BUFFETS should be outlawed, a friend recently ranted. "People just eat too much at buffets," she reasoned. "It's no good for them." Waste not, want not,
at Kengo’sJust as turning a computer on and off all day, or putting a VCR through constant fast-forward/ rewind modes zaps the life from those gizmos, rampant digestion can't be good for human systems. The stomach expands, the heart speeds up, the brain slows (a normal state for some), the eyes glaze over.
I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of the freedom to frequent buffets. A lot of people really like them, but I always walk out feeling disturbed by the possibility that I hadn't gotten my money's worth.
This is a ridiculous notion, I know. At about $10 for lunch and $20 for dinner per person at most buffets, the cost is on par with a medium-priced restaurant. But I can't help but feel I'm paying for Kid Sumo in the corner, with his plate(s) stacked a foot deep.
Kengo's polices this matter very well, imposing stiff fines on those who waste or pilfer food --$5 if they rule that you have $5 worth of uneaten food on your plate; $10 if you're caught stashing food or walking out with it.
This has been a source of complaints and makes for anxious moments in the buffet line. I find myself eating along the way to better gauge my stomach's limit.Otherwise, Kengo Nozaki runs a pretty generous operation, and the lunchtime crowd is onto this. If you've got only an hour, you may not appreciate seeing the line snaking twice the length of the bar. This is a prime spot for treating Circuit Court jurors to lunch, so I can see why courts move so slowly. Really now, between the expense of time and money, let them jurors eat peanut butter sandwiches!
MY lunch tactic involves visiting the sushi bar first, for fresh tako and ahi poke; ono lomi salmon with satisfyingly visible chunks of fish; sashimi; and maki sushi. If you can put away a pound of fish, you'll easily get your $10.95 worth.
The entree line starts with an array of salads and fresh fruit including whole bananas, bunches of grapes, cut honeydew, orange slices and fresh strawberries.
Next come entrees such as tender sauteed mahi; somen; shoyu chicken cooked up sweet, local style; and occasionally, a dish of braised chicken, shiitake and satoimo, a solid Japanese mushroom with the texture of taro.
At the end of the bar, there is miso soup (hint: most people don't know there are usually lobster claws at the bottom of the pot), deep-fried chicken and beef ribs. I was averse to the red sauce used on the baked ribs. One taste and I decided not to eat it, which made me wonder if we have to pay the penalties if it's their cooking we can't stomach. Oh well, it was just one item.
There are pies of apple, blueberry, pumpkin, lemon meringue, custard or banana for dessert. Many also opt for soft-serve chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
Business is slower at night and items don't turn around as quickly. You might want to stop in early to avoid that not-so-fresh feeling of food left sitting.
Where lunch features 60 to 80 items, in the evening 80 to 100 are offered. I liked the addition of nigiri sushi topped with shrimp, ahi and salmon. My only other warning would be to watch out for recycled chow as in chow mein with dry chicken and calamari, possibly left from lunch.
Kengo's Seafood Buffet
Where: Restaurant Row
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