Eating out at questionnable chinese buffet...help?

pumpkinpocalypse

My friend's birthday is coming up this Saturday and she organized a big dinner with all of our friends at this chinese buffet in our chinatown. You know the drill.
Thing is, i've read many and many reviews of that place since i've heard some friends joke about it, and apparently A LOT of people say it's horrible or tasteless, veeery greasy and doesn't seem so fresh. So i can expect a good cholesterol loadup for that night lol...
Asked two of my friends, one say it's ''goood!!' but theyre not very fine with food (i'm a cook so it takes me more than 'okay'' to impress me a lot of the time) , other one say it's not notable, but it's ok.
As i am aware a little pigging out can't hurt my fitness progress, i still don't want to feel like crap over this meal (since it,s not like it was actually very worth it considering the actual quality of the food) bUT i don't want to skip on eating there because that 1. would be rude 2. i know for sure that i'll be hungry for a meal at that time.

any tips on what i should add to my plate (healthy or borderline alright typical dishes?), what i should stay away from, and a little help on quantities? how to start/add more food up at a time? I have never been to a buffet more than once in my life so i'm not used to those systems, and i'm scared i'll act irresponsibly by lack of knowing what to do with myself.
thanks!

xxsillysocksxx

I would suggest eating a healthy, filling snack beforehand. If your not hungry you're a lot less likely to pig out on unhealthy foods. You can eat a little and not totally sabotage.

chatnel

aim for the stir fry dishs with veggies and a little serve of rice. Avoid anything deep fried.

Lourdesong

I load up on meat and veg, and I avoid breaded stuff, I avoid stuff covered in neon fluorescent sauce, and I avoid rice/noodles.

Chinese buffet is pretty great imo for getting a lot of variety of protein and veg for a relatively low price.

Mr_Knight

It's all going to be ****. Just take very very small portions and talk a lot, so you can't eat fast.

pumpkinpocalypse

Lourdesong wrote: »

I load up on meat and veg, and I avoid breaded stuff, I avoid stuff covered in neon fluorescent sauce, and I avoid rice/noodles.

Chinese buffet is pretty great imo for getting a lot of variety of protein and veg for a relatively low price.

Yeah that's what I figured i'd do. The problem is that i am sooo not sure if the meat is actually fresh? People on the reviews say they didnt get sick but i have a more sensitive gut than the norm...So i guess, i sohuld stay away from the chicken just in case, sadly...and the fish? Dammit, theyre the only meats I like.

Patttience

Look for steamed dumplings. They are nice. Often filled with meat and veg. Steamed instead of deep fried. Avoid the pork buns. Enjoy it.

sweetochiken

Eat before hand, and go for a salad from the salad bar, and do a fruit salad. Even the stir fry stuff has soy sauce and lots of oil, i got a severe stomach ache and bgs going to our local china buffet (ugh), and i ate "lite from the stir fry". You think they may have sushi? That could be a fresh alternative without all the grease.

Francl27

Well the good thing when it's not good food is that you can go for the healthier stuff without missing out.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

If it's a questionable buffet, then you can eat as much as you want without logging. The resulting GI distress will clean you out and you won't absorb any of the calories. You're welcome.

WinoGelato

I haven't been to a Chinese buffet in years but I seem to recall some had crab legs on the weekends, that could be a good option, if you don't drown them in too much butter... It takes longer to eat them because of the work cracking them so you tend to eat less overall. Dunno if this will be an option for you.

Otherwise I would look for the stir fried that seemed to just have sautéed meat, not breaded, and veggies, with steamed rice? Don't forget the crab Rangoon and fried donuts, those are my favorite part of the Chinese buffet!

pumpkinpocalypse

Patttience wrote: »

Look for steamed dumplings. They are nice. Often filled with meat and veg. Steamed instead of deep fried. Avoid the pork buns. Enjoy it.

Good idea, i might dump a few (like 3-5 max if theyre small) in my plate as well (i thought of having a bit of everything that seems decent, so i get to try different things and not feel deprived but all in very small portions!), i always found dumplings to be very filling even if you don't eat much...they're pretty carby like pasta because of the wraps, but since i won't be having an entire meal of just that its negligeable.

I think I'll go for the vegetarian section first (they have one), load mostly on that (veggie dumplings, stir fried/sauteed veggies (i like sautes best anyway), salads and fruits...) , then if i get i second serving i'll check out elsewhere in the general section and pick what seems best, like a tiny bit of chicken rice? and meat strips that arent too sauceed up i guess. light sauceed/seasonned stuff.

As i said i wanna enjoy this outing since i haven't eaten out in a looong time, i mostly just want to avoid cracking up my efforts by eating too much or too unhealthily, but satisfyingly (as in, i dont want to eat just because im hungry, but also because what im putting in my mouth is actually somewhat tasty. Otherwise i'll feel like crap over it afterwards, i know it. i hate bad food, its such a waste of calories lol...)

WinoGelato wrote: »

I haven't been to a Chinese buffet in years but I seem to recall some had crab legs on the weekends, that could be a good option, if you don't drown them in too much butter... It takes longer to eat them because of the work cracking them so you tend to eat less overall. Dunno if this will be an option for you.

Otherwise I would look for the stir fried that seemed to just have sautéed meat, not breaded, and veggies, with steamed rice? Don't forget the crab Rangoon and fried donuts, those are my favorite part of the Chinese buffet!

I hope they have crab! I love it. And yeah anyway I never eat fried/breaded stuff so I kind of got the hang of ignoring it all at once, i naturally go for what looks the less oily since it grosses me out a bit...
FRIED DONUTS! I adore those >:} If i do well for most of my time there i think i might keep a little place for dessert as well. nothing really indulgent, but you know, i never have dessert at home, and if it seems to fit in what i would call a reasonnable meal, why not have small pieces of a few sugary treats...(like maybe a small scoop of ice cream or custard, half a donut, blah blah. Or take whatever i want and split the plate with a friend or two)

maillemaker

If it's a questionable buffet, then you can eat as much as you want without logging. The resulting GI distress will clean you out and you won't absorb any of the calories. You're welcome

LOL! Truth!

Chinese buffets are almost never quality food. So if you're looking for a foodie experience you'll probably be disappointed.

But there are things you can eat and log fairly easily. Like the boiled you-peel shrimp usually there. Just count the number of shrimp. I agree stir-fry can be good.

Some of the Chinese places now have a "hibachi" grill where you pick the things you want and they grill it for you right there. Good way to avoid mystery sauces.

kwtilbury

See if MFP has "cat" in the database.

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

kwtilbury wrote: »

See if MFP has "cat" in the database.

LOL When I was a kid, my aunt told me that that wontons in wonton soup were cat brains. To this day I cannot eat wonton soup.

Ribbittee

Cat brains?! That's funny! I usually fill up on the won-ton soup, light on the won-tons when my son drags me to the questionable Chinese buffet.

jpaulie

kwtilbury wrote: »

See if MFP has "cat" in the database.

Sad thing is a Chinese buffet chain up here in Canada got nailed for serving cat years ago. I couldn't eat meat for 6 months after seeing that.

OP, yes as others have said dumplings, avoid the sauces as much as possible (and anything with fur lol).

SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage

jpaulie wrote: »

kwtilbury wrote: »

See if MFP has "cat" in the database.

Sad thing is a Chinese buffet chain up here in Canada got nailed for serving cat years ago. I couldn't eat meat for 6 months after seeing that.

I remember that. I believe it was in Edmonton which is where I lived before. Would explain my aunt telling me that wontons are cat brains.

I also had a hard time eating pizza for a while after the Vancouver pizza place incident...if anyone remembers that.