Dear chef, I think I love you…read more Awesome tacos and awesome pupusas. Wow. Very very well seasoned. I'm starting to wonder if I've ever had a good taco in my life before this.

Literally the best tamales I've ever had! Purchased these for the second time and I can't get…read moreenough. These are so authentic and taste like home. Portions are absolutely gigantic and food is flavorful. 10 out of 10!

This buffet isn't bad but its not great. The food is fine but there are things that need to be…read moreimproved because they've probably been sitting out too long. Some of the rice is like really sticky or stuck together which make it so its not easy to eat. Then there are other food items or dishes that are gummy again from sitting out all day. There are also dishes that need more flavor because they're missing something. Service is fine but nothing special as is the ambiance. There isn't much else to say other than it's a decent buffet but not great.

Gross! The bathroom was worse than anything I've ever experienced. It's comparable to a NYC subway…read morestation bathroom. If you eat here I suggest using the bathroom next door at ShopRite. The food was ok. I tried a bunch of things. The staff was friendly enough for this type of environment. I wish I would have seen the restroom before dining here. I was so sick after experiencing the filth that I wish I had not eaten here at all. It's safe to say that I will not be back. Health department should really give this place a visit.

Went back again after a 5-star-worthy visit the first time!…read more Once again this place blew me away! This time I went with my mom and her boyfriend and we all loved the food and left with our bellies full! Our server was very attentive to us, kept our drinks filled, cleared our table of dirty plates quickly, and didn't make us feel rushed or pressured at all. We were disappointed to see that there was no soft shell crab, honey-coconut shrimp, or egg custard dim sum (all of which were present during my first visit and I was looking forward to) but given how wonderful everything else was, it wasn't a big deal The building was still crowded even though we went on a Tuesday evening, but I hear on weekends the line can be out the door so in comparison to that it sounds like we avoided most of the crowd. There were consistently workers keeping the food stocked and the building clean aswell. Despite the mild disappointment of my second visit, I'll still be returning and continuing to recommend this place to friends and family :)

I came here on a Saturday afternoon with a party of 8. $39 per person with gratuity tacked on as…read morewell (assuming due to our large group) As a value proposition, this place is worth it especially if you're a shellfish lover. Lobsters and crabs were abundant. I learned about this place awhile ago from YouTube of which many gave praises. We frequented many mid level AYCE places like this and we've found that as time goes by, quality degrades with restaurants like this. Now there was a rather long length of time between discovering this place on YouTube and actually visiting this place. I wonder if the praises that were sung about this place were still valid. I would say yes. As previously mentioned, lobsters and crabs were abundant and makes it worth the trip on that alone. As for the other offerings, it was mostly surprisingly good. Don't expect Michelin quality food here. Generally, it's about the quantity BUT the food is pretty good. The sushi/sashimi shocked me a little. AYCE sushi is usually just passable but here, I thought it was pretty good. Everyone in my group loved the quality of the salmon. Other offerings, of which there were many, were pretty good. Standouts were the lamb chops in my opinion. Dessert options wasn't as extensive as the other AYCE places I've frequented but they do the job. Aside from the usual fountain soda options (serves by the restaurant staff) , they had a few fruit drinks and a milk tea option as well as some specialty drinks in a can. Scale 1 to 5. (Keep in mind that this is based on quality you'd expect from a typical AYCE restaurant. Food 5 (large selection of food and that shellfish!) Service 5 (Friendly staff and were pretty efficient in clearing the plates) Cleanliness 4 (Place was well kept. Deducted 1 star due to the stickiness of the floor around our table which reminded me of a movie theater floor... lol) Value 5 One con to point out. The restaurant was rather large yet the bathrooms were small and couldn't accommodate a lot of people at once. Not a huge quibble as the wait wasn't astronomical BUT it did seem odd that the size of the bathroom didn't match the size of the restaurant.

My family and I wanting to try fresh seafood was amazed by all the different seafoods they have! we…read morewere immediately greeted, sat, and received our drinks and off you go! There is A LOT to choose from but it makes it fun and delightful! Take a little from here and there! Great variety! And of course lots for the kids to choose from!

In a state that has an abundance of Chinese buffets, they all seem to be cut from the same cloth:…read morebasic, no-frills, & you pay for what you get. You don't pay for a wonderful "experience" --- that was never part of the package. UMI Premium Sushi & Seafood Buffet changes that, and offers the Chinese Buffet in a setting that is bright, open, and beautifully decorated. There is no real "server" when you come here, all of the servers work as a collective --- you call one down, they bring you your drink, another passes by they collect your plate. These workers definitely work in harmony. Now I have to say: this Buffet is a bit pricier than the normal "Flaming Grill & Buffet" --- adults are $23.99 and kids are between $11-16. But remember: you getting not just the food --- your getting what most other buffets don't offer: AN EXPERIENCE. Besides the "hot dishes" like hibachi beef and orange chicken, UMI Premium Sushi & Seafood Buffet offers a wide variety not seen anywhere else: Hot Pot anyone? Included! Ramen? Included! Unlimited Bubble Tea? Included! Beverages? Included! Taste-wise I was thoroughly impressed. Since this is a popular buffet, it seems the food is refreshed quite often, meaning nothing will remain in the warmers for too long. Some of my favorites? Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Braised Pork Belly, and the Cantaloupe Boba Tea. True to it's name, this Buffet exceeded my expectations, was an absolute EXPERIENCE and I can't wait for another visit!

I came here for Valentine's Day since I always like to try new places and buffets. It was BUSY. The…read morestaff was quick and friendly, always cleaning, always filling up the buffet. I do think they had a decent selection and the price of $20 per person is a great deal. Umi Buffet by me is smaller and WAY more expensive. My biggest pet peeve is when things aren't labeled at a buffet. I would say maybe 50-60% were labeled. I definitely saw a lot Chinese food, but not a lot of seafood surprisingly, and the dessert bar was kind of sad. It was nice to try and again, a great price but I probably wouldn't be back.

I was spitting food out into my napkin. This may have been the worse meal I've had in months. I…read moretried a bite of about 12 different things. 2 were edible. The staff was pleasant and the place clean, but it's not worth the $15.99 lunch price. Also, there's no crab for at least the lunch. Everything was just made... wrong. Overcooked, undercooked, over or under seasoned. I LOVE buffets too, but absolutely not with this place. Never again.

Once again I enjoyed my visit to UMi as I met my cousins there for dinner. It was about 18 of us…read moreand we all enjoyed the crabs the most. The salt and pepper and the snow crabs were to die for. Service were great as we were seated right away after I told her how many of us would be attending.

Went here based on a friend's recommendation. I don't know how they came up with this…read morerecommendation, but I won't be back, nor recommend it. I've been to several Japanese sushi and seafood buffets before and can say without a doubt, this was the worst. Sushi rolls were mediocre, like supermarket sushi rolls on discount day. I was expecting more. This was the only item that was passable. The Chinese side of it was terrible. Cold seafood, when it's supposed to be hot. Duck that was cold and bony/fat and should have been warm and better tasting. The spare ribs were dry, like hours on the line and everyone avoided it. Soups were bland, and warm. The hot and sour was the worst one I tasted in the last 30 years. No oysters. No crab legs. Desserts were pretty much all frozen and nondescript. I had the chocolate cupmice cream and it was ok. On a positive note, the service was good, as they cleaned off old plates, and refilled drinks when asked. So, bottom line. One star for the food.

I can't believe how confusing it was. Everyone was unwilling…read moreto speak. Next time I will use a translation app, if I can get a clue what language is used. Table service was non-existent. Dishes were never cleared. No tipping expected after the 12% service charge fee was added. Interesting. Senior discount not applied. $28 lunch. I left wondering if the dinner menu is different. English not spoken here or everyone is goofing and pretending. The hot pot broth is a mystery. No utensils were provided to cook with the hot pot. It's like they want you to put the the food in and don't take it out to eat.If you are food sensitive you are out of luck. I liked the BBQ probably because of MSG that I don't use at home. Service was non existent I had to use the nearby table for our used plates. You don't get the occasional, how is everything question, I assume no tips equals no table service. I got a kick out of when I asked for something I got blank looks. If servers don't speak I'd appreciate English labels, or a sheet of paper for the challenged.

Umi is a tough sell if you're going strictly for sushi. For a sushi buffet, the nigiri selection…read moreand overall quality are pretty underwhelming. The sashimi presentation is also a miss, served in small individual aluminum containers instead of laid out on a shared platter. It feels inefficient and less appetizing than grabbing fresh cuts with tongs. That said, the Chinese food side is actually solid. The BBQ squid stands out as one of the better items, while the ribs were disappointing, too fatty and drenched in sauce. I skipped the hot pot since the meats in the fridge didn't look particularly fresh or appealing. Compared to other locations, the East Brunswick spot seems to do a better job with both quality and keeping the sushi stocked. Drinks are another weak point. The bubble teas are overly sweet and not very good, though kids will probably enjoy them. I'd come back for some of the Chinese dishes and a few sushi pieces, but overall it feels overpriced for what you get.

Went here last night. I honestly love this buffet. Everything here is fresh and good. Good quality…read moreand customer service is on top too. Especially, I believe her name is Sam? Love her. The only thing I feel like that is missing is clams. Boiled clams! Like the big ones they have at United buffet. They have razor clams but honestly it's not the same. Sushi is really good. Seafood boil is good too. I always end my meal there with hotpot ‍ ambiance is nice and I love how they celebrate birthdays there with the sign and birthday music

Our party was perfectly happy to pay the 12% service fee automatically added to our bill,…read moreespecially given the note stating that additional tipping was not expected. However, our server explicitly pressured us to leave an additional tip. When we initially declined based on your stated policy, her demeanor changed significantly, and she made our family feel highly uncomfortable until an additional tip was provided. ​When a restaurant implements a service fee and communicates that further tipping is unnecessary, guests trust that policy. Being pressured to pay on top of that fee creates a stressful environment and contradicts your business model. If additional tipping is actually expected, it would be much clearer to remove the mandatory fee and leave gratuity entirely to the guest's discretion. ​We enjoyed the food, but the behavior of the staff at the end of the night left a very poor impression. I hope this feedback helps ensure greater consistency in how your tipping policy is handled moving forward.