Kyojin Buffet

The sign says : "Fort Lauderdale's Largest Upscale Buffett" and that, like the 3 plus star rating, is a bit misleading. If you are looking for large or "upscale" you won't find it here. I haven't been to every buffet in Fort Lauderdale, so I can't say if it's "Fort Lauderdale's Largest". I can say, where Asian buffets are concerned, this one isn't large or "upscale". The "upscale" appears to have more to do with the $12.00 price than the food quality, selection, clientele or ambiance. If you're not a sushi eater or have been to a large Asian buffet, you like me, may find this place disappointing. We were unable get our $12.00 worth, didn't find the available selections particularly appetizing and won't return. If you do like sushi, and many eating here apparently do, it may be worth trying.

For sheer variety of Asian choices, this is a great place to go.  I like the fact that they have both Japanese and Chinese options.  The sushi is good, not great, but certainly better than a lot of places.  The hibachi entrees are fresh and tasty.  The other choices are also solid.  It is pricier than most Asian buffets, but then there are a lot more options.

I'm an Asian buffet fiend, like so many other Americans. Honestly, I love Chinese and Japanese buffet food more than any other kind of food. I crave raw salmon. I have been to Kyojin multiple times. The food is always very good, fresh, and there is plenty of salmon, Dancing Eel, tuna, and salmon roe sushi. My compliments to the sushi chef, but the seaweed salads are also among my favorite delicacies.

The sign by the door self-styles Kyojin as "Fort Lauderdale's premier upscale Japanese buffet." My take on this is that the management has never been to an upscale establishment, because the decor and interior are cheap, tacky, and uninteresting. You go to Kyojin for a good deal on sushi, not because you have class.

The Chinese buffet table is average but satisfying, with tasty, tender beef teriyaki, sweet and sour chicken, egg drop soup, and an artful arrangement of mussels in ice.

Still, every time I have ever dined at Kyojin, there is a perceived problem. It is a certain hostility, a smoldering patronizing attitude of the wait staff. It's more than just the absence of a cheerful smile, it's more like a personal disdain for me. I usually tip accordingly...i.e., $1. I naively hope that gets the message across, but it is a recurring theme at Kyojin. To be fair, I think this superiority complex is common in just about every Asian (usually that means Chinese) buffet I have been to. One time I pointed out to the maître d' (or, just the matron of the restaurant) that there were no crab legs, yet they were advertising a special on crab legs on Wednesday. She disappeared into the kitchen, returned with a steam tray full of crab legs, slammed them down into the buffet table, and said, "There!" with a look that might have felled a lumberjack.

Let me be clear, I am not a rude person in public. I go out of my way to smile and behave as the honored guest at Kyojin (and other eating establishments). Maybe they want to be abused, I don't know. Smiling and saying "please" and "thank you" don't seem to register here.

On this last visit, two Saturdays ago, the first sign that this might become another confrontational event to knot up my GI tract, as I was grazing the sushi bar, the manager followed behind me, picked up a pair of the black plastic sushi tongs that another patron had left in one of the sushi roll trays, and he slammed it back onto the tong tray. It was done in a manner as if he was angry with me, and that he was going to teach me how to properly return the tongs to the tong tray. Look, buddy, I didn't leave the tongs in the sushi, so don't get huffy with me!

A middle aged, and uncharacteristically friendly waitress served me. Because it was so unusual, I left a $5 tip, which, on an $11 dollar tab is not being cheap. I put my $20 in the bill folder, and the waitress said, "I will give it to her," pointing to the somewhat older looking maître d'. So, the maître d' took my money, returned with the change, and then pocketed the five dollar bill I left for the friendly waitress. WTF just happened? This old bat did nothing for me, except take my money. Now she's taking the tip I left  for Kind Lady, too? I left very annoyed. Not with the food, but with the general crappy personalities I put up with to get my raw salmon fix.