By Vicki Paris Goodman
Arts and Entertainment Editor
I’m gonna come clean right up front- I hate buffets. I know, most people adore them. They love the variety and the fact that the more they eat, the better value they get for the price they paid. I, on the other hand, like to choose something from a menu, know it will be prepared to order and look forward to its arrival piping hot (hopefully) via a friendly and competent server. Filling and refilling my plate at a buffet is, frankly, too much work and disrupts the dinner table conversation.
So I was surprised at how much Sam and I enjoyed our visit to Hokkaido Seafood Buffet. It was just so much fun! And the key to our enjoyment, I think, is that we’d already accepted the fact that this meal would consist primarily of “feeding” rather than “dining.”
Yes, at Hokkaido, it’s about the food, not the dining experience. In other words, go with hungry friends or family, not as a first date.
We arrived before the big dinner rush descended and made an introductory trip to the buffet just to scope things out, get the big picture and develop our “plans of attack.” That mission accomplished, it was time to grab our first plates and “dive in.”
Named for Japan’s second largest island, Hokkaido offers an eclectic mix of sushi, other Japanese cuisine, a variety of Chinese dishes and even a bit of American food.
I had advance-planned to make the most of the sushi and sashimi, but once I spied the oysters-on-the-half shell, baby clams, abundant shrimp and lovely juicy crab legs, replete with clarified butter, I pretty much forgot about the raw fish. Although I did try a piece of the eel sushi, which was very nice.
I have observed two schools of thought with respect to buffets. Some people (like my husband Sam) just take what looks good to them, even if it amounts mostly to noodles, chicken and potatoes. Others (I would be in this group) strive to get the biggest bang for their buck by copiously, if not shamelessly, loading up on the oysters and crab legs, even if it means leaving very few for the next glutton.
Hokkaido’s seafood was just delicious, especially those crab legs (available only at dinner). The meat was easy to extract, giving me such pleasure each time I succeeded in withdrawing a piece at least an inch long- I call that “treasure”! Needless to say, I went back for more crab.
But I was impressed with many other items. Sam had stepped up to the Mongolian BBQ, sort of a Japanese equivalent to a brunch buffet’s do-it-yourself omelet bar. Grill guys stand by waiting to grill-fry your self-selected plate full of meat, noodles and vegetables, seasoning it to delicious flavor. Sam’s, to which he’d added both beef and chicken, was just yummy.
I found lots of other things to sample, like the lo mein, a Chinese comfort food of noodles and crunchy vegetables, not to mention the siu mai (pork-filled dumplings) and big fluffy warm custard-filled buns. There was orange chicken and wonderful sautéed Chinese broccoli and green beans. A sweetish shrimp dish (I forget the name) was particularly delish.
The fresh fruit platter, which featured watermelon, strawberries, thick slices of ripe kiwi and sweet pineapple, was surprisingly nice.
With little room left for more, I couldn’t go home without having my two favorite dim sum dessert- a delectable mini custard tart and the coveted sesame ball, in this case filled with a bean paste. So good! I was stuffed, but it was worth it.
I have just one bone to pick with Hokkaido- the seafood cocktail sauce. It was too sweet and had the consistency of water. I believe a proper cocktail sauce has enough viscosity to cling to the seafood, and sufficient horseradish to make you think twice. Not a major complaint, however, in the overall scheme of things.
In spite of my feelings about buffets, Hokkaido will undoubtedly see me return before long. The quality of the food exceeded my expectations, the wait staff was friendly and right on top of things (like removing finished plates from the table), and the selection of dishes truly caught my interest. Heck, even the French fries were good. And it was just so much fun!
Hokkaido Seafood Buffet is located at 3030 Cherry Ave. in Long Beach, phone (562) 989-1898.
Wine, sake and beer are available. Restaurant hours are Lunch ($8.99): Mon – Fri from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat, Sun and holidays from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Dinner ($15.99): Sun – Thu and holidays from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Fri and Sat from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Children 4-10 are half price; 3 and under eat free. Seniors 65 and over get 10 percent off.
