled promptly. Also, we didn't notice any incidents of a waitress asking for a tip as mentioned in several reviews.

Family time for the first time here. Everything was very good the service was great our lady that kept coming over to clear the plates and get our drinks she was amazing. I even tried sushi for the first time with my brother it was ok but not the best lol. I recommend this place even if you just want to try it. I even tried a crawfish for the first time and I didn't hate it