Yummy Buffet is all that and Dim Sum

It was Easter Sunday evening, and my family and I found ourselves in that awkward spot all Americans face at some point: we were all holiday-ed out, tired and lazy, and we didn't want leftovers. We wanted someone else to feed us, and on a holiday, the only places you can be guaranteed are open (at least in this neck of the woods) are Chinese buffets. We are so, so thankful for this, and thank you to all those people keeping them open for those of us who need some cookin' on a holiday!

Asian Yummy Buffet opened at the beginning of this year in Cape Girardeau, occupying the space where the Great Wall used to be, and I hadn't tried it yet. I'd recommend you peek your head in and look at what they did to the place, if nothing else. It is slick and sleek, tiled and grey, with varied colored lights recessed in the ceiling, with the food presented on long white dishes instead of the usual buffet troughs. It feels fresh, clean, and emulates a more upscale dining experience than a buffet usually offers. The entire place was gutted and remodeled. Even the entrance moved. It feels like a new building.

The thing we liked the most about the Yummy Buffet was the sushi. Now, let's be real, a buffet is usually not the place to get good sushi. Truly fine sushi is made to order, freshly rolled, with the best ingredients and skilled preparation. That being said, the Yummy Buffet has, by far, the best sushi to be found on a buffet in the area. Beautiful presentation, a good variety and a fresh taste complete with artistically drizzled sauces makes this sushi a safe and tasty choice. My husband said he could go there and just eat sushi. His favorite was the Yummy roll, and I liked the avocado eel the best, but not one of them was a dud.

Now let's talk a moment about the stuff that was really good and things you don't see often. We went for supper, so keep in mind that some of these choices probably won't be available for lunch, especially the seafood. Their chicken teriyaki was spot on. It looked grilled and had a wonderful smoked flavor that only comes from those little charred bits on the outside of grilled meat. My favorite meat dish is hot garlic chicken, a stir-fried and sauced dish made of chicken, water chestnuts, broccoli and other stir-fry stars. It is a little spicy, and oh so garlicky, and I loved it. The black pepper shrimp is another good choice, just like black pepper chicken but with delicately spiced shrimp that are not fried, which is always something I look for. Boiled crawfish, tiny clams in oyster sauce, mussels stuffed with a rich creamy sauce and topped with cheese, all of these things were there. All were hot and fresh, even on Easter Sunday night.

But my favorite find was a simple steamer tray of dim sum. Dim sum are traditional Chinese food, like a dumpling stuffed with various fillings, and there are entire restaurants devoted to a full menu of dim sum (please, please, let one of those places open in our area some day!) Whether fried, steamed or boiled, dim sum can be a bread roll, a dumpling or even a noodle roll, but they are all small, almost bite-sized. The Yummy Buffet only has one kind of dim sum they label as such, though some of their other things could be considered dim sum as well. It is a cute little purse of dough, stuffed with pork and vegetables and steamed. It is good, and I haven't seen them elsewhere nearby.

From left to right: Red Bean Roll, Seafood Bread and steamed Dim Sum are seen at Asian Yummy Buffet in Cape Girardeau.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

From the presentation to the sheer variety, the Yummy Buffet has forged its place in Cape, even with all of the competition. We certainly do love our Chinese buffets here, and since the Yummy Buffet lives up to its name, I have no doubts the restaurant will be embraced by diners eager to fill its seats for years to come.