Ottawa Foodies

2

Never eat here.
Everything, even down to the plain white rice, was overcooked. We tried a wide array of dishes, from egg rolls to imperial chicken to spare ribs, and everything was tough to chew and nearly inedible.
I went here expecting low quality buffet Chinese food, but even my low expectations weren't met. The ingredients of the food weren't bad, the chefs were the problem. Most of the sauces were sugary-sweet, the salad bar was off-temperature, the sushi inedible and swarmed by flies, and the ice cream bar was just... indescribable. I don't think it was ice cream, it must have been made of jello powder and flour. All the dishes were dirty and still had food stuck to them. The bathrooms were also horrible; the women's bathroom was dirty and was missing stall doors and the door to the bathroom itself was tied open, and the men's bathroom was apparently covered in pee.
The chicken wings were fairly nice, but besides the constant water refills, that was the only good thing.
I'd never recommend this place to anyone ever.

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I had to sign up just to say this...

I was working on merivale today and had to go back to the gas meterof the restaurant on the side of the building... The cooked chicken and potatoes wer in dirty plastic containers by the kitchen door and wer full of flies. I would never eat there and feel sorry for the people that did !

just discusting !

If this is considered the best Chinese buffet in Ottawa, then it must be the only Chinese buffet in Ottawa. The quality just isn't there, which would explain the otherwise excellent value: $16.89 for dinner on a Saturday. Parking is plentiful. Food presentation wouldn't hurt: don't serve baklava stuck to a sheet of styrofoam. At least put it on a proper serving plate. Cutlery missing from tables, sticky floor in the food area, tables placed too close together which made navigating between other customers' chairs a challenge. Overall a complete disappointment. If The Mandarin ever comes to Ottawa, the Yang Ming had better be prepared to either compete on a higher level or just close now.

I'm not a big fan of Chinese Buffets - if I want a good Chinese dinner out, there are many places I would rather go, but for what it is, it's pretty good.

I was there for a week day lunch. The food was good, there was a large variety, it was hot and frequently replenished even though it wasn't terribly busy, and the young kids in our group found many things that they wanted to eat.

In short, if you're out with people who like Chinese Buffets or looking for a kid friendly choice with decent food, it's a good choice.

you got your best AYCE mussels @ buffet YM. plump and juicy for $9.49 bones cheap at lunch, $15.49 bones cheap at dinner. also includes 150 other items to choose from. andy, one of the owners is just too kind to my party and i as loyal custies. they cure world hunger one person at a time.

lo mai gai @ buffet YM. this ancient chinese dim sum dish is among my faves. glutinous rice infused with the flavors of lotus leaves with a center filled with spiced beef, chicken, chinese sausage and shrooms. looks like a turd but it's satisfying umami all the way.

best i've had was at Bright Pearl in t.dot where they also put in dried shrimp.

and here it is spread open. lo mai gai @ buffet YM. this ancient chinese dim sum dish is among my faves. glutinous rice infused with the flavors of lotus leaves with a center filled with spiced beef, chicken, chinese sausage and shrooms. looks like a turd but it's satisfying umami all the way.

best i've had was at Bright Pearl in t.dot where they also put in dried shrimp.

variety is the spice of life.

take no prisoners!

The husband and I come here from time to time. We dropped by this afternoon for a late lunch, and were pleasantly surprised. The service is really good, and the food was replenished regularly, and so was hot and fresh tasting!

Don't know if they have changed management. Food quality has deteriorated significantly since our last visit in Feb/07. The food was cold (not even lukewarm). The taste was pretty bad. I will not return.

We went there for a group gathering last Sunday (14 adults and 9 teenagers). The food was not bad. Many dim sum selection (of course you can't compare their dim sum against regular Chinese dim-sum places). The dessert selection also includes freshly made "Law Mi Chi" (the white soft ball coated with coconut pieces), coconut milk jello, sweet sesame ball. The soup includes sweet and sour soup, cream of mushroom, and 2 others type that I forgot what they are.

Anyway, for $12.89 per person, it is a good deal. No complaint. Besides, Chinese tea on the weekend is free. Our group discussed and rated the best Chinese Buffet restaurants in Ottawa as follows:

- Buffet Dragon (in Gatineau)
- Buffet Yanming

My friend told us not to bother with Dragon Lee in Kanata.

The worst one is Du Barry. However, their Fried Sticky Rice and Char Siu are very good though.

P.S. Our group still talked about the disappointing New Year buffet at Perspectives and it is something we don't want to try again in the near future.