Chinese Buffets

OK, Lets go ahead and get this one out of the way. Most of the Chinese buffets in our area really have very little to do with real Chinese cuisine. They are mounds of breaded chicken with different cornstarch based sauces that are aimed at western taste buds. Their main goal is allowing us to gorge on mounds of the supplied fare which is very cheaply produced. There is one standout that I have found however. The Empire Buffet on Roan Street in Johnson City is about a mile north of the JC Mall. While it has all of the regular buffet stuff that most people look for, it also has some excellent other choices. Along with the regular, it has Vietnamese egg rolls, several types of fresh seafood, (Please try the baby clams if they are out), duck on occasion, and a well stocked and professionally run sushi bar. There are 4 hot service bars and 2 cold ones with the sushi section apart from the rest. The staff is the typical Chinese immigrant work force that we are used to but they at least don't give you that patronizing smile when you ask for chopsticks. Please feel free to give it a try if you like the buffet setting but don't blame me for the "I ate too much" feeling after you leave.