Okay, so I finally got to try the new Sakura Japanese Seafood Buffet in Northampton, MA. While I am reviewing it now, I am still kinda mixed in my reception of it. First of all the decor is really nice. The chairs are plush and cushioned, a good feature for a buffet that will make you stay longer. Maybe not so good for them! I got there right around 12:00 with lunch beginning at 11. There were three other tables there when I arrived and about four tables arrived while I was there.
The food selection was varied: other than seafood (octopus, scallops, grilled shrimp), there were selections of your traditional Chinese fare of chicken (general tso, sweet and sour), pork, and beef dishes (beef and broccoli). I think this shows that the restaurant is perhaps going through a bit of an identity crisis. I would have preferred to have seen seafood inspired dishes that took the seafood theme to the extreme. We can get that other “stuff” at other places, and in all honesty, better tasting versions. There was also brown and white rice and lo mein. These Chinese dishes were the least inspired part of my meal as the sweet and sour chicken and genral tso chicken I had wasn’t all that good. They tasted as if they had been there since 1100, which is why I often avoid buffets. I like the freshness of just prepared food!
In addition there were four soups available (didn’t try): miso, sweet potato, hot and sour, and a tom yum.
Around the corner, in the back, are fruit, salad, and dessert bars. The fruit (watermelon, cantaloupe) looked really good, but I didn’t try any. For dessert there was cheesecake, a lemon tart, 2 types of cake, and ice cream. I tried a mini cheesecake with a chocolate brownie crust. It was good. In addition. there was a bar of bubble tea, which I could finally try without having to pay $4 for one. I wasn’t impressed; not cold enough.
Now on to the part that I actually went for, the sushi. They did have a wide array of choices ranging from sashimi to sushi. One thing to keep in mind that you will not be getting the speciality type of sushi on this buffet. The most exotic one on there was some type of a crunch roll. The other choices were a tuna, california, philly, and one that had nuts in it (never heard of this). There was also inari sushi and some nigiri as well (salmon, yellowtail, crab, egg). I tried one of each. Overall, do not expect the best sushi you have ever had; I’ve had some of the best and this is definitely not it. Most of it tasted like supermarket sushi (like you get at Publix back home) and it was missing that addictive taste of good sushi. Despite this, I guess if you need sushi and you are on a budget then this is your best bet.
You get all of this for 9.99 for lunch and 19.99 for dinner. I don’t see myself ever going for dinner, but I would go again for lunch IF I need a sushi fix!
