Let's face it, a Japanese buffet is not very common. Typically, an Asian food buffet is chock full of Won Ton soup, General Tsos chicken and egg rolls. But, Minado is quite different. AS you walk in to the expansive dining room, you are quickly whisked away to a seat and asked for drink order from the wait staff. Kim and I ordered drinks and immediately went to take a walk around the immense buffet tables. There is a section for Japanese grill, a large spread of tempura seafood and vegetables, a seafood section full of Blue Claw crabs, King Crab legs, oysters on the half shell and pick-n-peel shrimp. The next set of tables featured fresh salads, seafood combinations and various cold dishes. Lastly, the sashimi, sushi and maki rolls tables featured about 3-4 different types of sashimi (no rice), about 10 different types of sushi (with rice) and about 20 types of maki rolls. All of the sushi was fresh, tasted great and offered lots of different variety; it was not all tuna and salmon. One of the benefits of a sushi buffet is that you can taste different types of fish that you would not normally try. Items like clam, eel, octopus etc are probably not popular with you are forced to purchase an entire roll. But, since you are not locked into anything particular at Minado, you can sample till you are blue in the face. Overall, we had a great meal at Minado. The service was fast and friendly, the food was tasty, fresh and varied and we left quite full, something not often experienced with a Japanese sushi meal. My only complaints would be the price of the meal, $27 a person on the Friday night we went and the overall decor of the restaurant. It felt more like a large hall then an intimate restaurant. This may be more a reflection of the buffet style, where people are inclined to eat longer so you need more tables, but who knows.

I'm not a huge sushi fan. I'll get a couple rolls for lunch maybe every 2 months as a treat to my palate. After experiencing Blue Fin for the third time a few weeks ago, I now understand why people become addicted to the stuff. I've eaten at Morimoto, Buddakan , Genji, Hikaru, you name it. I’ve eaten some of the best sushi in the city. I think Blue Fin is better. How dare I say this? It's easy and I'll explain why: 1. BYOB - the ability to bring your own wine or beer to this restaurant really keeps the costs down. There is a junky bar next door that will gladly sell you a six-pack if you forgot to BYO and a nice bottle of wine with fresh sushi really gets my palate going. Can't beat it. 2. Freshness - I have no proof, but it would not surprise me to find out that there is a pond in the kitchen. The fish is fresh, fresh, fresh. The ingredients pop with flavor. 3. Selection - I've tried a lot of the common fare for sushi and I'm either really bored or really grossed out. When I try them at Blue Fin, I'm hungry for more. 4. Quantity - I ordered a single entree of the Tuna Sundae, which was incredible. It was prepared with slices of tuna, spicy sauce and nuts in a martini glass. Excellent, that's all I can say. For an entree I had this strange spider roll (soft shell crab) that was chopped up and placed on top of some asparagus rolls. There was a lot of food, too much for me to finish. 5. Price - A bit pricey, but it won't break the bank. We had 8 people with us the last time I went and the bill was $250. (Tip not included) The BYOB really keeps costs down. But, I won't give it all glowing reviews. The restaurant is located in a strip mall, is not very large and it is often difficult to get a reservation. Reservations are highly recommended. Parking is also a problem, even though the only other store open in the evening is the bar, you often have to park in the rear of the building. Lastly, due to it being located in this strip mall, there is no foyer to defend the bitter cold from the restaurant. So, folks located near the door will get a blast of cold air whenever it is opened. Overall, one of the best sushi meals I have ever had. But, alas, the secret is out, so go call and make a reservation today.