Minado, the Ultimate Sushi Buffet

One of my absolute favorite restaurants is Minado. It's a Japanese buffet that includes both sushi and a wide variety of cooked Japanese dishes made with fish, chicken, pork and beef. I'm not a fish eater, but I still find plenty to enjoy at the buffet.

My husband introduced me to Minado several years ago. He used to work near the location in Morris Plains, NJ. Our favorite location is the Minado in East Norriton, PA, and we've also been to the restaurant in Natick, MA. We've made it a goal to visit the locations in Little Ferry, NJ and Carle Place, NY (hopefully in 2012). It's fun comparing their differences and similarities.

At yesterday's visit to the Morris Plains Minado, I had a plate of my favorite foods: teriyaki beef and chicken, barbequed pork, breaded pork cutlet (tonkatsu), pork dumpling (gyoza), chicken wing, vegetable tempura and assorted cooked vegetables.

Dessert was a sampling of cakes (cut into 1 inch squares) and a couple coconut cookies. The desserts were small and not super sweet. It was such a satisfying meal that I didn't need to eat any supper later in the day. It was a good thing that I also did a lot of walking.

Minado isn't the kind of restaurant I could eat at every week (although I'm sure my husband could). The calories really add up quickly. I prefer visiting once every few months. That way, it feels more like a special treat.