In the spirit of spring break and all the craziness that goes along with it, why not review a place that pleases the glutton in all of us. With this idea in mind and with everyone I know telling me to try this place, my friends and I set out for Kobe Buffet.
Kobe Buffet is on New Loudon Road in Latham. You might not notice it if you were just driving by, since, compared to the diner next door, its sign is rather small. One thing I like about Kobe that wasn’t evident upon first glance is that they are not just a Chinese/Japanese Buffet. They also have a takeout menu, which you can order from, or you can buy food from the buffet a la carte.
When I walked in, the first thing that caught my eye was this large glass pane water feature they constructed. It was a nice addition to the décor, which has a nice Asian theme to it. It isn’t subtle, but it isn’t overdone either—it just works really well. My friends and I were seated immediately since it wasn’t very busy, so there was no waiting to get to the buffet.
Kobe Buffet has basically the same stuff you would expect to find at most Asian buffets except for one thing, sushi. I have been to a few Asian buffets in the Capital Region and this was the first one to have sushi as part of the spread. They actually have two chefs on staff the whole time just keeping the sushi area stocked. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not like they just have a few vegetable and California rolls for you to try; they have sushi with octopus, squid, eel, tuna, and salmon to name a few. This is why I like the idea of having the chefs on hand all the time. I don’t like the idea of sushi sitting out all day, but judging by the taste, I would say they do a good job with keeping everything fresh.
I don’t mean to gloss over the rest of the food they serve. Everything I had at Kobe was prepared well and tasted good. Whether it was the chicken with broccoli, sesame chicken, or pepper steak, all I can say is it was better than anything you will get at the fast food Chinese places that deliver to RPI.
All things considered, I really liked Kobe Buffet. All the food was good, and hey, it’s the only place I have ever found where I can eat 24 pieces of sushi and a plate of Chinese food for only $12. To get to Kobe Buffet, take Hoosick Street west to the Route 9 exit and take a right on Route 9 South/New Loudon Road. Kobe Buffet is a little way down on the right side.
