We arrived there at about 7 pm, and it was packed! It seemed that close to twenty-something motorcycle riders were having a great time off the road. The hostess-in-stiletto quickly seated us in the nicely decorated restaurant, and we wasted no time grabbing food from the vast array of three back-to-back buffet tables. Based on what I can find in their website, there are about 75 course meal available daily. Whoa! That's huge!
I'd made up my mind to eat as much variety of food as I could. My strategy was to take a little bit of here and there, and only come back for second for the meal that really stand out. Well, I did come back twice for the dessert-Espresso Sambuca, and Chicken Teriyaki. In total, I came back and forth five times and was a happy customer. In two hours, my tongue has experienced over twenty different meal and my curiosity was finally over.
But, still..there's a particular post-buffet effect that I could not escape from: bloated tummy & problem walking back to the car.
Here are some snapshots I've made:
THE FIRST PLATE
I went straight to the first row, and took: lemongrass pork (it's tender but I expect more lemongrass flavor), blackened fish (Yum!), herbed corn (delish..), tri tip (hubby's fave), BBQ steak (I can make this myself), Fried Chicken (nice and juicy), and jambalaya (strong chili flavor...interesting). I ate every single thing slowly, as I wanted to really decipher the taste. Hmm..I like 'em all, especially the fried chicken (since I can't make it at home...no deep frying at my place).
THE SECOND PLATE
I threw in three types of carbs in my second plate: Mint Israeli couscous, Spanish sangria rice, and Persian mixed Rice. People rave about the couscous, but to me, it's way too mild--it's like tasteless mini tapioca balls. The Persian mixed rice and Spanish rice were much suitable to my liking--strong taste. Chicken verdi: check! The cilantro added a spicy kick to the mild flavor of chicken. Chicken teriyaki: I can't complain, I'm Asian. Bombay Eggplant: sweet and flavorful (maybe too sweet for some, but I'm from Central Java--a sweet tooth haven, so I'm fine with it). Mediterranean beef stew: too dry...skip it. Sesame Calamari: it's ok. I love deep fried stuff in general. Beef Kebab: Hmm..nice, tender and garlicky. Brazilian Fish: it's not fishy, it's very mild, and so tender--it doesn't even tasted like fish! Sicilian chicken: Juicy, tender, and rich. I really enjoyed my second plate except for the dry beef stew.
THE THIRD PLATE
By the time I finished my second plate, hubby was struggling with his don't-know-how-many-pound plate of meat. He was just staring at the plate and scoop in whatever stuck in his fork...Oh, he's close to giving up. That's what happen if you don't slow down. Buffet is NOT an eating competition. The art is to enjoy a plethora of meal the best that you could, so you need to take it slow and steady. I told him to stop eating and relax, while I advanced for the next round.
Yes, dessert is allowed to interrupt the main course. My tongue needed a short break from savory food, so I took five mini bowls of dessert back to the table. Just skip the creme brulee and bread pudding. The brulee was bland, and the pudding was stale. But, I love the sweet and tangy flavor of the blueberry cobbler. The vanilla cake was ok, nothing special. The ganache was dense and rich.
This is hubby's dessert plate that I hijacked. I'm a fan of the Espresso Sambuca. The rest are so-so...
THE FOURTH PLATE
Up to this point I was not full yet. I was amazed with myself. With this kind of tummy capacity, I should refrain myself from eating buffet. The day-after exercise would be too much to bear. Anyway, here's my last main course bites: Cha Bo Vietnamese Kebab: tasty, tender, and spicy!. The seafood was ok, but I sensed that it was not fresh. The salad came up with six dressings or more, I should have taken more veggie to balance the meat intake. The bruschetta was crunchy, it's kinda light. I like it. The fried rice, penne alfredo and santorini tasted just like elsewhere. The creamy spinach was mild, I like the Indian version better.
THE LAST PLATE
I still have some room for more dessert ^^
I couldn't stop eating the Sambuca, it's so yummy. The lemon tart was tart as expected. The cookies were chewy, not crunchy as my liking. And the ball-shaped Persian dessert (there was no tag) was overly sweet (really, like one ball equal to one pound of sugar), even a sweet tooth like me refused to handle a single bite. Too sinful...
THE BILL
The total amount was $27.46 after tax, discount and gratuity. I think it's worth it. I'd like to come back anytime (not in the near future though). I still need to burn the extra calories :) (Yeah, after forty kinds of dishes...)
International Gourmet Buffet
101 Curtner Ave. #60, San Jose, CA 95125 Tel: 408.564.6778
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