Strictly Dumpling — Food Creator on YouTube
@strictlydumpling — Seattle, United States — 4.8M subscribers
I LOVE FOOD!!!! So you have just entered my food universe where I will show you all the best places to eat and some awesome recipes!!! Business inquiries: [email protected]
Restaurant Reviews by Strictly Dumpling
Thonglor Express
London, United Kingdom — Thai
An all-you-can-eat Thai buffet operating only a few hours on select weekdays (Monday-Thursday 2:30-5:00 PM) featuring authentic Thai street food dishes. At $13.50 per person, it offers incredible value with 11-12 authentic dishes available and the ability to refill. The reviewer considers it the greatest buffet deal in London, noting genuine local appeal over tourist attractions.
Street Food Thursday (multiple vendors)
Berlin, Germany, Germany — Street food, German, Turkish, Italian, Chinese
The reviewer explored Berlin's street food scene, visiting multiple vendors and establishments. Highlights included exceptional doner kebabs, beautifully prepared pork ribs, and the Street Food Thursday market which offered diverse cuisines from German classics to Turkish and Italian dishes. Most items were reasonably priced (€8-14) and of exceptional quality, though one smash burger experience was disappointing.
Borough Market
London, United Kingdom — International street food, British, Mediterranean
The reviewer spends a full 24 hours exploring London's best food markets, starting with Borough Market, the oldest market in England. They discover exceptional dishes including what they rank as one of the best sandwiches ever made - a pulled pork sandwich with freshly shaved cheese, along with perfectly made pastries and fresh seafood. The market offers incredible variety from sausage rolls to paella, all in an iconic historic setting.
Franklin Barbecue
Austin, United States — Barbecue
The reviewer wakes up at 5:30 AM to wait 5 hours in line at Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas, considered a legendary barbecue establishment. After tasting their famous brisket, pork ribs, smoked turkey, and sausage, they find it lives up to the hype with incredibly tender, smoky, and flavorful meats that justify the early wake-up and long wait. The experience is described as transcendent barbecue that confirms Texas produces some of the world's best smoked meats.
All You Can Eat Sushi Omakase Buffet
New York City, United States — Japanese Sushi Omakase
This late-night all-you-can-eat sushi omakase buffet in New York City delivers an exceptional experience with premium ingredients and generous portions. The restaurant starts with high-end sushi offerings including firefly squid, various fish preparations, and A5 Japanese Wagyu, before transitioning to an all-you-can-eat portion where diners can order their favorite pieces repeatedly. The quality remains consistently excellent throughout, with thick fish cuts and perfectly seasoned rice, making it a standout sushi destination worth the difficult reservation.
Jungsik
New York, United States — Korean
Mike Chin visits Jungsik, America's first three Michelin star Korean restaurant, and enjoys an exceptional tasting menu at the bar featuring seven dishes. Each course showcases creative reimaginations of traditional Korean cuisine with impeccable technique, delicate flavors, and stunning presentation. At around $400 per person after tax, he considers it a worthwhile splurge that fully deserves its three Michelin star rating.
All You Can Eat Sukiyaki Wagyu Club
Kyoto, Japan — Japanese - Sukiyaki, Wagyu, Seafood
Mike Chen visits an all-you-can-eat sukiyaki and wagyu buffet in Kyoto, ordering the 16,000 yen tier featuring king crab, premium domestic wagyu, and various pork cuts. The restaurant delivers exceptional quality meat and crab that surpasses comparable Las Vegas buffet offerings, with an authentic sukiyaki experience featuring hot pot cooking, egg dipping, and fresh Kyoto vegetables at a fair price point of approximately $100 USD.
Coco Dog
New York, United States — Korean Fried Chicken
Coco Dog is a Michelin-rated Korean fried chicken restaurant in New York City that uses premium ingredients including chicken from Pennsylvania Amish farms and sugarcane oil for frying. The rice batter creates an exceptionally crispy, airy exterior while staying juicy inside, with signature dishes like the gochujang and soy garlic glazed chicken receiving high praise. The reviewer was thoroughly impressed with the overall experience and quality.
11 Madison Park
New York, United States
Mike Chen experiences a long-awaited eight-course dinner at 11 Madison Park, New York's three-Michelin-star restaurant. While the lobster, duck, potato, and citrus dessert courses are exceptional, some early vegetable dishes underwhelm him. Despite the incredible high points and amazing service, he feels the $400 price tag is difficult to justify given the inconsistent quality across all courses.
Box Buffet
Tokyo, Japan — Japanese Seafood Buffet, Yakiniku, Sichuan, Chinese
Box Buffet is an extraordinary all-you-can-eat Japanese seafood and yakiniku barbecue buffet featuring premium ingredients like king crab, spotted prawns, and A5 wagyu beef cooked at your table. The reviewer, who has visited Japan numerous times, declared it the best buffet he has ever experienced in Japan, with high-quality preparations and an overwhelming variety of dishes that left him wishing for more time.
Uncle John's
Manila, Philippines — Filipino
Uncle John's is a 24-hour food stall serving Jim's Pares and Momies, traditional Filipino beef soup dishes. The reviewer was blown away by the intensely beefy broth, abundant bone marrow, and generous portions at an unbeatable price of approximately $4 per meal.
Red Lobster Itabashi
Tokyo, Japan — Seafood, American
Mike Chen explores Red Lobster in Japan and discovers a completely transformed menu with innovative seafood dishes, creative preparations, and flavors vastly superior to American Red Lobster locations. The restaurant offers fresh live lobster prepared multiple ways, exceptional pasta dishes, unique pizzas, and an impressive selection of oyster and seafood preparations that shocked the reviewer with their quality and creativity.
Red Lobster
Tokyo, Japan — Seafood
Red Lobster in Japan offers a dramatically superior dining experience compared to US locations, featuring an expanded menu with high-quality seafood pasta, lobster pizza, and exceptionally fresh live lobsters at affordable prices. The reviewer was particularly impressed by the pasta quality, pizza crust, and the ability to select and taste some of the best lobsters they've ever had.
Golden Steer Steakhouse
Las Vegas, United States — Steakhouse, Seafood
Golden Steer Steakhouse is Las Vegas's oldest steakhouse, featuring iconic history with celebrity booths and an impressive collection of artifacts. The reviewer praised the exceptionally tender meatballs, ginormous lobster tails, perfectly cooked steaks, and classic sides like the loaded baked potato. This old-fashioned establishment delivers an outstanding surf and turf experience with exceptional food quality and nostalgic charm.
Yakiniku Buffet Restaurant (Unnamed All-You-Can-Eat Wagyu Barbecue)
Osaka, Japan — Japanese Yakiniku (Barbecue)
Mike Chang visits what he calls the most popular all-you-can-eat wagyu barbecue restaurant in Japan, offering premium quality meat for under $20. Despite choosing the cheapest option, he receives an impressive selection of beautifully marbled cuts and declares it potentially the best value yakiniku buffet in the world. The experience is efficient, delicious, and demonstrates exceptional value for money.
Texas Roadhouse
Pangyo, South Korea — American steakhouse
Mike Chen visited Texas Roadhouse in Pangyo, South Korea, one of only three locations in the country. While the steak was excellent and better than expected, the standout dish was the Andouille shrimp pasta, which the reviewer called one of the best plates of pasta he has ever had anywhere. He was so impressed he said he would make the one-hour trip just for the pasta.
The Bun House
London, United Kingdom — Chinese
The Bun House in London's Chinatown offers exceptional dim sum and buns with perfectly pillowy texture. The reviewer tried pork, beef, lamb, and custard buns, each filled with high-quality meat and delicate flavors. This is a worthwhile destination for meals or quick snacks in Chinatown.
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Seoul, South Korea — Korean, Chinese, Seafood, All-you-can-eat Buffet
Mike Chen discovers an exceptional all-you-can-eat hotel buffet in Seoul featuring premium ingredients like freshly grilled lobster, king crab, and lamb chops. The buffet impresses with its high-quality proteins, live cooking stations, and outstanding bakery desserts, making it potentially the best all-you-can-eat buffet in all of Korea.
Kilo Fried Chicken
Seoul, South Korea — Korean Fried Chicken
Mike Chen visits multiple Korean fried chicken restaurants in Seoul, starting with a 7am breakfast at the 24-hour Kilo Fried Chicken. He orders half spicy, half mala chicken with potato wedges, praising the crispy breading, juicy meat, and the aggressive mala peppercorn flavor that numbs the mouth in the best way possible.
Park View at Shilla Hotel
Seoul, South Korea — Korean, Chinese, Italian, International Breakfast Buffet
The Park View breakfast buffet at Shilla Hotel is an exceptional all-you-can-eat experience featuring an impressive array of Korean, Chinese, Italian, and Western dishes. With live cooking stations, high-quality ingredients like real crab and fresh seafood, and expertly prepared items including torch-finished eggs and crispy fried eggplant, this buffet delivers restaurant-quality food at every station. At approximately $70 per person, it represents the most expensive but arguably the finest Korean breakfast buffet experience in Seoul.
The Harbor
Sapporo, Japan — Japanese Seafood - All You Can Eat Buffet
The Harbor is an exceptional all-you-can-eat crab buffet featuring an impressive array of premium Hokkaido seafood in a compact space. Mike Chen explores fresh king crab, snow crab, hairy crab, and an extensive selection of sashimi, grilled fish, and specialty items that rival high-end restaurants, all within a 60-90 minute time limit.
Hotel Breakfast Buffet - Mexico City
Mexico City, Mexico — Mexican and International
This Mexico City hotel breakfast buffet impressed the reviewer with its extensive spread of freshly prepared Mexican and international items. Standout dishes included tender stewed chicken in a tomato-based sauce, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, perfectly spiced breakfast potatoes, and exceptional baked pastries. The reviewer praised the quality and variety as exceptional for a hotel buffet, comparing it favorably to buffets from around the world.
Sumo Restaurant by Former Sumo Wrestler
Tokyo, Japan — Japanese
A former sumo wrestler runs this restaurant serving authentic chunko nabe, a traditional sumo food hot pot. The dish features fresh vegetables, tofu, chicken, and pork cooked at the table, served with an exceptional umami-rich dipping sauce made with bonito flakes. It's healthy, delicious comfort food that the reviewer highly recommends.
Chiro Ramen
Tokyo, Japan — Japanese Ramen
Chiro Ramen is a quintessential Japanese ramen institution that the reviewer visited as the final stop of an intensive ramen tour. However, the experience was disappointing due to the overwhelming saltiness of both the broth and chashu, which the reviewer described as the saltiest ramen they had ever encountered.
Don Julio
Buenos Aires, Argentina — Steakhouse
Don Julio is a legendary Michelin-starred steakhouse in Buenos Aires ranked as the number 10 best restaurant in the world. The restaurant impresses with exceptional quality across all courses, from grilled garden tomatoes and freshly baked bread to outstanding sausage and the juiciest skirt steak imaginable, all prepared in an open kitchen visible to diners.
Kilochan
Seoul, South Korea — Korean Fried Chicken
This video is a comprehensive Korean fried chicken tour through Seoul, with Kilochan being the primary featured restaurant. The reviewer visits eight different fried chicken establishments, praising most for their exceptional crispiness, juiciness, and bold flavors that far exceed typical Western fried chicken chains.
Nakuro
Tokyo, Japan — Japanese Ramen
Mike Chen revisits Nakuro, a one-Michelin-star ramen shop in Tokyo, and orders the dandan ramen. The bowl features deep, rich, peanut-spicy broth loaded with flavorful meat, thin straight noodles that soak up the broth perfectly, and tender chashu. He also enjoys the wasabi mayo chashu rice and considers this one of his favorite ramen bowls ever.
Beast Barbecue
Eastern North Carolina, United States — Barbecue
Beast Barbecue is a legendary Eastern North Carolina barbecue institution that has been operating since the late 1970s. The reviewer was blown away by the exceptionally crispy chicken and tender, juicy pulled pork cooked for over 9 hours, calling it life-changing and comparing it to his first experiences with Texas barbecue and wagyu. At just $13 for a massive combo meal, the value and quality are unmatched.
Mizumi by Coat
Las Vegas, United States — Korean Steakhouse / Korean Barbecue
Coat Korean Steakhouse in Las Vegas offers an exceptional Michelin-star Korean barbecue experience with premium cuts of beef cooked tableside by skilled staff. The meal features perfectly executed steaks, creative appetizers, and an impressive array of banchan and stews that elevate traditional Korean barbecue to fine dining standards. This is a must-visit destination for serious meat lovers seeking an unforgettable culinary experience.
Yoder's
Sarasota, United States — Amish/American comfort food
Yoder's is an Amish restaurant in Sarasota's Pinecraft neighborhood offering exceptional buffet and a la carte dining. The reviewer was impressed by the perfectly fried chicken, incredibly tender ribs, fresh fish, and homemade comfort food made with quality ingredients. This highly-rated establishment delivers authentic Amish cuisine at great value.
Xpot
Las Vegas, United States — Chinese Hot Pot
Xpot is a premium all-you-can-eat lobster and Wagyu hot pot buffet on the Las Vegas Strip that delivers exceptional seafood quality and fresh ingredients. The steamed lobster, spotted prawns, and A5 Wagyu are standout items, though the experience is slightly hampered by limited tableside cart service and premium ingredients running out quickly. At around $100-140 per person (less with membership), it represents solid value for Vegas and marks a significant upgrade in the city's buffet scene.
Archipelago
Seattle, United States — Filipino Fine Dining
Archipelago is an exclusive Filipino fine dining restaurant in Seattle that delivers a $300 tasting menu experience with innovative, beautifully presented dishes. The reviewer was impressed by the creative fusion of traditional Filipino flavors with fine dining techniques, particularly highlighting dishes like the key with albacore and the unique pineapple halo halo.
Lavo Italian Restaurant
Las Vegas, United States — Italian
This all-you-can-eat Italian brunch buffet at Lavo is an exceptional Vegas experience offering unlimited oysters, custom bread selections with premium spreads, and expertly crafted dishes including an outstanding breakfast burger, crispy French toast, and fresh pastries. At $65 per person, the reviewer called it possibly the best Italian brunch buffet in the country, with nearly everything executed at an incredibly high level.
Italian Deli (Chicago)
Chicago, United States — Italian
The reviewer declares this the best meatball sandwich they've ever had in America. The sandwich features three ginormous homemade meatballs on incredibly soft, pillowy fresh bread made daily, covered in tangy marinara and provolone cheese, all for just $11. Every element from the juicy tender meatballs to the light cloud-like bread creates a perfect balance of comfort and indulgence.
Cold Pepper Cattle Company
Dallas, United States — Tex-Mex, American Steakhouse
The reviewer visits Cold Pepper Cattle Company's all-you-can-eat brunch buffet in Dallas and is blown away by the quality and variety of food. From perfectly cooked prime sirloin steaks to crispy chicken and waffles, homemade tortillas, and an exceptional Bloody Mary bar, nearly every item on the buffet receives high praise. At $32 per person, the reviewer considers it an absolute must-try destination buffet that rivals any fine dining experience.
Expo All You Can Eat Hot Buffet
Las Vegas, United States — Seafood, Japanese, All You Can Eat
A newly reinvented all-you-can-eat lobster buffet at the Palazzo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip offering an impressive spread of premium seafood including lobster tails, dungeness crab, scallops, and A5 Wagyu. The interactive dining experience features steamed seafood at your table and roving food carts with specialty dishes, making it a premier buffet destination.
Half Shell
Seattle, United States — American Seafood and Burgers
Half Shell is a fantastic happy hour destination in Seattle featuring exceptional oysters for just $2 and an outstanding juicy cheeseburger topped with tartar sauce, lettuce, onions, and pickles on a perfectly toasted sesame bun. The thick-cut fries paired with minonette mayo are absolutely delicious, and the roasted oysters with bacon and breadcrumbs showcase fresh Pacific Northwest ingredients at affordable prices.
Master Home Noodle House
Flushing, United States — Chinese
Master Home Noodle House in the 99 Ranch Market food court in Flushing offers exceptional hand-pulled noodles and dumplings at excellent prices under $15. The reviewer praised the beef noodle soup with perfect hand-pulled noodles, snail noodles with bold flavors and deep umami, and massive juicy dumplings as some of the best he's had in New York City.
Colombian BBQ Buffet in Queens
Queens, United States — Colombian Barbecue
Mike Chen discovers an exceptional all-you-can-eat Colombian barbecue buffet in Queens offering premium steaks, offal, and charcuterie for just 60 dollars. The perfectly grilled meat selection including ribeye, skirt steak, hanger steak, blood sausage, and chicheró arrives in impressive platters paired with homemade chimichurri and sides like plantains and yuca fries. This is a standout barbecue experience that rivals expensive steakhouses with superior flavor and variety.
Queens Night Market
Queens, United States — International/Street Food
The Queens Night Market in Flushing Meadows Corona Park offers an exceptional culinary experience with food from over a dozen cuisines, all priced at $6 or less. The reviewer praised the tender Peruvian grilled beef heart, delicious Tibetan momos, and exceptional paratha while enjoying the vibrant atmosphere with live music. This is considered one of America's best night markets due to its diversity, affordability, and overall execution.