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My family has been dining at Todai for about 4 years .. maybe more. And our first visit was definitely the best and sadly, ever since then with every visit it seems as if the value was depreciative. My first visit, there were giant dungeness crabs and teriyaki filet. The sushi was tastier and the side salads were scrumptious. Even their cold seafood bar was awesome. And they had a nice array of desserts.
By our next visit, some of the menu items changed which was OK with me since I understand that some things are seasonal. But what struck me as odd was the fact that we went during the same season..
yet the quality wasn't as good as our first visit.
A lot of my maki were falling apart, and they totally got rid of the dungeness crabs. teriyaki filet was changed to korean short ribs (bulgoki). The "creme brulee" was nothing more than vanilla pudding with the brulee'd sugar cap. What really disappointed me was that they changed the green tea ice cream to green tea SOFT SERVE. excuseme?
yeah.. so overall, the quality of the food changed drastically yet, their prices remained the same. hmm - conundrum.
i'll go again, as long as i'm not responsible for the tab.
Its been five years since I've been to a Todai's restaurant. We wanted to treat ourselves to a good meal so we decided to stop by here.
The food at this restaurant was not great. They had very limited food options. I'm not a plate after plate after plate type of eater, so to get my money's worth, I went straight for the seafood. I tried the alaskan crab legs, they were ok. The regular crab legs tasted old and dry. (I'm from CA so I know what fresh crab tastes like!!!) The stir fry food was like typical chinese food. The tempura was probably one of the better food selections. The cooked seafood was not good at all. I've definitely had better. The dessert was mediocre. The green tea ice cream was just green colored ice cream. The crepe was made really fast and may have tasted better if I hadnt chosen banana as my filling. The fruit may have been the freshest food out of the entire buffet.
There is a lot of seating, and the service was pretty good. However, I would choose NOT to come here if you have another restaurant in mind. I should have known better that the seafood here was not going to be fresh because its the midwest and NOT the west coast!!!!
By the way, the buffet does NOT include drinks. I thought that was totally ridiculous.
I was psyched to go here and then I got here. Their website is a liar! Well. . . hmmmn.. . I felt the pictures on there and the extensive list of options I would most likely get were deceiving. So.. . yea! That website fibs!
Seriously, go to the website and see the grand photos of bountiful trays of food. If you like Japanese cuisine and you possess an unearthly affinity for buffet as do I, this would seem like a wonderland of awesome daydreams come true. You happily make your way there, skipping along the golden path leading from the car that only you seem to see and then. . . Ugh!!! It's a buffet place in a mall? What part of the game is this?!?!
"Ok, let's not be the food snob that you know you really are," you tell yourself. You then quickly resolve to give it the benefit of the doubt until the host seats you in an area where you swear the carpet is reeking of cat pee/mildew/does-it-really matter? and you just allow yourself to be set up for failed expectations.
I know of food stylists and that pics of restaurants are set up to look their best at the time. I know that! But dayummmm, talk about a wolf in sheep's wool. I found very little appealing enough for me to want to eat it. The sushi seemed to be telling me through telepathy, "I swear you don't want none of this." I couldn't figure out how to open the rice cooker thing and the person behind it seemed to either not comprehend what I was asking them, or just didn't like the cut of my jib. Either way, I got no damn rice! How can I. . . Rice is like. . . Ugh!!!! That rice cooker guardian WILL get his come-uppins!
I ate so little. IT WAS BUFFET and I ate so little. I thought I could at least work things out with dessert. Do you know these muffoccours had only sugar-free non-fat frozen yogurt??? No ice cream. It was on the side of the machine so I didn't know until I sat back down in peetown and got a yucky mouthful. Yack! I ended up with just some shot-sized cups of watered down jello. $18.95 for this, people!! And your drinks are extra!!
Where's my glove? I need to clear my schedule for dawn. This is a disgrace to buffet!
The Asian Old Country Buffet.
As one other yelper put it asian old town country buffet!!! HILARIOUS! Its not great but what do you expect, its like $15 for all you can eat...GROSS! However, I secretly liked it. Plus, they had soft serve ice cream. HAHA! Most of the sushi wasnt bad but not super high quality. I mean come on people, its in a mall and its AYCE...
HUGE selections! Even if you have 2 stomaches and only try one of each they have, you can't try all of them.
Crab is good. Raw bar is good. Sushi are awesome!!! There are too many choices of hot food to describe. You have to see it yourself. Some of the ingredients are actually quite costly, so I give them credit for being so generous. The desserts is like a Candy House. BEST CREME BRULEE EVER! The caramel crust on top of it is just heavenly.
If you go on your birthday, you will get a free meal next time you come, so it's worth it to celebrate your birthday there even though the place doesn't have a hip environment. It's Asian MEAT/SEAFOOD market restaurants for families.
There are just too many food (and they are actually good) that I have to give it a 4 star.
I go here for one reason, and one reason only: the CRAB! I will not waste stomach space with any other items, so I can't review the rest.
But the cold snow crab is of good quality. The hot crab (dungeness?) is really good. There are very few places in or near Chicago that have all-you-can-eat crab, and this is one of them. And they're very quick to replenish the supply.
This is one of the few restaurants in my life that I've eaten alone, because the crab is worth it!
Just get there early because it gets PACKED on the weekends with aggressive buffeters.
Having tried several other sushi buffet's, Todai really wasn't as awesome as I thought it was. The overall quality has dropped considerably. Plus, I've heard quite a few accounts of food poisoning cases from friends who ate here over the years.
Yes, Todai has a wide selection of food, but that's the problem; they've moved away from making good sushi and have become just an expensive chinese buffet.
I suggest House of Sushi and Noodles in Lakeview or any of the Sushi Para's (each of these sushi buffets are a lot cheaper, too) as they focus solely on - surprise - SUSHI!:
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Sushi buffet, you say?? Yes, please! I've been here several times now, and whether I'm having sushi… Read more »
I don't get the bad reviews.
I don't like buffets, unless it's an Indian lunch buffet. But Todai rocks. Their tuna isn't fatty, but it's not the worst either. For the price, for as much crab as I get, it's a steal. To get that much crab as I eat(WHICH IS A LOT), it'll cost me a cool $100 at some other places easily. Todai(which means lighthouse in Japanese) should be called Crab Kingdom. Their garlicky roasted Dung crab is YUM YUM times 100. And their snow crab legs, served cold, are salty and delish. Go for the crab, and you won't be dissappoined. I think their tempura is steller, too.
Get the pinecone out of your ass and get some crab if you don't already have some!
Also, on your birthday, you get a free meal when someone else gets a meal.
I love this place. My mom and I come here when there's something to be happy about. It's hard to… Read more »
What happened to this place? I've been here years ago and it was so much better. It seems as if the quality of the food overall has fell off.
It's decent but nothing to write home about. Even with the all you can eat, I still don't really feel I got my money's worth because the food can be so ordinary.
There is a good amount of deserts. That seems to have taken over my favorites. I'd rather have the creme brulee rather than some of the sushi.
It's very ordinary in my opinion compared to how it used to be.
For a buffet, Todai serves a HUGE variety of asian food, and for the price, it's a good deal (depending on how hungry you are).
What I LOVE about this place? They have EVERYTHING. Great stir fry. Great sushi and maki selection. Awesome shellfish. Tasty soup. And a good variety for desserts.
I just wish they were closer to the city...
I normally don't go to Woodfield cause it's a little too fancy for me, but mom wanted to shop for new living room drapes. After spending two arduous hours in JCPenny, I was starving!
We saw a "BUFFET" sign and like a fly spotting a trash can, we ran into Todai (must be Chinese for "Today").
I never tried sushi before and I thought I'd give it a shot. Those dinky rolls don't fill you up, I ate about 20 spicy tuna rolls and was still hungry, I gave up and moved onto the buffet. Mom liked the little rice bricks with slabs of pink fish.
I discovered the crab legs, and proceeded to empty their serving bowl. Someone stopped me (I think it was the manager), he said I could only take one plate of crab legs at a time. I ignored him and took more anyway. I LOVE CRAB LEGS!
I ate some weird Chinese food like fish cakes, fried gonzo and tempuramy (Chinese for deep fried). The buffet wasn't stellar, definitely not up to Old Country Buffet (OCB) standards.
I saw a kid walking around with a green ice creme cone and got excited. I got my own, but after a few licks, I realized it was green tea flavored! I abandoned it upside down on the next table over and went back to for baby cheese cakes.
Mom said AMTRAK bathrooms are cleaner than the ones here.
We hoped the waiter would forget about the check like he did the drink refills, but alas the bill appeared out of nowhere. It was over eighty bucks... man, did my mom raise a stink!
I'd go back for the crab legs; otherwise, if you want real BUFFET food, stick with OCB!
Doncha just LOVE international franchised restaurants? You know, a good idea, great food, build a following, sell LOTS of franchises, retire rich and laugh as the franchises fall apart, like this one.
Just read the bad reviews...do you REALLY want to come here? I didn't but the group outvoted me....and I was right, again. Skip it!
Terrible sushi and seafood!
Red Lobster and Long John Silvers has better seafood!
Todai, what can I say about you that my sphincter and nausea haven't? Better yet, let me write a little poem about you to sum up exactly how I feel:
Roses are red
Your sushi sucks
After eating your food
My stomach and a$$ said, "We're F_CKED!"
Your cold entrees lack flavor
Your hot entrees do too
I'd rather eat my leather belt
And my worn out gym shoes.
Almost $20 for lunch
And your dinner price is no better
Your food is so god awful
That the health inspector will get a letter.
You call that sushi?
I call it last week's scraps
You call yourself a restaurant?
You're all full of crap.
I hated your yucky-soba
And your miso soup was just as lame
For those of you who actually like this place,
Have you no shame?
For those fans of Todai
Have your doctor check out your tongue
Because I think if you really love this place
Then you just crave food that tastes like sheep dung.
The waitstaff yells a greeting to you
As soon as you walk in
It's supposedly Japanese
When translated means, "You'll need a barf bin."
THE END
P.S Winner, winner chicken dinner!
What a great buffet! Even though this is a Japanese restaurant, they serve Korean food as well and a lot of fresh seafood! I went here for Father's Day to show my daddy some appreciation and he loved it too! He loves sushi and seafood! They have various selections of food and desserts. The only thing I would change is to have a location closer to the city! ;)
a good place to stuff yourself on sushi and other Asian fare, all for one decent price. Its busy and noisy but still kinda fun, and they have Japanese beer which is a must for me when eating sushi. Now the best thing they werve are the hand rolls and they are made fresh right in front of you which is cool. Not the best sushi you can eat, but for the money its worth the trip.
We love sushi and oriental type food and when we heard about a sushi "buffet", the wife and I ran out to Woodfield to check out Todai.
We waited 45 minutes to get a table, and we were starving!
I must of ate at least 5 plates of crab legs. Our table was stacked high with plates - it was a little embarrasing.
We saw our waiter twice - once to seat us and drop off the bill.
We've eaten better sushi and paid less, but if you want to go hog wild on crab legs and fried rice, this is the place to go!
Perfectly average sushi at huge quantities. Dinner includes crab legs, oysters, and other shellfish, but you better hurry - because inevitably, some greedy oompa loompa kid or his/her equally greedy oompa loompa parent will go and jack all of it before you get a chance to even get one serving.
As others have alluded to, lunch is a better deal. But I'm surprised that so many of you are surprised by the pricing of dinner. They have to recoup their losses from the greedy oompa loompa families that flock to this place like fleas to a stray dog. I kid, halfway. Some of those food items are a little pricier in real life.
Dinner hot items are alright - there's usually a pretty decent selection of chinamerican food to pick from, as well as some items that are more geared toward a far eastern palette.
Service is subpar. It's clear that none of them have had any formal restaurant training where being a competent waitress or waiter is a must to maintain their jobs and/or substantive tips. Since they pool tips and split them, they can split my generous tips of 0 dollars quite easily between as many people as they want. I usually find that after asking 2 - 3 times, I get the point across that "hey, I'd like some more iced green tea."
The shining spot of this place is going to be the dessert selection. Crepes are decent, the tiramisu isn't horrible, and some of the cheesecakes are tasty.
There are much better all you can eat options in the city such as Para II, or even House of Sushi and Noodle.
I really enjoy Todai, but it's really only worth it if you go for lunch, which is about $10 cheaper than dinner. While the perk of dinner is that it includes crab, most of the time I've been there for dinner, the crab has been overcooked in salt and, as a result, is very dry (flaky, not moist when you pull it out of the shell). They have most of the same things for lunch, including the sushi, hot items (including tempura), soups, and deserts.
My favorite items are the seaweed salad (seaweed + cucumber), miso soup, vegetable noodles, pot stickers, teriyaki chicken, and the sushi. The eel at the end of the sushi line is THE BEST! The marinated salmon and other sashimi is also very good, and prevents you from loading up on too much rice on the other sushi selections. My boyfriend, whitie American as he is, is a fan of the California rolls, the Philadelphia roll (it has some Philly Cream Cheese in it), and the "specials" with the orange sauce on top.
AVOID: The grey-skinned fish (not sure what type of fish it is) sushi. I have gotten this before and it's smelled fishy - sushi should NOT smell fishy! At the time I dismissed it since I saw it assembled, but ended up getting sick from eating it. The mussels and oysters are either hit-or-miss, too.
Other negatives: It's often VERY difficult to have someone refill your drinks, and if you over-indulge on salty soy-sauce laden food, you may be parched as you wait to get a server's attention. So, don't drain your glass until you have a server in sight.
Also, a lot of the customers seem to have forgotten their manners. I have been in line many times only to have someone (usually an adult) come from the opposite side of the line, squeeze in front of me and reach over me, completely disregarding the fact that they're invading my physical space and that I've been waiting.
Last weekend as we were paying, there was an insane woman who was screaming at the cashier. The woman and her companion both had coupons and were trying to use them at the same time, while a posted sign clearly stated that only one coupon can be used per party/per check. The woman was irate and completely inappropriate, calling the cashier and another woman who worked there names. It was so rude and uncalled for. I felt terrible for the poor cashier, who was trying to be polite and hold it together.
Many parents also don't watch their kids and let their kids go up to the dessert area by themselves as well. Last weekend I was waiting behind a boy (he was about 8) as he was getting ice cream. He stuck his hands all over the bottom where the ice cream comes out...eeew! So, keep that in mind.
Overall, I like Todai for the value you can get for lunch, especially if you forgo breakfast and make it there with a ravenous appetite.
After visiting the Todai in Las Vegas and receiving terrific service every time we have visited, we thought we would try the Todai out in Schaumburg. The food quality is comparable, but the service was terrible. Just to get your water refilled is always difficult. I feel like one of the "Oliver" boys asking for more. Even if you flag one of these so-called servers down, they will say yes and not come back.
If you are looking for a nice selection of Japanese food, go for the wide variety, if average, food. Don't go for the service. You will not get any, except when they want you to pay the bill.
Todai may be considered an overpriced seafood buffet, but to maximize your utility at this juncture, you should do the following:
*go for lunch, not dinner
*eat salmon and unagi nigiri, skip half the rice
*tempura / crab legs
*oysters
*fresh fruit: pineapple, oranges, melons, etc.
*indulge in the green tea soft serve and cakes and crepe bar.
On a Sunday morning, there was a line waiting for the Todai to open inside the Schaumburg mall. I couldn't help but shake my head...I mean, for the 20 minutes you're wasting standing in line, you could be halfway downtown and hit up a better sushi joint.
But it does the trick if you and your posse are feeling like a pack of rampaging hippos, frothing wildly at the mouth with hunger. Sophistication be damned, your Todai buffet is waiting!
I believe Todai's could have better quality sushi than it does, and I know if feeds the masses for a giant deal of $25 for dinner or perhaps now more, but it isn't that great. The sushi isn't all that fresh and it is a total let down of about $50 at the end of the night.
Today was ok, but there was something off about sushi in a mass-produced setting. It seemed too big and impersonal.
As far as the sushi goes, it was ok, but I wouldn't say it's any better than supermarket refrigerated sushi.
I probably won't go back.
Fun seafood buffet located in Woodfield to satiate my zest for light asian fare and sweets.
Warning: The lunch kitchen closes at 2:30. A friend and I arrived there at 2:00 not knowing this but the host insisted it wouldn't be a problem and enthusiastically seated us. Bear in mind this means that you have to LOAD UP on food until 2:30 because it will vanish into thin air if you don't. We raced around trying to get everything we wanted- I wish I had gotten a Crepe!
After loading up on food, the server was nonexistent so we had to grab any staff member walking by for a refill.
So my recent experience was not as enjoyable as the first. The food was nice and I'll give it that. But If its 30 minutes until kitchen closes, save them the frustration and turn them away.
I'll be willing to try this place again under normal circumstances because I'd hate to think an enjoyable sushi binge can't be fit into a pilgrimage to Schaumburg.
After having experienced a few of the deliciously extravagant buffets in Las Vegas (or even Skokie, for that matter), this place is quite a disappointment. For nearly $30, I suppose my expectations were at Vegas-level. Sadly, Todai missed those expectations by a long shot. The place is huge-- but there are only 3-4 main food stations with very little selection. I mean, there's a ridiculous amount of seating for the very little food they offer. If the place met full occupancy, I can't see anything good happening.
Anyway, the sushi station is the largest (though the sushi isn't anything to rave about-- it looks pretty, but tastes mediocre). So if you don't plan on having a plateful of the sushi, then don't bother coming here. The entrees at the other stations (including the cold, skinny crab legs) just don't make the trip worth it. Believe me. My favorite part of my meal was the green tea and vanilla softserve. I had two cones after signing my bill to make myself feel better. At the end of the meal, the nine people I was with agreed that the Texas de Brazil next door would have been more enjoyable and actually worth spending all that money. If you absolutely must come here, come for lunch ($15) and be done with it.
~5 years ago, I was perfectly happy with Todai sushi (we went to one in California). After going to this one 2 weeks ago, I'm pretty sure we will never come back. It's pretty expensive for the quality you're getting, even the lunch price. I wouldn't even call the sushi average. There's a huge selection, but not much was actually "good". The only items we enjoyed were the pineapple, cantalope, honeydew, and edamame. We tried getting full from those since all the rest of the food was so bad that we didn't want seconds. My friend in Maryland had Todai cater their wedding and the sushi was fantastic. So many it's just this Todai that's terrible.
Yet another location to add to my list of all-you-can-eat sushi locations!
I really wish I could give this place a 5-star rating. It really does deserve to get one, but I can't bring myself to do it. Sure, the food is awesome and there's so much variety and they've even got a freakin' crepe section and RAMEN bar so I can pretend to be an anime character and slurp up some delicious authentic ramen that didn't come in a package with a flavor packet that cost $0.10 each! But there are so many things that mean a lot to be when choosing a sushi place and this fails to meet most of them.
First of all, it's too damned far away. This is Chicago, land of the public transporation (however crappy it may be) and getting to this place without a car is just insane. The trip alone is so daunting even on paper that I can't bring myself to make the trip. Luckily, I used to have friends with cars and that led to visits to this place. Sadly, even at four stars, it's still not worth the effort to go back (and there are better alternatives).
Secondly, the price. Now I've got few qualms when it comes to dropping a pretty penny for the privilege to consume "all I can eat" at a restaurant. The problem when that price overreaches the $25 mark is that now it's become a CHORE to ensure that I've gotten my money's worth. Even at $19.95 (the last place I went to), it was easy to do the math and figure that since we each got at least three moderately-expensive maki rolls, we were eating pure sushi profit after that. With the dinner/weekends costing $27.50 at this place, it's hard to enjoy the flavor when my brain is focusing on the math. What can I say? Have you read my motto? "I always get my money's worth when it comes to food." It's no lie.
Luckily, the place retains its four stars because there are so many ways to ensure I AM getting my money's worth. The variety of rolls includes some that are traditionally on the expensive side. If need be, they also serve sashimi. For those not familiar with sushi terms, "maki" means it's fish and rice rolled up in the green sheet (it's not actually seaweed, it's really compressed algae); "nigiri" means it's a piece of fish served on a ball of rice; "sashimi" means it's just a piece of fish with no rice. And without all that rice weighing you down, sashimi is a quick way to get your money's worth - if you can handle it. Also, crab legs - though they're not my style. I believe the last time I went, they had something labeled "filet mignon teriyaki". And I think I ate about two pounds of it.
Again, the crepe station is excellent and the ramen bar is top-notch. The dessert area is always full of interesting foods with hilarious titles. My friends would often laugh when I'd eat a "Peach Delight" and say "it tasted of peach, and it was sufficiently delightful - so I guess it delivered what it promised."
If you're paranoid about sushi that's left in the danger zone temperatures of the buffet, the chefs rotate in new pieces often, so watch for them and grab when it's fresh - you'll have lots of chances.
In summary, the place is excellent. And again, I'd really like to give it that fifth star, but it's not very downtown-Chicago-friendly and it's easier on my stomach and mind to sacrifice a little quality for the lower price and assurance that I've eaten my money's worth and possibly made an owner cry.
Every time I think of this place, I get Jimmy Buffet's "Fruitcakes" in my head..."They got, riots, fires, and mudslides! They got SUSHI in the mall!"
Though the hilarious Mr. Buffet was singing about California, they are serving mall sushi here in the good old Schaump, and it's not bad!
I was warned beforehand that this sushi wouldn't be anything like Thai Oscar or any of the other beloved sushi restaurants I've frequented. Basically, since it's a buffet, they make the stuff fast and throw it out there. So going in with this expectation, I was pleasantly surprised. They had some pretty good makis out. I liked the Philadelphia and something that had crab meat and was completely covered in tempura. They had a lot of nigri sushi too, so I ate half my body weight in salmon and tuna. One thing that's kind of lovely about the buffet style setup is someone like me who consumes pickled ginger in unprecedented quantities, is I don't have to be asking my waiter/waitress for more a few times during the meal. I simply get up and take what I need. Furthermore, they had a ginger sauce there that I haven't seen at other places that was pretty awesome.
I think Todai's weakness is in their other hot food items. Their shrimp tempura was kind of "meh" and I spit out a piece of calamari that tasted like a deep fried chunk of rubber.
The dessert, however, made up for all of this. Crepe bar? Oh holy hell yes! I simply cannot be disappointed by any place that makes me a chocolate banana crepe with whipped cream. It's like a law of physics or something.
All in all, pretty good. I definitely ate my 24 dollars worth (and then some) and enjoyed it. If you can throw down enough sushi to make this worth your money, I totally recommend it.
For a Japanese buffet, it's okay. Nothing spectacular, just large amounts of food, sushi, fish, chicken teriyaki, soup station, deserts, etc. If you're in the mood for a glutinous time, Todai is the place for you.
Overall, okay food, okay service for a buffet, a slightly higher price than your average buffet.
You know, I see a lot of really weak reviews here and I don't think they're entirely deserved.
First off, this place is pretty cheap for unlimited sushi. And it's not cheap crap either, it's pretty good stuff. Mind you, I've only been on a Saturday and a Friday so I don't know how their other days are, but it was good when I went.
The first time I went it was excellent, I would've given it a 5 until yesterday. After I got home, my stomach felt like absolute hell. I'll spare you the gritty details, but I spent a long time in the washroom.
I don't know what to think, but I'll assume that was from something else I ate until I'm proved otherwise. :P
Todai was in so much better shape around 3-4 years ago. The food got cheaper and the prices went up. To get your money's worth you just have to know what to eat I guess. I would recommend this place to others if they never had a good buffet. I personally think todai is way better than OCB, China buffet and other buffets like that.
Todai has a great selection of sushi (served cafeteria style) and some decent hot dishes. I also really like their salads. If you're a buffet person like me (you get to the restaurant and grab a plate and head for the food), then this too may be a good place for you. If you'd rather browse a nice menu and order for yourself, this isn't for you.
Price is a bit high, but then, if you eat enough sushi, well, you're more than covered.
I went to this location a couple times and as promised, there was an enormous amount of food. They have sushi, hot entrees, salads, and desserts. The first time I went, I primarily ate sushi. They offer nigiri, rolls, and gunkan. I went at a peak time where there were long lines and the sushi was made fresh. I remember they had Hawaiian style poke, which was pretty good, too.
The second time I went, I tried some of the hot entrees. I tried to stick to seafood items, like baked mussels, tempura shrimp, and fried fish. The food was good, but I wouldn't go here and mix sushi with the hot items. My stomach can only handle one or the other. The desserts were fine. I liked their green tea desserts and creme brulee.
Ask me about Todai a few years ago, and I would have given them 4 stars. But I'm older now and not as excited about buffets as I used to be. The food is decent, but I wouldn't drive all the way to Shaumburg just for Todai (unless I was already in the area).
Pros:consistent menu, lots of choices, good & fresh sushi
Cons: lots of crowd, promotes overeating, very little surprise, not so cheap
TOO EXPENSIVE, NOT WORTH THE PRICE
if you don't like raw fish, then it is total wast of money going there. Sushi dose not taste fresh other items are not impressive either.
Irashiimaseeee . . . they greet you at the door meaning welcome in Japanese.
It is out there I must agree, but their blueberry crepes and salad bar is so good. The sushi is not that trash either. Pricey for buffet yes, 27.50. The variety is amazing and keeps me wondering how they manage to squeeze so much variety into one joint?
Sushi station
Hot meal
Ramen, miso
Salad bar
Seafood: crab legs, oysters etc
Desserts: cakes, crepes, ice cream (green tea soft serve)
Terriyaki: chicken, beef
Fruit plates
Korean style kalbi
Chinese dishes
Still not sure if I covered everything here . . .hmm
Good place for low quality sushi in unlimited amount.
I was there when my mom visited. It was supposed to $20 per person for lunch.
But, suddenly we've got charged $30 per person since it was Father's day. I've seen king craps, but haven't seen prime ribs they explained.
It's not good to charge more after finishing eating. They didn't informed us for more charge when we entered.
Todai's quality has been dropping rapidly over the years. My first experience with them was in Portland where fish was relatively fresh and they had whole dungarees crab.
My recent trip (1 month apart) to both the Portland and Chicago spots show that the rather expensive ($27-30) dinner is just not worth it anymore for me and probably not so much for you unless you just have to have an overkill of Asian cuisine.
The food now contains high level of salt, mayo, and all of the other tricks 'premium' Asian buffets have tried. Don't be a sucker for foods that will artificially fill you up here. You already will be leaving without a belt from all the food choices!
The Portland facility is of course much better due to its proximity to the sea and Asian influences. The Chicago facility is near enough to O'hare to get fresher fish but alas. Both are in high traffic malls for comparison - Chicago being in one of the largest malls in NA.
The outdoor component of the Portland place is great to get away from the hordes of buffet-goers piling their plate high.
Learn to pile your plate with quality here. An earlier reviewer had it correct in making sure you select the good stuff - not necessarily the "hey! I spent alot of money and I'm going to eat the house full of their best stuff!" - but keep your eye for the signs that offer the hand rolls and 'specialty' dishes which they do not put out and sometimes the workers try to hide the fact - just stand at the sign and someone will get to you.
Service is understandable for a high volume buffet - you will see the waiter every 20m. Just accept - get the fairly yummy green tea - it is bright Green and they are not going to mistake it for diet cola.
This place was ok. It's clean and the staffs were friendly. I went here a few times for dinner and I think it was around $25ish per person. It tend to be quite busy.
I'm not a sushi person which kind of ruin the whole reason of going to a sushi buffet. However, my friends love sushi and they would always drag me there whenever we visit the mall. (T_T)
I didn't try their crab legs since I like crab to be warm/hot not on ice. Their other foods were just like any other Chinese buffet. Their ramen was quite good though.
I would give it a 4stars because it's a clean place with friendly service. Not to mention, my friends enjoy the sushi selection and the crab legs. -1 for the price since I could go to another Japanese restaurant where my friends would be stuffed on sushi while I try something else that taste good instead of "ok" for about $25-$30.
Rolling Meadows, IL
Category: Sushi Bars
Skokie, IL
Category: Thai
Schaumburg, IL
Category: Asian Fusion
Streamwood, IL
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Lincoln Park
Category: Sushi Bars
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