While most Chinese buffets are dirty banquet halls serving up mushy General Tso's chicken, Buffet Palace is the perfect antidote. With its mahogany accents, padded leather banquettes and swishy koi pond, the well-lighted Vegas-style buffet serves deep-fried delights like sweet and sour chicken that, to be truthful, aren't much better than what's served at the other places (though the Chinese BBQ spareribs ribs are smoky, sweet and toothsome). But Buffet Palace's seafood offering is incomparable. Dungeness crab coated in caramelized onions and garlic, fresh snow crab, briny oysters and peel-and-eat shrimp are impeccably fresh. The place is best on weekend when crowds are large and food moves fast. Lunch and dinner buffet.

Centerstage Reviewer: Michael Nagrant