Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chen Hibachi Has Opened In Ellicott City

Chen Hibachi has opened in Ellicott City.  From the outside, it looks like a Japanese places with the standard menu of table-side cooking and sushi.

Of course, it's a circle of life.  So Chen's arrival came at the expense of Panda Buffet, which left behind survivors such as Michelle's husband was reported to be broken-hearted and thinking about crab rangoons.

This is the Lotte shopping center.  I walked by too early for Chen Hibachi to be open, but it is next to Shin Chon Garden.  Anyone know more?

8 comments:

Eric said...

My wife would go to Panda Buffet 3-4 times a month for lunch. I went with her to Chen Hibachi and we were disappointed. She felt the food, though similar, was not as good.

Anonymous said...

It's exactly the same as Panda Buffet, they just added a sushi bar and hibachi grill/bar. We were just there Saturday night. Were disappointed when we saw the sign, but went in anyway. The food was better than normal, seemed fresher and a lot of variety. And the sushi-eaters in the crowd were happy too. The sushi and grill were included in the buffet price - not bad for $11!

David Hobby said...

+1 for anonymous. I was taken aback when I saw the new sign, too. But it is all still there, and more.

:)

dzoey said...

I tried it tonight and was disappointed and a little puzzled that the best food there was the non-asian food. The ribs were good, the garlic bread was decent, you can't go wrong with fried chicken.

The Chinese food was mediocre - not really bad, but nothing to stop for. You do get a lot of sushi for the price, but volume is not why people go for sushi and this was bad sushi (not dangerous, just not good - why was the rice cold even when the guy has just made it?)

I didn't get a chance to try the hibachi because the line was too long and the cook was single threaded.

Even the desserts were mediocre, except for a sesame cake which was quite good.

The place on route 1 (Fortune Star) is significantly better. I will go there next time I want Chinese buffet.

Anonymous said...

Hello!!!!! sushi rice is suppose to be cold.

dzoey said...

Actually, sushi rice should be between room and body temperature, having been taken from the steamer, seasoned, and allowed to cool enough to handle.

By cold, I didn't mean room temperature, I meant chilled like it was pre-made and stored, but I know it wasn't since I saw the guy behind the counter, which is why it was so unexpected.

http://www.howtodothings.com/food-drink/how-to-make-sushi-rice

Anonymous said...

someone said this closed over the weekend. Is this true?

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