Ravenous?
Then Bring The Whole Family
Empire Buffet: 161-49 Crossbay
Blvd., Howard Beach, 323-2888/2899
Cuisine: Japanese, Chinese, Italian
Hours: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., seven
days
Credit Cards: accepted
Parking: two lots plus street
parking
Handicapped Accessible: yes
The secret that regulars know is to go to
Empire Buffet when your hungry . . . really hungry, take the whole family, and ask for a
table in the back.
If you do, owner Wing Li or one of his
helpful staff will bring you past the wall that is also a waterfall to a table by the
window overlooking the bay. Sit back, relax, and get ready to help yourself to three
serving tables full of good food that never runs out.
From sushi and fresh fruit, soup and salad,
chicken on a stick and dumplings right through to roast duck, mussels in black bean sauce
and fried squid, Empire Buffet is a taster’s dream. And once you find what you like,
just keep coming back for more.
Fast-to-go and faster-to-be-replaced on a
recent Friday night were the King Crab legs and the peel-‘em-yourself shrimp. But in
keeping with the water-side setting, there is plenty of seafood to choose from and
something is sure to please.
When you have eaten until you cannot fit
one more bite, there are still fresh cakes and cookies to choose from and kids will enjoy
making their own Sundays as they pump their own ice cream.
Celebrating their first anniversary on
April 1, Li said proudly his spacious restaurant often handles parties and is a regular
dining spot for local families.
Let us add, that the price is certainly
right. Monday through Thursday the all-you-can-eat lunch is $5.95 per person and dinner
just $9.95 per person. Friday and Saturday the prices rise just barely to $6.95 for lunch
and $10.95 for dinner. On Saturday it is $10.99 all day, and if you want to bring the
feast home, they even sell the buffet by the pound.
There is something for every member of the
family at the Empire Buffet . . . but remember, come hungry.
– Tamara Hartman |
