Kumi Buffet Lunch Buffet
Asian Buffet · 17333 US-281, San Antonio, Texas 78232
★★★★★ 1 review(210) 494-6688
Menu Items
Reviews
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Kumi Buffet just opened this week. Its located on Hwy-281 in the old China Harbor location, just inside 1604 on the southbound side near Henderson Pass.
I'd been waiting for the location to open, and heard they were open on Saturday, so a friend and I went to check it out. The insides look nothing like the old place, everything is fresh and modern.
We were greeted at the door, with someone opening it for us, and then immediately seating us. I looked around for a pricing placard, but saw nothing. (I went back to ask about pricing)
Once seated I noticed the ceiling was decorated with hanging moons of different colors, sizes and brightness. Our drink orders were taken, and I jokingly said maybe we should ask the price.
Lets just get this out of the way, yes, this is probably the most expensive Asian Buffet in San Antonio. Other than maybe Korean BBQ buffets, or dedicated sushi buffets. The buffet before drink or tip was $29. The receipt did say "weekend buffet" so its possible its less on a weekday, or at lunch, but there were no prices published anywhere including the website.
The buffet had hot and cold crab leg clusters, cocktail shrimp, Korean BBQ Ribs (Galbi), sashimi, sushi, a small charcuterie bar, a ramen bar, prime rib, bok choy, dim sum, Cajun style crawfish boil (yes, with corn and potatoes), walnut shrimp, squid salad, crab salad, seaweed salad, cream puffs, actual dessert cakes (as in layered, round, iced & decorated), cookies, gelatin cubes, mousse dessert cups, and many other items.
I tried my best to sample everything, but there was just no way to do it. So here's what I did try..
They had galbi or what looked like galbi in 2 spots, but they were obviously not prepared the same way, the ones near the grill were sweet, sticky marinated like Korean LA Ribs, but the ones out on the buffet tables were less sweet, and didn't taste the same. I ate several from the grill, and honestly I could go there just for these with sides. I was disappointed I didn't see any gochujang, and scooped some of what I thought was Korean BBQ sauce, but it was American BBQ sauce..
I tried the bok choy, and while I rarely eat it, this was cooked right. It had had really good flavor and I actually went back for seconds.
I tried a few pieces of a Philly roll, a California roll, and one Im not sure what it was. It looked like spicy tuna in mayo. All of them were good, but the Philly roll really stood out.. It was dedicated sushi bar quality. I also had some squid salad, and seaweed salad, both were excellent as well.
Next I decided to get some crab legs, since they are kind of hard to find at buffets since Covid and inflation have hit. I got the chilled ones, and to my surprise, the meat slid out in whole pieces, no mess, no crumbling or mushy bits. These were cooked perfect.
Next up was the crawfish boil. I was really skeptical here, so many Asian restaurants have crawfish, but its overcooked, flavorless, and just plain. Being cautious, I plated crawfish, 1 corn, 1 potato, and 2 shrimp. Right next to the Cajun boil was another container of crawfish that appeared to be boiled with oranges and jalapenos.. So I added one of those to the plate as well.. The Cajun boil was good, were talking legit cajun boil good, Ive had worse boils during crawfish season from places charging $9+ a lb.. What was disappointing was that the crawfish in the boil were lacking a bit flavor wise.. It just wasnt as spicy as I would have liked it, the corn and potatos had good flavor, but there was a fix for this. The ones from the next tray over were amazing.. I went back for a few more of them. I'd honestly say they were some of the best I've had
I sampled single pieces of a few other items, the dim sum, which was OK, the walnut shrimp, which was OK but not great, and some kind of pork that was baked in a sauce that looked like a broiled fish in chili sauce until I bit into it and it had dense & dry. These were probably the least impressive items of the meal.
Service was great, our waiter refilled our drinks frequently, cleared the table every time we got up, and even a manager came by to check on us.
Overall, the buffet had better choices, better flavor on almost every item, and all the premium items the other buffets are no longer offering locally. Everything was fresh, the trays were being refilled frequently and sometimes with different items, and for the most part was on par with a Vegas buffet.
I finished my meal with a few desserts, a 2 layer cake with a strawberry layer inside, & buttercream frosting, 2 moouse cups, one lemon and one strawberry, and some Jello.
While the price is a bit higher that the other buffets locally, if your eating the sushi, the crab legs and the Korean BBQ, your probably going to get your moneys worth. The price puts this buffet out of the frequent dinner category at least for me. I'm hoping lunch or weekday dinner is a little more affordable, but expect the premium items to be missing. **Update** Someone else posted a review saying the lunch buffet was $19.99 and included the crab legs.
I didnt take as many pictures as I would have liked, but the buffet area was really busy while I was there, It was the 2nd day open, on a weekend, at dinner time. If your looking for a great Asian buffet, I highly recommend this place. If I score this place solely on quality of the food, it would get #1 Asian buffet. But I've had some nearly as good for half the price in other cities.
$28.99 Dinner
$19.99 Lunch
$8.99 Kids Lunch
$11.99 Kids Dinner**
**Weekend prices may go up from $29 if Lobster or other premium items are added.** Special requests can also be ordered, like whole sushi rolls and other items.
Kumi Buffet
Bok Choy & LA Ribs
Chilled Crab Leg Clusters
Dessert Bar - Cakes
Cocktail Shrimp, Raw Oysters
Grilled Squid, Korean Marinated LA Ribs
Moouse Cups, Pudding & Strawberries, Cakes
Cajun Style Seafood Boil
Cakes
LA Galbi
Steam Buns - Taro Paste, Custard, & Red Bean
Broiled Salmon, Baked Oysters, BBQ Ribs
Ramen Bar
General Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken
Sesame Chicken, General Chicken
Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Walnut Shrimp
Chow Mein, Fried Rice
Mongolian Beef, Beef & Broccoli
Spring Rolls, Crab Rangoons
Sashimi
Salad Bar
Baked Seafood & Seafood Boil
— Paul