Teppanyaki Grill & Supreme Buffet

Reviews 3

AL

Alexander Tsui

Being that I live in Manalapan, I have a choice on whether to go to this buffet, another similar buffet a mile or so closer than this one, another similar one in Freehold or some other one probably further away. In the beginning, closer to the time when they opened, they were OK. Now, theyre just like most other Asian buffets that have been around... only, this one dropped in quality of service exponentially quicker than the others in the nearby area. First and foremost, the food has become more tasteless than their other nearby counterparts. The supposedly-tastier foods just go through the mouth and nothing more. Its as if all youre going here for is to pass some food through your esophagus and to add fluids (drinks, soups, etc.) into your body and thats about it. An example would be the creamy coconut shrimp you find in this and many other Asian buffets - it tastes like cream and some somewhat-cooked meat and thats pretty much all there is to it. Then, I was also led to believe that this buffet is different (as worded from their website and promotional mailed material from the past) when what I saw was typical mediocrity - Chinatown-residing workers without aspiration and hope for a better future in the Northeastern United States. Emotionless, the workers who walk amongst the customers around the dining area do not show passion in what they do and will do nothing more than prove that this buffet is nothing unique at all. The spacious atmosphere doesnt even encourage them to go the extra mile in any way. From start to finish, it all just seems too much the same, yet some more "veteran" competitors of this place seem to be able to hold themselves to a more positive image. Honestly, it doesnt stop there because there are more surprisingly disturbing things that come out of these people. Finally, I will explain to you the most disturbing things of them all: Tip-Chasing. This is the core reason as to why, after two counts of witnessing this horrid action against my friend who had the misfortune of having happened to him, I have yet to ever return to this establishment ever again. Let me remind all potential customers who should probably reconsider dining at this place that, in the United States, it is customary to tip. This means that society believes you should tip but, in the end, it isnt compulsory. My friend felt they deserved no tip twice and the wait staff disputed the decision... twice. Im sorry, but I wasnt aware that we were dining at an establishment run by beggars. I am well aware that the tip-chasing situation was a very harsh outcome that my friend and I let happen, but the act of chasing someone for a tip is embarrassing and unnecessary. Listen, I wont tell you where to go and where not to go... but please consider what I have told you today so that you can weigh it in on whether or not you should go to this buffet. Again, I live in between not one buffet, but three buffets and a few more around the area. If I were to choose any of the three Asian buffets to enjoy with good service, good pricing and, most importantly, good food, it wouldnt be Teppanyaki. If you can turn back time closer to their grand opening, please let me know. Id like to see them from their grand opening.

MA

Matthew Johnson

We went yesterday to this restaurant for lunch. My family was extremely disappointed. We went for our usual Hibachi Grill, which, under normal circumstances, would be fine. This time, there was an older man cooking the noodles. I sent my noodles, and he gave me some suspicious looks, shifty-eyed. He "cooked" the noodles. And I put that in quotes because the noodles didnt have the flavor of the soy sauce, garlic, and chilli. The noodles were also partially uncooked, as they were too flabby and light-colored. The spices/condiments were poorly mixed together, and I found clumps of chilli that was partially uncooked. The bland Lo Mein noodles with chilli and soy sauce were better than the Hibachi. If you must, take the buffet-station Lo Mein. I tried the clams with Chilli Chicken and Squid Calamari. The clams with soy sauce and chilli were delicious, but they were cracked and bits of sand were still there. The Chilli Chicken was fresh and the meat was well cooked and flavored, but the batter felt a tad too thick. Jalapeno peppers were also added. The Squid Calamari was rubbery and tough to eat. I had to repeatedly chew on the squid, even the small pieces. The Fried Fish tasted muddy and bland. I attempted to take some Tartar sauce, but the Tartar was too strong in vinegar and pickle. I also grabbed some Garlic Toast. I thought it was good, but it was clearly just Texas Toast bread I saw at Shop-Rite. I grabbed some Hibachi Chicken from the buffet. It was too hard and I felt like the flavor was not really soaked up by the chicken. After all that, my family went for dessert. I took some ice cream and Sesame Ball w/ Mung Bean filling. Teppanyaki might as well take out the Mung Bean altogether, as there was HARDLY ANY FILLING. It was the size of a M&M. You can imagine how small that is. The flour was thick and disgusting! My mom and sister took some fruit, and my mother felt that the fruits had spoiled. They ate them anyway. The chocolate pudding was distasteful, and the jelly was too sweet. I took the salad bar as a finisher, and they were fresh enough. When we got our bill, we saw that the restaurant had tried to charge us 4 adult and 1 child. Can 5 people fit in a four-seater booth? In the night, my mother and sister SUSTAINED A TERRIBLE STOMACHACHE, causing them to vomit. It was likely from the spoiled fruits. Teppanyaki has some sanitation issues, and I must wonder what is going on behind the kitchen doors. How can a restaurant serve food that has gone bad? This is a shoddy, lazy, uncaring way of cooking food to serve on a buffet. The way food is prepared is as if they are serving farm animals, to be brutally honest. Teppanyaki was a great restaurant with great food in the first 6 months of opening the establishment. Sadly, they have deteriorated to a get-rich-quick scheme. Will never return here again.

CA

Catherine Kurczeski

I had a family event there on Sunday 5/29. We reserved a private room in advance. Reservation prior to our event was set up with Mgr Geof. I spoke with Geof prior to making deposit and he informed me that senior citizens will be discounted. I asked what age is considered senior citizen, he said 60 and over will receive 10% off. On the day of our event we paid our bill and realized our 12 senior citizens were not discounted. So I spoke with Geof and he tells me no discount applies when you reserve room for a party. I explained to him that he said differently when we spoke. I asked if hed give the discount because thats what he told me and he wouldnt. He instead offers me smoothies...are you kidding me! I told him I wasnt happy with how he was handling my issue especially when we just had a party and was paid $1,100. I told him as a manager he should honor the discount he explained to me. Otherwise, I would have gone with another restaurant that would have saved me more money. I picked Mgr. Geofs restaurant specifically because of the senior citizens discount. I told the manager I was going to write a review about the experience I had with him and it wasnt going to be a good one...he just smiled and offered free smoothies a last time. If hes the manager and thats how he handles customer issues, he needs to be fired or sent for management training. I will not return to this restaurant and neither will my family & friends after seeing how a simple discount to please a customer could have been done but wasnt. Please keep in mind my conversation with Geof was in front of potential customers and this didnt phase him one bit. Thank you Mgr. Geof for the unpleasant experience!!!