Chinese

Jade Buffet and the China Buffet

Here is a little trivia. What do these things have in common? McDonalds and Burger King, Pepsi and Coca Cola, and now, Hong Kong Jade Buffet and China Buffet? They are all rivaling for the #1 spot in America's heart. Or at least, in reference to the two Chinese restaurants, the number #1 spot in Plattsburgh's heart.

In case you didn't know, the Jade Buffet located at 1 Plattsburgh Plaza has a new song to sing. It's called, "What's going on? Why is there a new Chinese restaurant just across the street from us?" That's right, as of recently the China Buffet is in competition with the Jade Buffet

It's a mind turning, hand clenching, heart racing suspenseful thriller! It's as mysterious as the new Freddie versus Jason movie. Who will win? Freddie or Jason? Jade Buffet or China Buffet? Hold onto your seats as we explore the two restaurants and find out once and for all, who is better.

Get it while it's hot! The food at Jade Buffet

I went to the Jade Buffet on a Friday when it was crowded and my friends and I had to wait for available seats. After deciding that the seats chosen for us weren't good enough, the waiter led us to a more "suitable" table in the corner booth. I noticed that many of the other waiters weren't in uniform. One of them was wearing simple street clothes consisting of a tee shirt and a pair of jeans, which I thought was unprofessional. After taking our drink order, one of my friends took advantage of the fact that the place served beer, we stood up and with the grace of a pack of ravenous, hungry wolves, we got our plates and dug into the buffet.

The buffet itself served the usual "Chinese style cuisine" of chickens, soups, dumplings, broccoli stir fries, and so on. What was unusual about Jade was the variety of American food that they served as well. Right after the Chinese assortment, they had trays of chicken nuggets, slices of ham, French fries, onion rings, and chicken wings. Not to mention the separate island they had in the middle of the restaurant with salads and desserts. I found the General Tso's chicken and the boneless spare ribs to be the most tasty of the variety of food I had on my plate. The wonton soup was a bit on the watery side but the sugarcoated donut balls made up for the inconvenience. These little balls of heaven were delicious! That and the soft-serve ice cream, created a good end.

Throughout the meal, different waiters would come to the table to see if we were enjoying our food. This was a nice sentiment, but it got confusing after awhile.

The buffet meal cost nine dollars, including drink. The price alone was good until my friends and I got home and started having this funny sick feeling in our stomachs. Perhaps from too much food, that's what we like to think.

The China "buffet"

The China Buffet on the other hand, was not crowded on the following Friday I went there. It was peacefully quiet. A waitress, dressed in black and white, looking like her fellow waitresses, seated my roommate and I at a table not as comfortable as the padded seats at Jade Buffet. She took our drinks and I was disappointed to see that they did not serve beer like Jade did. I am happy to say though, one waitress stuck with us the entire time we were there. No confusion.

The food at the China Buffet closely resembles that of Jade's. They even have the American salad bar in the middle. I ate the same foods as I always do, broccoli stir-fry, General Tso's chicken, and boneless spareribs. They did not taste the same as Jade's food did. The food had more of a buttery flavor. But I cannot complain too much. Their sugary donut holes were bigger than Jade's and even tastier. The donut holes and hard ice cream, compared to Jade's soft-serve, were the better part of my evening. I felt as though the butteriness of the food was clogging my arteries.

Including drink, the meal cost nine dollars but the woman who took our money gave us a coupon, good until December, for a 15 percent discount. That's good in my book.

And now comes the moment of truth. In the battle of the Chinese restaurants, who wins? Well, if you really think about it, and if you've seen the movie, who really wins at the end of Freddie versus Jason? No one really knows! They are two similar characters trying to battle a ridiculous battle. It is the same with Jade and China Buffet. They serve the same food and have the same purpose. So, I guess no one wins. They were the same. Jade Buffet had better Chinese food, but China Buffet had better dessert food (and the discount coupon was good too). So, if you ask me "Which restaurant will you stick with?" I will probably just say, "Next time, I'll go to No 1 Chinese Restaurant on Cornelia Street."

Does anyone know what the sugary donut holes are actually called? Email Us!