Sham Buffet

I am one of those people who love a good bargain. I am easily distracted by big signs that promise low prices, and I have no shame in haggling and negotiating so I can walk away with a prized item at less than sticker price. What isn’t helping my problem these days, is the onslaught of daily coupon sites that offer discounts through the power of group buys. My email is inundated with dozens of deals every day, and no word of a lie, I am suckered into buying at least one a day. It’s just so easy to shop from my desk, and the deals are so amazing – I almost feel guilty with how big the discounts are. Almost. 

Of course, not all the emails that come through are deals, because they are still pricy compared to other places; or, the deal is for a place that isn’t very good...the process of shopping online, especially for places you aren’t familiar with, is a gamble that you have to be willing to take.

Unfortunately for me, I took a risk that didn’t quite pay off when I purchased a deal for Sham Buffet one day. Being that it is a fairly new restaurant, my quick research online didn’t find many reviews or comments about it. I did learn that the name of the restaurant referred to the region of Syria, and not the Western take on the word (that’s a relief). The deal I purchased was 2 dinner buffets for $18 (normally, it is $18 per person at dinner) seemed like it would be a cheap meal for the boyfriend and I, and really, how bad could it be, right? Famous last words, I know.

Sham Buffet is located in a strip mall just East of Dixie, which looked a little sketchy. There is a Goodwill store on one end, and a few furniture stores on the other, but the whole plaza looks like it has seen better days. Hoping that it wasn’t a bad sign, we still decided to go in. The restaurant itself is huge on the inside, with three separate dining rooms which all connect to the buffet area in the middle. It is clean with linen tablecloths on the tables, and Middle Eastern music playing throughout (which I found to be too loud, and an eclectic mix – from pounding dance beats to soft ballads). 

I was a little concerned that although it was 6:30 in the evening, we were one of three couples in the entire restaurant. The other two couples were just finishing as we sat down, so halfway through the meal, we were the only customers in the whole place. 

The boyfriend ordered a small Sham Cocktail ($2.99) which was described as strawberry, mango, pineapple, kiwi and banana topped with crushed pistachios and honey. The presentation was lovely and it tasted light, sweet and fresh.

The buffet area is large, and Sham’s website claims that it is the “biggest Arabic Middle Eastern buffet in Ontario.” There are two hot foot banquets, one cold food, and one for dessert. There was also a grill area, and a spot for ice cream, though I did not see ice cream on the day we went. 

Not being overly familiar with Middle Eastern cuisine, I was excited for the opportunity to try new items I hadn’t heard of before, and to sample some of my favourite tried and true dishes. I started with the spicy shrimp soup, which had tiny, dried shrimp and plenty of vegetables in a tomato based broth. The broth was too sour for me, and the vegetables had been sitting in it so long, they had begun to dry and shrink. There was no spice, and I was only able to eat a couple spoonfuls before giving up. There are also a few different rice dishes – one with meat, one with vegetables and one that was plain. I tried a bit of each of the choices available; my favourite was the one with meat, which was a tender chunk of beef on top of flavourful rice. 

When the staff saw us sit down, meat was put on the grill and brought to the table for us, which I appreciated as a nice gesture. That being said, the finished product we were given tasted as though it was pre-cooked earlier and just warmed up for us because it was tough and dry. The kebabs were salty without any other distinguishing flavour, and the chicken didn’t taste as though there was any flavour at all. All in all, we found the hot food to be dry and lukewarm from sitting under the heat lamps too long. None of the hot food tasted fresh, nor was there much of each item to choose from (there was two or three pieces of each item in each tray).

The cold food fared a little better, and I enjoyed the baba ghanouj and the hummus, but wished that there were pitas to accompany them. The boyfriend really enjoyed the tabouleh and said it tasted fresh and homemade.

Lastly, the desserts were of the pre-packaged variety and nothing special to write home about. There were slices of Swiss rolls, Nanaimo bars and cream puffs – all of which were dried out from sitting out too long. There were a few other things as well, but nothing stood out as memorable.

The service was attentive to start, but after we were the only customers, we seemed to have been forgotten as the employees sat in the back dining room, chatting amongst each other. The food was disappointing because everything had been sitting out too long, and the majority of the food was dry and unappetizing. I did notice that they packaged take-out containers using the food from the buffet, so that is something you may want to consider if you’re going to be ordering from them. Also, their website and the signs labelling the food in the restaurant are riddled with mistakes – something that I think looks extremely unprofessional for an establishment open to the public. All in all, the silver lining to this experience was that we had dinner for a relatively inexpensive price – even though we both left hungry. Had I paid full price for the meal, I would have been much more upset. As it stands, it was an unfortunate risk I took that didn’t pay off, and I won’t be returning. This could have been a fun post if it was a good experience – and I could have said “Sham Wow!”, instead I will point out the irony of a restaurant that truly lives up to its name.

 Sham Buffet
1456 Dundas St. E., Mississauga
http://www.shambuffet.com

August 8

When I was younger, I went through a phase when I only wanted to eat small foods. This consisted of mini bananas, cocktail wieners, quail eggs...basically anything that was miniature in size or its own tiny little package. Dim sum then, became a natural favourite for me because it fit my criteria so well (not to mention that it was delicious). Dim sum refers to a Chinese dish that involves small portions of food, usually served in a small steamer or on small plates. Individual dumplings, or small spring rolls – it quickly became my favourite type of food, and probably still is to this day.

You can only imagine how happy I was when I discovered that there was an all-you-can-eat dim sum and sushi place in town. Sushi has always been something I enjoy and to pair it with dim sum sounded like food heaven to me. I rounded up some company and we went on a rainy evening a while back.

Located at the corner of Brant and Fairview, the parking here is minimal. Once the spots fill up, you are forced to find parking in one of the nearby plazas or on the side streets. We were lucky that it was a rainy night, and there was a spot opening up just as we pulled in. Walking into the restaurant, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the modern decor on the walls and how pretty everything looked. The lighting is soft, and the wallpaper on the walls are textured to have an almost velvet feel to them. The tables are uncovered but reminded me of grey kitchen counters, which felt out of place in the dark beauty of the room.

For $21.99 per person for a weeknight dinner and $1.99 for bottomless pop, August 8 is not one of the cheaper places to go for a meal. However, we were confident that we could get value for our money because we were all starving.  Each table is given a menu that lists all the offerings by number, a stack of note paper and a few pencils. You are expected to write down the number of the dish you want, and the quantity of each. The menu is very clear to point out how many pieces of an item come in each order, so you multiply it by the number of pieces you want (ie. One order of sashimi is one piece, but one order of maki is six pieces). You just have to be careful to note how many pieces make up an order and not order too much.

I tried the Hot and Sour soup and found it to be very sweet, although the ingredients in it were fresh and not overcooked. I am told the miso soup was watery and was nothing special. We ordered tempura shrimp which came out crispy and not too greasy, as well as tempura yam which was also perfectly fried and not soggy. The dim sum was steamed fresh and came out piping hot, and I was impressed at the variety of dishes that was offered. One of the best dishes dim sum of the night was the deep fried calamari which was crispy and cooked perfectly so there was no rubbery texture to be had.

 

We ordered a fair amount of sashimi and each plate that was brought to us was beautifully presented, and the fish was fresh and cut very thick. We also tried the House Roll, which was a deep fried roll California roll on a bed of spicy sauce. Though sceptical at first, it was well done with a crispy outside and a cool inside. It was recommended that we try the Lovers Sushi, which was an odd concoction of white tuna and crab with spicy sauce on top of a potato chip, and garnished with caviar. I wouldn’t say it was bad, but the strange textures and flavour combination made it an interesting dish. 

Another favourite from the evening included the Unagi Pizza: deep fried rice with barbeque eel, spicy sauce and fish roe. The crispy texture of the rice with the creaminess of the spicy sauce and eel made it a taste explosion. If you like a bit of spice, I highly recommend trying the pizza.

There were also plenty of grilled dishes and we tried the Beef Mushroom Roll: tender beef strips wrapped around mushrooms and scallions, as well as the Asparagus Bacon Roll: a cooked piece of bacon wrapped around an asparagus spear.  The Beef Short Ribs were well seasoned and flavourful, but there was so much fat on each piece we could barely taste them.

The dessert offerings were large for a sushi buffet, and also included a few steamed custard buns typical of dim sum restaurants. We tried the red bean and the mango ice creams, as well as the mango pudding to top off our meals. All in all, a fantastic meal that satisfied my love for dim sum. Judging from how busy the dining room was and how full the parking lot can be, I recommend having an earlier dinner or arriving a little later rather than right at prime dinner hour.

August 8
834 Brant St., Burlington
http://www.august8.ca/

Stone House Restaurant

When I was younger, I had a general rule that I did not eat anything that swam. This was obviously before I realised that many things can swim, but I was of the mindset that things that spent their time living in the water were simply not to be eaten. Thankfully that has all changed now that I’m older and I have grown to love eating all kinds of seafood.

While browsing through the local paper one day I saw an ad for the surf and turf buffet at the Stone House restaurant on Sundays. Having a craving for some good lobster and other shellfish, I made a mental note to try it out. My family was looking for a place to celebrate a birthday and I eagerly suggested Stone House and promised them all you can eat lobsters, shrimps and oysters. Lucky for me, my family loves seafood more than I do.

The buffet is the only option on Sundays and runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. We arrived around 6:30 p.m. and the front parking lot was so full we had to park behind the restaurant in the back lot. Thinking it would be extremely busy, we were surprised to find that the restaurant did not seem full when we walked in and were seated immediately in a cozy booth in the back.

Stone House is divided into three separate dining rooms from what I could gather. There is a bar to the right of the entrance with tables and booths, a full dining room to the left and down a corridor, and a dining room in the middle past the buffet stations. The whole restaurant is dimly lit with dark wood trim, large and cozy booths and white (Linen! Finally!) tablecloths on each of the long tables. For the buffet, there was a cold station just inside the entrance and across from the hostess booth, and the rest of the stations were set up in the middle of the restaurant.

The wine selection is fairly extensive, but reasonably priced. My family prefers red wine (whereas I can only drink white) so I chose a bottle of Malbec from Argentina ($30). I was told I made a fantastic choice and that it was one of the most popular bottles that the restaurant carried.

I cannot go on enough about how wonderful our server was. She was attentive without being overbearing, and ensured that we always had what we needed. In fact, all of the employees at the restaurant were excellent. The servers at the stations were helpful and friendly, and were encouraging to have you try the different foods. The servers at the tables were discrete but dutiful in making sure water glasses were filled and plates were cleared in a timely manner. 

The food selection does not seem large – partly because I have been spoiled by large chain buffet restaurants, and partly because there is not a large number of different dishes. However, what the Stone House lacks in quantity, they more than make up for in quality.

Served cold, there are fresh shrimp and freshly shucked oysters with a variety of condiments, including the house cocktail sauce – a spicy, tangy horseradish-laden tomato sauce that is a perfect companion to the sweetness of the seafood. Also at the cold table are fresh steamed crab legs that are served to you by an attending employee. Rounding out the cold table is a small offering of sushi that has crab and vegetables. Not the most authentic sushi I have had, but I was happy enough to eat other things instead.

There is a small salad bar that consisted of fresh Caesar salad with separate bowls of croutons and fresh, crisp bacon. Couscous salad with raisins, and a full smoked salmon were also some of the offerings. Though the salmon was fresh, some of the salads were soggy because of the amount of time they were set out on the table.

There are two soups: lobster bisque and seafood chowder. The chowder was creamy with plenty of vegetables and seafood, but the bisque was too salty for me to enjoy. The hot seafood consisted of mussels in a wine sauce with fresh diced tomatoes, and a lobster mac and cheese that although was creamy, had been sitting out too long and had begun to dry up. There were fresh lobsters, steamed in halves, with a cup of melted butter. The lobster was sweet and meaty, and cooked perfectly. Fresh baked mustard glazed ham and a delicious melt-in-your-mouth prime rib were carved to your liking. One of my favourite dishes was the barbeque beef ribs which were fall-off-the-bone and brushed with a tangy sauce. Other dishes include various starches such as potatoes, rice and pasta, or vegetables such as braised cabbage.

The dessert table had various coffee cakes and fruit, or warm apple crisp and bread pudding. The bread pudding was unfortunately baked too long and was dry with a slight burnt taste, but the apple crisp was full of fresh cut apples and a buttery, flaky crumble. There was also a tiered tray of mini tarts and mini cupcakes which were arranged very prettily. 

For $35 a person, I would highly recommend the seafood buffet at Stone House if you are a lover of fresh seafood. As mentioned, there were not a large number of dishes but they more than made up for it by making what few dishes they had high quality deliciousness. Being a buffet, you run the risk of having dishes that have been sitting out too long, but for the more popular dishes such as the lobster or the prime rib, they are constantly being replenished and you are pretty much guaranteed a fresh portion when you are ready. With excellent service and an endless supply of fresh lobster, I will happily go here on any Sunday and eat all sorts of things that swim.

Stone House Restaurant
3106 South Service Rd., Burlington
http://www.stonehouserestaurant.ca/index.php

Mangiamo Pizza Buffet

I actually heard about Mangiamo through a review I read on Twitter a while back. I'm starting to notice a trend here – Twitter is going to make me: 1) very poor and 2) unable to remember how to work a kitchen appliance. The premise sounded simple enough – an all-you-can-eat gourmet pizza buffet, with soup, salad and pasta to boot. Best of all, it was only $8.99 for each adult.  How could you go wrong?

I gathered a couple of pizza-lovin' friends and we all headed to Oakville. Mangiamo is located in a plaza that has a few small restaurants and a grocery store, so there is plenty of parking. At first glance, it made us almost hesitant to go in.  For one, the store is very bright and very exposed – it almost felt like a school cafeteria rather than a restaurant. There is a cash register right by the door and a small buffet bar at the front by an open window to the kitchen. There is also a fountain-pop machine, seating for about 50 people and a poster on the wall that reminded us of those old-school United Colors of Benetton ads.

We were surprised to find that although we arrived around 7:30 p.m., we were the only customers in the restaurant. We were greeted by friendly staff who pointed out where things were and we got settled at a table. We were asked if there was any particular pizza we wanted, and I asked if they could make us a mac-and-cheese pizza, since the review I read raved about it.  We were told they would put one on for us, and to let them know if there was anything else we'd like. On the first round, my friends decided to jump right into the pizza – there were about three or four slices each of a pepperoni, a Hawaiian and a vegetarian. I opted to try their special of the night – build-your-own tacos – and a forkful of spaghetti with meat sauce. The taco bar had two filling options – ground beef or bean chili – and a variety of toppings. The strangest thing I found was there was no cheese among the toppings, but there was a bowl of shredded carrots.  I've never had carrot on my taco before, so that was new for me. Not sure if I'd do it again – I think I'd prefer cheese, please.

The taco fillings were dry from being in the warmers for too long, but the toppings were crisp and fresh. The spaghetti sauce tasted homemade and had plenty of meat and tomato in it.  Unfortunately for my friends, the pizzas were cold and hard from sitting out too long. Here is where I was blown away by Mangiamo: We were asked how we were enjoying our food and we mentioned that although everything tasted OK, it would be better if they were not cold and hard from being out so long. Upon hearing that, they immediately apologized and then TOOK AWAY all of the old food and started making us fresh food. Keep in mind that they were about an hour away from closing, and we were the only people in the restaurant.

The hot, fresh thin-crust pizzas started coming out, and we were in a carby, cheesy heaven. All of the dough tastes like it's fresh and hand-tossed, and all of the ingredients were sliced thick and plentiful. Chicken with sweet-chili Thai sauce was the early frontrunner for best pizza (ever).  Big chunks of moist chicken breast with sweet onions and a sweet chili sauce that gave it a slight kick. The Hawaiian pizza had sweet pineapple and large cubes of peameal bacon with a homemade tomato sauce. Even the pepperoni pizza was better than most I've had from restaurants – each slice was covered in pepperoni that was thick and baked until crispy around the edges, and laden with gooey cheese. A Thai curry pizza followed – a mild curry sauce base topped with diced chicken breast, onions and fresh chopped cilantro. An explosion of flavour and freshness with every bite. The pièce de résistance was hands down the mac and cheese. A thin, crispy crust topped with soft mac and cheese and baked until the top is crispy and the cheese is melted and crusty, then sprinkled with Parmesan.  Carbs + carbs + cheese = the three C's of happiness. It was an instant hit with our group, and I can easily see why it's a crowd favourite, especially with kids. I even suggested that if they put sliced hot dogs on top they'd have both kids and university students knocking down their doors to get a slice.

The staff told us that the chef likes to get creative and invent pizzas depending on what ingredients happen to be available, or whatever strikes his fancy for the day. The atmosphere could use a little work, but the staff goes above and beyond to make your visit a pleasant one – even bringing the pizza to your table once it's out of the oven. As with any buffet, you run the risk of finding food that has been sitting out for too long, but if you mention it to them, they are more than happy to make you fresh food. The best part of Mangiamo is the variety of pizza you can ask for, or that they've already thought up for you. If you can dream it, I bet you Mangiamo is willing to put it on a pizza crust for you. 



Mangiamo Pizza Buffet
579 Kerr St., Oakville
http://www.mangiamopizzabuffet.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/mangiamopizza