Harvest Buffet

Ever since I caught wind of Harvest Buffet in Tacoma on IG, I really wanted to check it out.  Even though I like Feast buffet in Renton, I needed an alternative in the area for comparison.  Sure, there are other Asian buffets in the region, but not to the size and selection as Feast.  So on our way back from Portland, we made a stop at Harvest for an early dinner.  Upon entering the place, we noticed similarities with Feast.  Multiple food stations including a made-to-order noodles and a Mongolian grill.

But for the kids, it was all about the Sushi and really, there was a considerable selection of rolls and nigiri.  Naturally, many of the rolls were based on a California roll, but most of them were decent.  I found the sushi rice to be fairly on point, especially for a buffet.  As you can see, the nigiri was acceptable as well with a good fish-to-rice ratio.  The fish quality was also decent. They did a good job keeping most of the options well-stocked.

I personally love Soup and I swear I have an extra stomach just for that.  So I decided to try out 3 of the available 5 options (Hot & Sour, Miso, Wonton, Egg Drop and Coconut Taro Tapioca).  The Hot & Sour was surprisingly flavorful with spice and vinegariness.  Egg drop was rather bland, but the fluffy egg was appealing.  Wonton soup didn't taste like it should be, but was still okay.  Wontons were alright.  Meat was a bit weird in texture though.

Nearly the entire back wall of the restaurant was dedicated to Chinese Food (or something related to Asian cuisine) and the picture above is only one section of 4. I thought most of it was mediocre at best.  For instance, the broccoli beef featured meat that was far too overmarinated that it became too soft.  At the very least, the broccoli wasn't completely overdone.  Same with the green beans.  That was a positive.  Orange chicken had a dense texture and the sauce was sweet but lacking tang.

So the Chinese food also featured some Seafood including fried crab, honey shrimp, clams and baked mussels.  The crab was not very good as the meat was mushy, but that was to be expected with frozen crab.  Shrimp was actually quite good as well as the buttery black bean clams.  Mussels were motoyaki style and were serviceable.  There was also roast beef and that was cooked to well-done.  It was a bit dry.

Continuing on the Chinese theme, there was a small section with a variety of Dim Sum.  Most of them were some form of steamed bun while we also found Lo Mei Gai (sticky rice), Siu Mai, Beef Tripe and Chicken Feet.  The sticky rice was not bad being flavorful albeit rather wet.  The tripe was very tender, almost a bit too much as there was no bite.  Chicken feet were not fried/steamed enough as the skin and cartilage was a bit hard.  Siu mai were terrible.  Meat was mushy and it tasted weird, like there was too much onion (and there shouldn't be onion in siu mai).  The steamed bun was ok, but a bit stiff.

Over at the Mongolie Grill, there was a selection of meats, noodles and veggies.  There was also sirloin steak available.  I went for a mix of items and choose garlic and teriyaki as my sauces.  The items were cooked up nicely were the noodles were chewy while the meats were not overdone.  Veggies still had some crunch.  No absence of flavor either.  The steak was unfortunately quite chewy.  Adjacent to this was the noodle station and you could add a variety of meats and veggies to it.

Onto Desserts, we found a small section of treats and around the corner, there was a selection of fruit. Also available was hard ice cream available.  The desserts were serviceable but nothing special.  Fruit was fresh and the ice cream was good.  Overall, I found Harvest Buffet to be "okay".  Sushi and Mongolian grill were the highlights while the cooked food was serviceable.  The selection was massive though, especially for the price of $25.00 for adult weekend dinner.

The Good:
- Huge selection of eats
- Decent sushi
- Good Mongolian grill

The Bad:
- Cooked food is average
- Desserts are lacklustre

T-Khan Grill Mongolian BBQ

At one point last year, I was frequenting Warrior Grill out at Strawberry Hill.  Yah, I realized that it wasn't "true" Mongolian BBQ, but really, it was okay for an inexpensive lunch that wasn't a burger.  Suddenly it closed and there went one of my go-to places.  Then recently, a new Mongolian BBQ opened up in Newton where the old C-Lover's used to be located.  With strangely the same setup (and equipment) as the defunct Warrior Grill, I am wondering if there has been a reincarnation here (albeit with different owners).

Initially, I was planning on doing the all-u-can-eat, but then it donned on me that I neither had the time nor the appetite to do such a thing.  Besides, the large bowl provided was more than enough for me to cram all the food I needed for lunch. With a modest selection of veggies and noodles, I gingerly and sparsely loaded up my bowl.  Nothing was particularly amiss here as things looked fresh.  Onto the meats, I went for everything including beef, chicken, pork and lamb.  After than, I chose my sauces and made a bloody mess of things.  There must be a better way of doing things...  Maybe bigger spoons?  A dispenser?  Otherwise, the sauces get all mixed up anyways due to spillage.

Once constructed, my masterpiece was piled high with ingredients.  The Tetris-like precision meant that even a light wind would send it toppling over.  Not too long after, it was swooped up and prepared on the flattop.  Similarly to the old Warrior Grill, the fact they don't have an actual Mongolian grill meant that the food may have not necessarily cooked as fast.  As a result, caramelization would be less and moisture at the bottom of the plate would be an issue.  On the other hand, I found it acceptable and it ended up being a hearty meal on the cheap.  Although it isn't the sexiest place nor was it amazing food, the fact that the owners were super accommodating and friendly makes me want to visit them again.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Really nice owners (especially the lady)

The Bad:
- Limited selection
- Flattop can only do so much

Warrior Grill

*Restaurant is closed*

Sometimes, it really makes me wonder why some places can get away with charging a king's ransom for what is essentially a pauper's lunch.  Case-in-point - U-Grill.  This food court staple allows people to choose their own ingredients to be prepared on a flat top.  These ingredients are weighed and more often than not, your quick food court meal quickly becomes North of $15.00.  Therefore, they must be making a killing because there are many more similar joints that charge for the bowl (as much as you can stuff in it) for roughly $10.00.

Well, there's a new place in the Strawberry Hill shopping complex that boasts an all-u-can-stuff small bowl for $6.99 (includes steamed rice too).  Modeled after Mongolie-type grill restaurants, Warrior Grill offers up choices of meat (beef, pork, chicken & imitation crab), veggies and a myriad of sauces.  There is one major difference and it is with the grill itself.  It is a flat top, not a round Mongolie Grill.  For my first visit, I went for the large bowl ($9.99) and even with it conservatively stuffed, it was more than enough food where I found myself struggling to finish.  There is also a "warrior size" for $12.99 which is only meant for football linebackers.

The next time, I picked up a small bowl for Mrs. Spray Bottle and compared to my large bowl, it was still a decent amount of food which would satisfy most people (last picture, small on the left and large on the right).  Considering the grill they use, the food turns out pretty good with decent caramelization.  Moreover, they don't overcook the food either.  With so many sauces available, it is possible to have a different tasting stir fry with each visit.  Whatever the case, Warrior Grill is a hit in my books with fresh food and fresh cooking at reasonable prices.

The Good:
- Well-priced for the amount of food
- Made-to-order food is a plus
- Super friendly owners

The Bad:
- Could use a few more items such as different noodles and varied veggies

Great Han Mongolian BBQ

I often wonder how places like U-Grill can get away with the prices they charge. Every visit results in excess of $10.00. And most of the time, it creeps up to $15.00! I guess the fact you do not know how much you are paying until they weigh it, makes it extremely dangerous if one was very hungry. It's sneaky. It almost looks like a buffet, but not. And if you are too aggressive with the meats, watch out! Therefore, it suddenly makes the Mongolian grill-type restaurants look like a fantastic value. For under $7.00, one could load their bowl with as much of anything they want, including meats. Same customization and practically the same cooking technique. Generally, an all-u-can-eat option runs around $11.00 or so. However, you gotta be crazy hungry to take advantage of that.

The notion of value brought us to Great Han Mongolian BBQ. Their lunch special for one bowl runs for $6.59 and the AYCE option goes for $11.95. Both include soup, salad and a bowl of rice. The deal here is to take a large bowl and cram as much as you can manage. The best strategy is to actually put the veggies and noodles on the bottom. That way, the meat can weigh down the lighter items and they in turn won't fall out of the bowl. However, it is easier said than done because they put the meats first (in this case, there was Pork, Lamb, Beef and Chicken) and when there is a line, it is not possible. Well, it is possible, but that would involve being pretty rude (and I'm not even going into detail where they could possibly happen...). Just think of a place where lineups are are ignored as well as any other orderly conduct...

So if one was to do the lineup in the proper order, we would find various noodles and veggies next. I was a little disappointed that mushrooms weren't part of the selection. However, the veggies did seem fresh despite the mess caused by previous customers. After the veggies, the sauce bar was next consisting of many familiar Asian flavours such as black bean, teriyaki and peanut sauce. Around the corner, 3 more flavour shots welcomed us in the form of sesame oil, curry and hot chili oil. I would advise people to be quite liberal with the sauces because a lot of it is lost in the cooking process. And yes, the next step was cooking. The round grill was pretty hot and only after a few swipes, the food was ready to go. Despite this, when the place gets busy, you'll have to be patient. Since I was last in line, by the time I got my food, the first few people were completely finished eating.

Once I got my bowl, the food was more than enough for lunch. Some of the others thought about the AYCE option but gave up when they finished their first bowl. I found that they add too much moisture when they are cooking the food here. Hence, my food was too wet. Furthermore, the meats, particularly the beef, was tough and chewy. I guess for $6.59, there shouldn't be too much complaining going on especially if the food is several notches above edible. However, in comparison to several other places I've had Mongolian-type grilled food, the execution and meat quality is a step below. With that being said, if one was in the area and merely wanted to fill their tummies for the same amount of money as a fast food joint, yet eating infinitely healthier stuff, then Great Han would be an option.

The Good:
- Inexpensive
- Relatively healthier than equivalent priced fast food

The Bad:
- Meat quality is average, particularly the beef
- Cooking method here uses a bit too much water

Mongo Bongo

Trying to eat slightly healthier is not as easy as it sounds. Yah, yah, I know there is salad; but honestly... The chances of me eating a salad for lunch are as good as Lady Gaga trying to cover herself up. Although that meat dress did look appetizing in a beef carpaccio-kinda of way... So the usual choices other than salads, sandwiches and wraps are the less-bad-for-you sushi or soup noodles. However, there is another popular option that I will group into one - grilled-to-order food such as U-Grill, Kojo Japanese and many variations of Mongolian Grill. Now, I used to like U-Grill until I looked at what I got for the price. When merely placing veggies on my plate and then realizing that it will ultimately cost me $15.00, then it seems like a rip-off. I'd much rather take my chances at the predetermined ingredients at any of the Japanese fast food teppanyaki.

However, the best value lies in Mongolian-type grill joints. Forget the all-you-can-eat. Just take their regular deal and it is generally enough food for one person. And that's what I did at Mongo Bongo in New West. I grabbed a bowl and filled it as much food as I could for $8.00. The one thing I liked about this place was the frozen meat. It was flat, not curled up like some of the other Mongolian grills out there. This way, I could put more in the bowl with less wastage of space. In fact, I put so much, I really didn't feel the need to stuff it anymore. As I said, one bowl is more than enough food for one person, especially since rice and soup are included. I really didn't end up eating most of the rice since I got a bunch of noodles and it was carb on carb. Only get the rice if you had loaded up on meat.

So the deal here is to load up on meats (chicken, beef, pork), noodles and veggies. After that, there is an array of sauces and flavourings that you can add to your heart's content. Pass the bowl to the grill master, write down your name, table number and then wait. Once ready, the fresh-off-the-grill plate of food will be served to you. Compared to my last visit to a Mongolian grill (at King Mongolian Grill), Mongo Bongo is considerably cleaner and more modern. There is an ample amount of staff, who are both efficient and friendly. Much like Chinese hot pot, this type of food is not rocket science. It relies heavily on the freshness of the ingredients and the punch of the sauces. In both cases here, it was good. The one tip for those who like their food saltier, just make sure you're not shy with the sauces. Experiment a bit, mix them up and try new combinations each time and if you go for the AYCE option, you can do that in one visit. In addition to the freshness of the ingredients, the final variable is the grill master. To cook different items at the same time at high heat can be challenging; but it worked out pretty good where the veggies were still crisp while meats were cooked all the way through. No complaints.

The Good:
- Ingredients are fresh and the display is well-maintained
- Clean and comfortable digs
- Food was cooked as good as it could be

The Bad:
- I know this is nit-picking, but the soup was far to salty

King Mongolian Grill

I'll have to admit it. I've never pay much attention to Mongolian restaurants. For some reason or another, I do not find them all that interesting. C'mon, it's merely a bunch of meat, veggies and noodles cooked up on a large grill. Sure, it's neat to look at; but isn't it a glorified form of U-Grill and the sort? However, if I look at it from a different perspective - as in that it is a generally inexpensive filling meal - then it gets a bit more attractive. I'm sure you've noticed that "fast food" joints are creeping up dangerously close to $10.00 for a complete meal. Hence, people who are a bit more health-conscious look towards food like soup noodles, sushi, teppanyaki and Mongolian-type grills. Hey, when I'm in a food court, I usually go straight for U-Grill or Koya. Although, the downside of U-Grill is that it can get pretty pricey if one wasn't paying attention.

Now where some places will charge you by the gram for the amount of food you choose, King Mongolian Grill in PoCo lets you put as much into a bowl without making a mess for only $6.50. Now that is easier said than done. Akin to the first Tuesday of every month at Chong Lee Market, the place was a madhouse with people all over the place grabbing things. The food station looked like an aftermath of a food fight while there was no real ordering system in place. Bubble Girl and I had to literally guess what we should do. We were really impressed that the cook remembered whose bowl was who's. At one point, there was a line of 10 bowls of raw ingredients waiting to be cooked. I actually went up for seconds and automatically triggered the All-U-Can-Eat option for $11.50. Again, I'm not sure how they keep track. I guess it would be the honour system. I'm sure Geighis Khan would not be impressed. LOL...

So the actual protocol is to grab a bowl, select your meats, veggies and noodles, then head over to the sauce station (although the sauces looked quite watered down). Once you have chosen your sauces, leave the bowl for the cook to grill it. Once grilled, they will bring it to you. If you do the AYCE, then just repeat as many times as you want. For me, I only went twice. There is only so much I can eat! Seriously! And what I got was something that is very similar to U-Grill, but cheaper and with many more sauce options. Since everything is essentially cooked all at once on the hot grill, some things will be more cooked than others. Hey, it ain't perfect; yet ultimately it is a filling and relatively healthy meal. Their lunch special for $6.50 allows one to fill their large bowl with whatever they want to the brim and then some. Hence there was stuff all over the place and floor. Seeing how there were so many teenagers in here, even they know that this is a pretty good deal. Nice to see that they are choosing this over McD's.

The Good:
- Cheap
- It has got the "choose your own adventure" kinda thing going on
- Stuff is fresh

The Bad:
- Lack of real sense of order... much like Richmond
- Food is pretty average, only to fill you up
- The included "salad bar" looks more like rabbit's leftovers