St. Valentine's Day is two weeks away, and that means it's time to start thinking about where to go on that special night. That's why this week we reviewed ... a buffet? Sorry guys, you'll have to wait until next week to find that romantic outing.
Restaurant turnover continues in Charlottesville, as evidenced by the new Fuji Sushi and Grill Buffet. Fuji is located in the old Wood Grill Buffet building on Seminole Trail, so it's easy to find if you're driving down Rt. 29 North.
The nice thing about Fuji Sushi is that ordering is a cinch. After all, it's a buffet. How much you spend depends on when you go. The lunch buffet costs $6.95 on weekdays and $8.95 on weekends, while the dinner buffet will set you back $12.95 no matter what day you go.
The atmosphere is surprisingly nice for a buffet. While a lot of renovations have taken place since the ownership changed hands, the layout is similar to the old arrangement, with a few exceptions.
First, a bar has been added. It offers standard fare for reasonable prices, but we weren't inclined to try it.
Adjacent to the bar is the sushi bar, where two sushi chefs make their rolls right in front of the customer.
Farther down is the hibachi bar, then a fruit and salad station, then a station with American food, and finally a mixture of Chinese and Japanese foods.
The far more impressive improvement is the increased roominess. The floor has been opened up and isn't nearly as cramped as it used to be.
The decor is elegant but simple. A central fountain greets the visitor as he or she walks in, and the walls are decorated with a variety of Asian art.
The service at Fuji was great. The waitstaff wears traditional Japanese clothing and really looks after you as far as refills are concerned. They also don't interrupt you to take away dishes. Instead they clear your dishes when you get up to get more -- a nice touch.
The staffs of the sushi and hibachi bars were similarly competent. As presentation is everything in sushi, the skillful arrangement of the rolls was appreciated. The service at the hibachi bar was also prompt and professional, with your selected foods being cooked right in front of you.
As buffets go, the food is pretty standard. It isn't great, but it is good. Fuji compensates by allowing the diner to select from a huge range of items. As you may know from our previous articles, we're big fans of places that have a selection varied enough to please picky palates.
We'll start with the American food. With fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and an assortment of other mainstream dishes, this bar is obviously designed for those without the guts to try raw fish.
We recommend you stay away from it. If you want that kind of food, the new Wood Grill is just down the road.
The Chinese food section has a small selection, but the food is pretty good for a Japanese place. It's of the same quality as a place like China King Buffet.
At this point we'd like to point out that hardly any of the food at Fuji is labeled. This problem was really annoying when it came to the sushi, and it was similarly annoying when we tried the chicken dishes on the Chinese menu. We sometimes had to taste a dish to discover its identity.
At any rate, to the best of our judgment the Chinese menu offered, among other things, the standard chicken and broccoli, orange chicken, white rice and skewered chicken with a few different sauces. This chicken on a stick was particularly tasty, so we recommend you try it.
There was one bar we did not try. On the far side of the sushi bar, a number of Asian salads are available, including seaweed, conch, baby octopus and squid salads. They didn't look or smell particularly appetizing, but if you're brave enough, give it a shot.
The hibachi bar allows the patron to select his own raw foods. Choosing from shrimp, scallops, beef, pork, chicken and a variety of sprouts and other vegetables, the diner can design a dish to suit his own tastes.
Since the food is cooked right there, it's guaranteed to be fresh. The three sauces available are teriyaki, a house sauce and a barbecue sauce. You should definitely get one of these sauces, since the food comes out very greasy, which masks the flavor.
The sushi bar offered a number of options. The fact that nothing was labeled meant that we had no idea what we were eating, so our descriptions will be vague.
As sushi goes, it was pretty good value considering we got as much as we wanted for only $12.95. But if you're a sushi connoisseur, you'll probably end up unsatisfied. A lot of the sushi really tasted the same, and the overall flavor was less than stellar.
If you're not in the mood for the buffet, Fuji offers a limited menu of chef's specialties, including Rainbow ($7.50), a dish including avocado, masago, cream cheese, salmon and white tuna. Our recommendation is to go with the buffet, since you can get pretty much everything there anyway.
Fuji Sushi and Grill Buffet is not the best restaurant in Charlottesville. In fact, it's not close. The only real reason you should go here is to give something new a chance. The risk is low since the prices are reasonable and the food is diverse. But overall, the food probably wasn't enough to draw us back often.
Read More
It’s okay not to be okay
By Mai Hukuoka | YesterdayWhether talking to a friend, a loved one or a professional, it is so necessary, and human, to need more than you can provide for yourself.
Taking a break at Tangerines Kitchen
By Charley Thomas | 3 days agoWhat the restaurant somewhat lacks in ambiance, it compensates for in tasty dishes and prompt service.
Virginia Policy Lab — a hub for student-led policy action
By Katherine Haden | December 9, 2024Students propose their own projects and collaborate with other members to research their issues of interest, brainstorm solutions and write policy proposals.
