A few years ago my wife dragged me and my son into this 'restaurant'. To this day we have never let her forget it and it's my rolling get-out-of-jail card whenever I screw up.
MSG is evil and these days over pure and toxic, I am allergic to it as I had a nasty incident in a restaurant around 48 years ago as it reacted with the alcohol I had also consumed and as soon as the air hit me on the way out, I hit the floor! at that time I had a Thai dr and he was laughing about the fact that I had Chinese restaurant complaint! I remember the old fashioned MSG that was called Ve Tsin and as a kid my dad pulled me aside and said if you ever use this stuff use it like this and he got a match stick and stood it on end and the amount he said to use in the meat was around one fifth of the size of a match head and we only ever used in dumplings, I have also seen some cooks throw it in food like there was no tomorrow, and that is due to their own addiction to it! I never use it ever, it is an excitotoxin and with heavy use can cause alopecia and hair loss.
Finally, everytime I tell people that MSG isn't good to your own health, people just bash me online for some reason. Okay a tiny bit, it's fairly ok but not in huge amounts as many Asian restaurants do.
I adore the nodding while you're trying SO HARD to not show how disgusting whatever you were eating was 😅 amazing! At least you didn't get kicked out and had to go back as an American tourist, so kudos to the small joys 💫
Oh my god I am dying... This video is legit legendary.. I almost fell off the couch laughing.. Especally the nodding part was killing me. Bloody precious. and after getting out of the restaurant, you really furiously and passionately acted for what you just had been through.. and that was killing part and so hilarious like seriously and I highly insist you must be an actor. Dead seriois. oh dear. This video will be mental medicine when I am depressed from now on for sure.
It’s crowded because it’s in Chinatown where lots of tourists go - and it’s pretty cheap. A question - how many actual Chinese people were eating there? For me that’s always the killer test. In my experience all these Chinese/Asian buffet places are mediocre, but they’re cheap. (PS I lived in Hong Kong for years, and I’m married to a a mainland Chinese person from central China)
I have worked in F&B for a while and lemme tell you, Asian and especially Chinese food is not meant for a buffet model. Asian food in general should always be made fresh with fresh ingredients. However, when I started working in London, I realised a lot of Asian restaurants (not buffet one) pre-cooked everything and assembled it on the woks as you order it... Somehow, instead of bringing the best of Asian culture, they literally bring the worst & most Westernized thing to London - sweatshops (for food) lol.
Idk man, buffets are popular in China. I've been to huge ones where you pay 100 yuan and you can eat anything, starting from rice ending with king crab, it was delicious
@@islmhhh4987 Different scenario, people go fucking nuts in buffets in China and the food turnover is so quick that everything stays fresh. Fried food doesn't do well standing out, and it often does for too long before the tray clears in Chinatown.
The video needs some context and I wish more RUclipsrs would be better informed. Long story short, rents in Chinatown are so high now due to massive rent increases by the Westminster Estate (Duke of Westminster) that it puts alot of restaurants out of business, hence service has gone down as well as quality of food etc. They also ask you to play in advance because so many people eat and then do a runner or refuse to pay. Restaurant businesses really struggle to survive in Chinatown. You want proper Chinese food, you'd never do a 'all you can eat buffet' as its inevitably low quality junk food, you'd be far better off going to a proper restaurant with menus etc.
I agree totally, there is a buffet place in Carlisle which is like this where the food is mediocre and some of the clientele are drunk. Sad thing is, the city has nowhere else for Chinese. Interestingly, Carlisle has a thriving Thai restaurant scene where standards are high and prices reasonable.
here in america buffets are super popular not just in las vegas but everywhere and depending where in america buffets can be pretty good still not as good quality as proper restaurants with menus but still.. also there's more options than what is shown here lol but that's expected because well.. america XD hopefully one day i can visit england that'd be cool
The very same Parasite Duke destroyed a lot of businesses due to his COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER of the land that those businesses were established on for decades hence the City of Sub-culture status in Liverpool with more empty buildings left to replace once thriving establishments, a distant relative of mine was sued by his former workers due to not being paid by the Dukies parasite company for the premises and the building! this is how that Parasite family makes it's money by stealing from honest hard working people, I hate that family with a passion.
It’s been my experience, the places that make you pay before you get your food do so so you can’t refuse to pay when it’s shit. They know they suck and don’t even care.
I go to Chinatown alot and I was told by a member of staff at another restaurant that in the past they've had many people (mainly tourists) sit outside and run off without paying.
I got a chinese carry out while in london,im not a fussy eater but it was horrendous the crab soup had 4 of the thinest slices of crab in the soup,and the beef curry had 4 thin slices of beef so thin you could not taste it,no idea if it was the same place but it went in the bin.
When I saw this in London for the first time, I simply walked away as this looks like Two-dish mealboxes we usually have here in Hong Kong -- usually just 3-4 pounds per box and look/taste far much better than that lol. and we dont have spring rolls in the lunchboxes this is really weird. And I also had similar experience at 8:20 this is really uncomfortable...
They definitely know the food is terrible. That’s why they make you pay first and being in London they know that new customers that don’t know the place will be past everyday.
I swear that place is some sort of SCP location and everyone there must praise the food and be enthusiastic about it to keep the place from going haywire 😭😂
I once booked a resort for my family in Mexico after booking i saw it had horrible reviews such as drain cleaner for orange juice etc. was one of the nicest fanciest resorts I've been to and I've been to a lot. Turns out they cater more to wealthy mexican clientele. Not to Americans. Even the president of Mexico had a private suite there. It had a two star rating.
Harrison I must agree with everything you said as same thing happened to me there couple years ago. I don't eat much chinese cousine,never been in this area so didn't know what to go for and where.This buffet place looked exactly what my companion and I were looking for-affordable, quick and plenty of choices. I remember the food being just poor but what made really bad impression on us is how intense that place was.We felt so rushed they made it very clear they want us to just swallow not even chew and get out.GET OUT! Yes was very busy and from what I seen just now for some reason still is.All we wanted was to eat hot meal and carry on to our next destination we planned to visit not to sit for hours and chat. I remember it was mainly female staff then who kept asking "finished?finished?"while checking our plates every few min just so we would make space for another naive customers I dont know how does that place still exist....
Thank you for your review! I really like these "worst reviewed restaurant" videos. In 1990, I went to a top-rated hole-in-the-wall Chinese Cantonese restaurant in San Francisco where everyone sat really close together. Food was great, but it wasn't a buffet. Someone else said that the buffet style probably isn't suitable for Chinese cuisine, which is right because it needs to be served fresh. But what do you do? People want to come in, eat, and leave so they can get back to work/sight-seeing. Anyway, thank you again!
OUTER ORBIT @ 3215 Mission St San Francisco, CA 94110 Yeargh, this place is AWESOME!!! 🤮 I have NO idea just how the owners could possibly sleep at night; knowing the things that they know, and treating their customers like the way they do... LOUD, POUNDING, OBNOXIOUS dance music that just gives me the headaches. Rude, inattentive waitstaff who like to push you around for all the wrong reasons, and just generally try to make you feel UNWELCOMED here. Heavily diluted and watered-down drinks, with plenty of sugar added and spiked with some other shit; that came out to be at least 10-15 bucks a pop. Sub-par, bland-tasting, and flavorless food that looks like what they would serve up in a Hawaiian prison. INSANELY overpriced menu items, outdated arcade machines (that cost $2 to play), poor lighting, a totally questionable atmosphere (loud violent drunks on the premises), and service that is just off-the-charts (BAD). I brought a few Lakota friends of mine, who were visiting from out of state. They all wore plain casual street clothes, but no tribal wear or funny-looking headdresses of any sort. The only thing that would probably stand out about them is that they sported very long hair; like ponytails and braids, but nothing too weird or crazy tho. They came from way up in the Northern states, so they all spoke perfect American English. The waitress was all mean and pushy right from the start. It was pretty damn clear and apparent, that she did NOT like me or my Lakota friends. She was being VERY rude, condescending, and disrespectful to me and my Lakota friends. She made some very rude remarks, mocking/sneering at my Lakota friends, and that made them all feel pretty annoyed. While taking our orders, she asked us some really dumb/unrelated questions, and then she would just mock us right back like if we were STUPID. Sneering and jeering at us, like the outspoken jerk she was. This crass and unruly broad (with punk looks and TONS of makeup on), talked VERY LOUDLY and she talked right over us. We tried telling her what entrees we wanted to order, and what specific kinds of ingredients to watch out for (because one of my Lakota friends was a vegetarian and he had certain food allergies), but she would NOT listen to us at all. She was just popping bubblegum loudly from her mouth and constantly making all these weird-ass body movements, cranking her neck around and jerking her shoulders up and down; like as if she was on some HEAVY SHIT. She rudely raised her voice (literally yelling) and kept on yelling at us to speak up louder. And then when we did tried to speak up, she just outright SCREAMED at us at the top of her lungs! My Lakota friends are soft-spoken gentlemen with low voices and polite manners. They rarely ever speak much, but after this terrible and god-awful dining experience; it really gave 'em THE TALK. She also constantly looked us up and down, like as if there's something WRONG with us. I think she had a MAJOR problem with people crossing their legs or putting their boots up on the table. Her behavior was just SO appalling, that it made us felt like we were eating in some kind of prison cafeteria. But the WORST part of the whole dining experience tho, was that we got followed around and watched like CRIMINALS during the whole time while we were there. The staff just stood around and watched us like a buncha HAWKS. They were always constantly observing our every move and action. My Lakota friends went over to play some of the pinball/arcade games, and then they had a staff member (possibly security) who stood closely right next to them and watched them MENACINGLY with his arms crossed during the whole time while they played. All this, while that LOUD BOOMING disco/techno music was pounding right down on us. "THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!!" At like around 150+ BPM, just like the kind you would find in some of those shady and illegal underground dance clubs. The music wasn't even any good; it was all just meant to be overly loud and disruptive, so that customers wouldn't hang around for too long. Just ear-shattering and nerve-racking. They always play that goddamn music at FULL BLAST anyway, so no wonder the whole staff is always so edgy. LOUD BOOMING BASS. Just plenty LOUD and GAY, if you ask me. There were lots of crazy kids running around and screaming everywhere, and the drunks who were seated nearby can also be heard mumbling out loud, with plenty of cursing and swearing. I have NO idea just WTF they spiked their drinks with, but those dark brooding drunks looked like they were up to NO GOOD. There was even a loud, emotional conversation going on between two drunks, who were talking about race and women. But the more they drank, the more darker their conversations became. First it was just some funny sex jokes, but then it soon became VIOLENT; loaded with threats of death and bodily harm. I could see the sweat dripping down their foreheads as they drank hella fast and hard. Shot after shot. Round after round. Hard liquor and throat-burnin' stuff. They had these GLARING red eyes. Banging their fists on the counter, and demanding the bartender to pour MORE booze... Yeargh, I could tell that those guys drank ALOT. They were SO drunk and talking SO loud, that even the whole goddamn place can hear it. All that jazz and commotion, like right in front of the children; who were paying some games nearby. Nobody even gave a shit or a fuck, as they just continued to pour that diluted piss-water down their throats; while all hunched over on the bar counter. There is even VOMIT on the floor, and the whole damn place just reeks and smells of URINE. That just pretty much sets the 'mood' for this dirty, run-down, and shady-ass dump. Loud music, screaming children, and violent drunks just don't mix too well. You just know it's BAD. Just try to sit down here for like 5 minutes, to enjoy a nice sandwich and a cold drink underneath all of that commotion; and you'll see what I mean. Just PAY and GTFO is their motto! Then came the food... It was served in large plates and dishes, but the actual portions were rather quite small tho. Just a few small bites here and a couple of sips there, and you're pretty much done already. $60 for an entree is INSANE. $15 per drink is MURDER. Skimpy-ass food portions, tiny-ass beer/wine glasses, and just greedy-ass business practices overall (as other reviewers have pointed out). 8 bucks just for a water is awfully expensive if you ask me, and I honestly think that I've had much better beer at some other places. And when we tried the stuff out, NONE of it was actually any good at all. The food was really bland and under-seasoned, but we could also tell that they had really loaded it down with like a TON of MSG and artificial additives. Far too little ingredients, not quite enough flavor, very poor texture/consistency, and it really shows when you taste it. You could probably do WAY BETTER than this, with some microwave dinners at home. The meaty parts were just RAW on the inside and inedible, plus the veggies were cold and tasted like LEAD. None of it was fresh at all, bro. Some parts of the dishes were also under-cooked, as it gave one of my poor Lakota friends the SHITHOUSE RUNS afterwards. He was the kinda guy who just happens to have a sensitive stomach, and was quite allergic to things like that. He got so terribly sick, that he even PUKED when we all went back to the hotel later that evening. "That wasn't no meat or fish; that was SOMETHIN' ELSE, ese..." He said, as he gripped his stomach in pain and then just barfed ALL his guts right into the toilet. Then when the bill finally came, it was almost $800. I just shook my head and rubbed my eyes in SHOCK, thinking that it was all a mistake. But to THEM at least, it was definitely NO mistake. There were only 4 of us in all, and each person spent about 120 bucks or so on food and drinks, not counting the 50 extra bucks that we spent playing some pinball/arcade games while waiting FOREVER for the food to arrive (which even ate up some of our quarters, BTW). So after taxes and fees, the total should've really come out to be like no more than $550. We got the waitress, and inquired about it. Then she simply just cleared her throat, raised her voice again and told us in a very rude condescending tone (with amplified volume), that it was a 'gratuity fee' that was automatically tacked on by default. "You HAVE TO PAY that, sir!" I'm like, SERIOUSLY??? Well, I'm all for tips and service/overhead charges when it comes to dining out with friends, but HOW ON EARTH did that come out to be an extra $150? Knowing that she simply just CANNOT be reasoned with, we just foot the bill and left the damn place. We were so 'full of it' that we couldn't even stay for dessert. My Lakota friends even got sick afterwards. I think they will all make it a point to NEVER visit me or my town ever again. I am SO sorry, my friends! 😫
I think I ate at the HK Buffet around 15 odd years ago! I was so frustrated that they charged service for a self-serve buffet!! A very sub-par buffet at that! Lol I think they also had a sign about charging for wastage, a group next to us were trying to hide their leftovers 😅 It may have been a different one though, as there are few out in China Town. Mr Wu was our go to as students as it was £4.95 for all you could eat! Was consistently so salty and they'd refuse to serve you tap water 😂
Man, I'm Asian so I know this can be weird and uncomfortable to a lot of ppl, but thats just a form of hospitality in places where the staff and the owner are SUPER friendly. Ive eaten in some small places in India- north and south, urban, rural and suburban, and people ask you how the food is when you eat, and ask you try certain things (esp if its a full course meal/thali which can have anything from 5-15/20 items on plate, I'm not on joking🤣). In Indian weddings, you'll see the relatives and caterers walking around the hall asking people how they are doing, how the food is and if they want anything. I understand how it can be suoer uncomfortable to people who are not familiar with this form of hospitality, and I'm not saying the place was any better but I thought putting a little content might help! Im sad that the food is horrible there tho.
Super friendly staffs = bad food most of the time. In those Indian/HK restaurants where the waiters and staffs have a sort of attitude? Bomb azz delicious bussin' food
OUTSIDE TABLE FOR DINE IN CUSTOMER ONLY. Sums it up. In the 1970s, in Oldham (before we got the Hell out of Dodge and moved to America) our local Chinese was superb. We used to call it "Effin Elsie's" not because she swore a lot but when she took our order, she always said "Effin Else?"
He did this in another video as well. I genuinely don’t think he’s ever encountered prawns with the shell still on so he doesn’t know what to do with them! 😂
You got to try this place...We ate at Lotus Garden in Chinatown and it was absolutely the worst restaurant we visited on our 4 week trip across Europe and the Mediterranean. I ordered sezchaun beef and I think it was literally watered down slightly spicy ketchup poured on fried beef strips.
I was waiting for the camera to pan at the audience of two boys who “trolled” Harrison about the prawn to reveal it was Andy with a friend the whole time haha… Would’ve been such a twist! 🫶🏼🫶🏼
Well, this still lokks better as most "average" american restaurants! We were visiting the USA for a two month "road-trip" across the country back in 2022! I almost couldn´t believe what we were seeing on this journey, this was really kinda "life-lesson"!😏 P.s: Thank god i´m from Switzerland, here standards (especially when it comes to serving food) are very high! 🤗
Tbf in a lot of chinese players you do pay before you eat. The places are so hectic that they can't keep on top of people coming in and out and people sometimes order drinks and just walk out so they charge first.
Look at the size of the seating area, then how big is the kitchen, for the number of food items on display and the number of staff. So why say that. Some Chinese Restaurants in the tourist areas have the food in the main cooked off site and bused in on trolleys with trays. Chef Ding Ding is at work ie Mircowave. The old adage, the tourist is here today and gone the next, but money is in the till. My first hand knowledge while working in London.
I live in the US. Do with Minnesota to be exact. We have a Chinese buffet here called the Giant Panda and all my friends love it. I won't go there even when they pay because I've seen their food and I've ordered off of the regular menu. Which by the way pissed off the waitress to no end in the food was horrendous. I ordered beef lo mein and shrimp egg foo young and I took two bites out of each and I left. So I hope you don't get sick like I did. And remember I only had two bites. 🤢
so they could vastly improve their buffet just by getting a better recipe cook? but then if they're busy like that...what incentive is there to improve? it's kinda surprising that it's so crowded
@@HarrisonWebb97 Go next door, literally as you said, the place next door is great I went there last week! Its called Tao Tao Ju, would make for a good vid.
If any foreigner wants to know what one of the most quintessential British reactions to bad food this is it! 😂 A lot of our people will just sit there and eat their horrific food without complaining to the staff and just happily pay for it come the end! 😂
Yes i have noticed chinese and India food has become expensive and the quality has gone down like the processed chicken they all seem to use generally has no taste.
Moral: pay attention to trip advisor reviews 😂 Busy yet no Chinese customers - take the hint!! 🤦🏽♀️ Don’t feel mean - they’re serving crap - they’re not daft! They’ve only got to get people once to make money ☹️
I dont see what was wrong with the prawns? Like if u don't like the flavour/sauces fair enough but why would u put it on your plate if u know u don't like prawns? Also I don't know if the shell was on or not but u can peel it off however some people do eat the whole thing- including shells, legs, head. Again u can take the head/legs off too... I felt like u could've explained y u didn't like the noodles, the veg spring rolls a little bit more even after u left rather than just saying u don't like it.
The London China restaurant and eatery has become increasingly complacent over the years, clinging to outdated practices and a stubborn mindset reminiscent of the 1970s. The owner seems resistant to change, focusing primarily on maintaining low-quality yet lucrative food offerings. This establishment operates under the misguided belief that they are the best option available in London, disregarding the evolving tastes and expectations of today’s diners. As a result, they risk alienating a customer base that seeks both quality and authenticity in their dining experiences.
00:32 The food was WASHED, the restaurant was WASHED, the staff was WASHED. Is that a thing one would say? Or are they saying the restaurant was really clean? 🤔
On average i would say chinese buffets are the worst restaurants in terms of food quality, cleanliness and turnover rate. At best you can find one thats decent.
why is there a service charge when you serve yourself. so your service charge is for some one to watch you eat there food. may be just film secretly with spy cameras then voice over instead so don't draw attention to you. the food did not look that good and the unwanted attention from staff and people is very off putting to eat there its like they know completely that there food is not good. and dont want anyone else to find out about it
Having an automatic service charge added on is dodgy in the UK IMO, even if it’s not a buffet place (which makes it even more egregious). We have a minimum wage and our wait staff are paid (reasonably) well so they don’t have to rely on tips. But more and more places are doing it and I find that in those places that do it, that service charge doesn’t go to the wait staff, it’s just extra money that goes to the owner. Highly dodgy.
I work at a hotel on the east coast of the UK and we operate as pay as you go, everythi g is paid for before you receive it. Its like any other product, like on amazon, you pay for it, then you get it, or in shops. Didnt think it was such a foreign concept
If the restaurant waiters/waitress/staffs are unusually super nice to you, walk out!! It is indication that the food is bad and they have to have good service to compensate for that & pull people in. Because in a good restaurant, the waiters & chefs don't give a sh1t what you order, don't need to serve you like kings/queens and don't care whether you walk out or not
I like how you’re discretely trying not to get kicked out of the restaurant.
It's not a restaurant...It's a buffet
@@christiangarau7647 It's still a restaurant... Maybe look up the definition. lol
@@christiangarau7647 it's not a fork it's a dining utensil
@somsnosa LMAO
@@christiangarau7647 it’s not a cinema.. it’s a movie theatre.
A few years ago my wife dragged me and my son into this 'restaurant'. To this day we have never let her forget it and it's my rolling get-out-of-jail card whenever I screw up.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
They use the cheapest possible ingredients. And tons of MSG. I know because I used to work in the kitchen...
MSG is evil and these days over pure and toxic, I am allergic to it as I had a nasty incident in a restaurant around 48 years ago as it reacted with the alcohol I had also consumed and as soon as the air hit me on the way out, I hit the floor! at that time I had a Thai dr and he was laughing about the fact that I had Chinese restaurant complaint! I remember the old fashioned MSG that was called Ve Tsin and as a kid my dad pulled me aside and said if you ever use this stuff use it like this and he got a match stick and stood it on end and the amount he said to use in the meat was around one fifth of the size of a match head and we only ever used in dumplings, I have also seen some cooks throw it in food like there was no tomorrow, and that is due to their own addiction to it! I never use it ever, it is an excitotoxin and with heavy use can cause alopecia and hair loss.
🤮 not good. Avoid for your health. Eat raw carrot 🥕 better from the supermarket then. 😂
Monosodium glutamate seriously !? That's terrible but well if you want to feed someone a literal crap and make it taste good ........
Finally, everytime I tell people that MSG isn't good to your own health, people just bash me online for some reason.
Okay a tiny bit, it's fairly ok but not in huge amounts as many Asian restaurants do.
@@AnthonymvprIt’s only as unhealthy as pouring an absolute ton of salt all over your food. MSG has actual less sodium than regular table salt
That entire experience felt like a fever dream 💀 that stranger that turned and said "it's tasty isn't it?" about that shrimp... instant red flag 😭😂
it really does feel like a fever dream 😅
I adore the nodding while you're trying SO HARD to not show how disgusting whatever you were eating was 😅 amazing! At least you didn't get kicked out and had to go back as an American tourist, so kudos to the small joys 💫
Please continue this series. Somebody has to call out these restaurants
Oh my god I am dying... This video is legit legendary.. I almost fell off the couch laughing..
Especally the nodding part was killing me. Bloody precious.
and after getting out of the restaurant, you really furiously and passionately acted for what you just had been through.. and that was killing part and so hilarious like seriously and I highly insist you must be an actor. Dead seriois.
oh dear.
This video will be mental medicine when I am depressed from now on for sure.
Are u baked mate
um
It seems pretty intense in there 😂
He's a drama queen ffs only weirdo i see in this video is the guy freaking out because someone looked at him
@@TimmyRipkey-zj7sg I believe he’s been kicked out before
@@paulhuang1694which vid?
@@TimmyRipkey-zj7sg It's Soho/Chinatown CENTRAL LONDON, ffs! People film all the time. You're the only fkn drama queen here, ya muppet!
looks like a nightmare to eat in!
It’s crowded because it’s in Chinatown where lots of tourists go - and it’s pretty cheap. A question - how many actual Chinese people were eating there? For me that’s always the killer test. In my experience all these Chinese/Asian buffet places are mediocre, but they’re cheap. (PS I lived in Hong Kong for years, and I’m married to a a mainland Chinese person from central China)
Nobody asked.
@@toffeelatte6042 rude lol. I think thats a helpful little tip for picking a place to eat
I just found this channel. So thoroughly enjoy your videos. Funny and entertaining. 😂🤩
I want to travel to London one day so I’m learning so much! Ty!
The fact you have to pay for your food 1st would be a huge red flag straight away in a restaurant
Here in the US that’s not a red flag at all for buffets. It’s actually simpler because then nobody has to worry about people not paying.
@ I’ve eaten in many buffet restaurants in New York and haven’t paid upfront
It's mostly du to the location. They've had so many people/tourists dine and dash that they have to charge people first now
What kind of people you have in US ;D wow @@loveisall5520
you pay first in nandos... it's a better way to do it, no waiting around after.
I have worked in F&B for a while and lemme tell you, Asian and especially Chinese food is not meant for a buffet model. Asian food in general should always be made fresh with fresh ingredients. However, when I started working in London, I realised a lot of Asian restaurants (not buffet one) pre-cooked everything and assembled it on the woks as you order it... Somehow, instead of bringing the best of Asian culture, they literally bring the worst & most Westernized thing to London - sweatshops (for food) lol.
Idk man, buffets are popular in China. I've been to huge ones where you pay 100 yuan and you can eat anything, starting from rice ending with king crab, it was delicious
Absolutely true :)
@@islmhhh4987 Different scenario, people go fucking nuts in buffets in China and the food turnover is so quick that everything stays fresh.
Fried food doesn't do well standing out, and it often does for too long before the tray clears in Chinatown.
totally agree! also fish/Prawns should not be left laying in a dish for hours on end it should be served fresh from the wok or the steamer👍👍👍👍👍
The video needs some context and I wish more RUclipsrs would be better informed. Long story short, rents in Chinatown are so high now due to massive rent increases by the Westminster Estate (Duke of Westminster) that it puts alot of restaurants out of business, hence service has gone down as well as quality of food etc. They also ask you to play in advance because so many people eat and then do a runner or refuse to pay. Restaurant businesses really struggle to survive in Chinatown. You want proper Chinese food, you'd never do a 'all you can eat buffet' as its inevitably low quality junk food, you'd be far better off going to a proper restaurant with menus etc.
I agree totally, there is a buffet place in Carlisle which is like this where the food is mediocre and some of the clientele are drunk. Sad thing is, the city has nowhere else for Chinese. Interestingly, Carlisle has a thriving Thai restaurant scene where standards are high and prices reasonable.
here in america buffets are super popular not just in las vegas but everywhere and depending where in america buffets can be pretty good still not as good quality as proper restaurants with menus but still.. also there's more options than what is shown here lol but that's expected because well.. america XD hopefully one day i can visit england that'd be cool
The very same Parasite Duke destroyed a lot of businesses due to his COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER of the land that those businesses were established on for decades hence the City of Sub-culture status in Liverpool with more empty buildings left to replace once thriving establishments, a distant relative of mine was sued by his former workers due to not being paid by the Dukies parasite company for the premises and the building! this is how that Parasite family makes it's money by stealing from honest hard working people, I hate that family with a passion.
It’s the worst reviewed bud, you’re gonna have to make a worse sit down restaurant instead then
Rents have gone up so service quality has gone down? That doesn't make any sense as a logical conclusion. Please explain that one
THE BIT OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT TOWARDS THE END KILLED ME SO HILARIOUS HAHAHAHA
RIP 🪦
Seems to be lacking any guards between the customer and the food, one decent sneeze...
I love how buffet style restaurants have the sneeze guards but the tongs are handled by everyone
It’s been my experience, the places that make you pay before you get your food do so so you can’t refuse to pay when it’s shit. They know they suck and don’t even care.
Every Chinese buffet in Chinatown does this
It’s also their way of making the service run quickly and preventing any hold ups. You walk in, pay, eat and go
Plus, in a buffet scenario it's not clear to the staff when you have finished your meal
I go to Chinatown alot and I was told by a member of staff at another restaurant that in the past they've had many people (mainly tourists) sit outside and run off without paying.
You pay first on every buffet here in the USA.
I got a chinese carry out while in london,im not a fussy eater but it was horrendous the crab soup had 4 of the thinest slices of crab in the soup,and the beef curry had 4 thin slices of beef so thin you could not taste it,no idea if it was the same place but it went in the bin.
Prawn incident description afterwards had me dieingggggg
*nods* "hmmm yeah, sooooo good" lol what a play!
When I saw this in London for the first time, I simply walked away as this looks like Two-dish mealboxes we usually have here in Hong Kong -- usually just 3-4 pounds per box and look/taste far much better than that lol. and we dont have spring rolls in the lunchboxes this is really weird. And I also had similar experience at 8:20 this is really uncomfortable...
I have a confession, i ate here and I liked it
Well looks like you're not the only one. There's lots of people in there.
The food looks good, this video is making me want to go there
You're a weirdo, i went there two times, never again, horrible food, horrible restaurant atmosphere
@@revl6151 enjoy
Yeah same I’ve eaten at all the buffets in China town and have enjoyed them 😂 Mr Wu is the worst of them all
They definitely know the food is terrible. That’s why they make you pay first and being in London they know that new customers that don’t know the place will be past everyday.
Just around the corner is the plum valley, NEVER AGAIN
Fast forward 1 year where Harrison comes back, and they don't let him in 😂
Woohoo! Early crew!!! Much love from Tennessee ❤
I swear that place is some sort of SCP location and everyone there must praise the food and be enthusiastic about it to keep the place from going haywire 😭😂
Loved your honesty. Cheers.
I once booked a resort for my family in Mexico after booking i saw it had horrible reviews such as drain cleaner for orange juice etc. was one of the nicest fanciest resorts I've been to and I've been to a lot. Turns out they cater more to wealthy mexican clientele. Not to Americans. Even the president of Mexico had a private suite there. It had a two star rating.
The lightning fast reaction to “put the camera down” 😂
A fridge raider thats been left out for five days 😂😂😂😂😂
Harrison I must agree with everything you said as same thing happened to me there couple years ago.
I don't eat much chinese cousine,never been in this area so didn't know what to go for and where.This buffet place looked exactly what my companion and I were looking for-affordable, quick and plenty of choices.
I remember the food being just poor but what made really bad impression on us is how intense that place was.We felt so rushed they made it very clear they want us to just swallow not even chew and get out.GET OUT!
Yes was very busy and from what I seen just now for some reason still is.All we wanted was to eat hot meal and carry on to our next destination we planned to visit not to sit for hours and chat.
I remember it was mainly female staff then who kept asking "finished?finished?"while checking our plates every few min just so we would make space for another naive customers
I dont know how does that place still exist....
this is so funny lol the awkwardness is sending me hahahaha!
honestly all the buffets in china town are bad. only the sit down and order restaurants are good.
On lunch at work watching this🤣❤️
Mate that last video in London was hilarious, my god the lady was so mean lol
Thank you for your review! I really like these "worst reviewed restaurant" videos. In 1990, I went to a top-rated hole-in-the-wall Chinese Cantonese restaurant in San Francisco where everyone sat really close together. Food was great, but it wasn't a buffet. Someone else said that the buffet style probably isn't suitable for Chinese cuisine, which is right because it needs to be served fresh. But what do you do? People want to come in, eat, and leave so they can get back to work/sight-seeing. Anyway, thank you again!
OUTER ORBIT @ 3215 Mission St San Francisco, CA 94110
Yeargh, this place is AWESOME!!! 🤮
I have NO idea just how the owners could possibly sleep at night; knowing the things that they know, and treating their customers like the way they do...
LOUD, POUNDING, OBNOXIOUS dance music that just gives me the headaches. Rude, inattentive waitstaff who like to push you around for all the wrong reasons, and just generally try to make you feel UNWELCOMED here. Heavily diluted and watered-down drinks, with plenty of sugar added and spiked with some other shit; that came out to be at least 10-15 bucks a pop. Sub-par, bland-tasting, and flavorless food that looks like what they would serve up in a Hawaiian prison. INSANELY overpriced menu items, outdated arcade machines (that cost $2 to play), poor lighting, a totally questionable atmosphere (loud violent drunks on the premises), and service that is just off-the-charts (BAD). I brought a few Lakota friends of mine, who were visiting from out of state. They all wore plain casual street clothes, but no tribal wear or funny-looking headdresses of any sort. The only thing that would probably stand out about them is that they sported very long hair; like ponytails and braids, but nothing too weird or crazy tho. They came from way up in the Northern states, so they all spoke perfect American English. The waitress was all mean and pushy right from the start. It was pretty damn clear and apparent, that she did NOT like me or my Lakota friends. She was being VERY rude, condescending, and disrespectful to me and my Lakota friends. She made some very rude remarks, mocking/sneering at my Lakota friends, and that made them all feel pretty annoyed. While taking our orders, she asked us some really dumb/unrelated questions, and then she would just mock us right back like if we were STUPID. Sneering and jeering at us, like the outspoken jerk she was. This crass and unruly broad (with punk looks and TONS of makeup on), talked VERY LOUDLY and she talked right over us. We tried telling her what entrees we wanted to order, and what specific kinds of ingredients to watch out for (because one of my Lakota friends was a vegetarian and he had certain food allergies), but she would NOT listen to us at all. She was just popping bubblegum loudly from her mouth and constantly making all these weird-ass body movements, cranking her neck around and jerking her shoulders up and down; like as if she was on some HEAVY SHIT. She rudely raised her voice (literally yelling) and kept on yelling at us to speak up louder. And then when we did tried to speak up, she just outright SCREAMED at us at the top of her lungs! My Lakota friends are soft-spoken gentlemen with low voices and polite manners. They rarely ever speak much, but after this terrible and god-awful dining experience; it really gave 'em THE TALK. She also constantly looked us up and down, like as if there's something WRONG with us. I think she had a MAJOR problem with people crossing their legs or putting their boots up on the table. Her behavior was just SO appalling, that it made us felt like we were eating in some kind of prison cafeteria. But the WORST part of the whole dining experience tho, was that we got followed around and watched like CRIMINALS during the whole time while we were there. The staff just stood around and watched us like a buncha HAWKS. They were always constantly observing our every move and action. My Lakota friends went over to play some of the pinball/arcade games, and then they had a staff member (possibly security) who stood closely right next to them and watched them MENACINGLY with his arms crossed during the whole time while they played. All this, while that LOUD BOOMING disco/techno music was pounding right down on us. "THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!!" At like around 150+ BPM, just like the kind you would find in some of those shady and illegal underground dance clubs. The music wasn't even any good; it was all just meant to be overly loud and disruptive, so that customers wouldn't hang around for too long. Just ear-shattering and nerve-racking. They always play that goddamn music at FULL BLAST anyway, so no wonder the whole staff is always so edgy. LOUD BOOMING BASS. Just plenty LOUD and GAY, if you ask me. There were lots of crazy kids running around and screaming everywhere, and the drunks who were seated nearby can also be heard mumbling out loud, with plenty of cursing and swearing. I have NO idea just WTF they spiked their drinks with, but those dark brooding drunks looked like they were up to NO GOOD. There was even a loud, emotional conversation going on between two drunks, who were talking about race and women. But the more they drank, the more darker their conversations became. First it was just some funny sex jokes, but then it soon became VIOLENT; loaded with threats of death and bodily harm. I could see the sweat dripping down their foreheads as they drank hella fast and hard. Shot after shot. Round after round. Hard liquor and throat-burnin' stuff. They had these GLARING red eyes. Banging their fists on the counter, and demanding the bartender to pour MORE booze... Yeargh, I could tell that those guys drank ALOT. They were SO drunk and talking SO loud, that even the whole goddamn place can hear it. All that jazz and commotion, like right in front of the children; who were paying some games nearby. Nobody even gave a shit or a fuck, as they just continued to pour that diluted piss-water down their throats; while all hunched over on the bar counter. There is even VOMIT on the floor, and the whole damn place just reeks and smells of URINE. That just pretty much sets the 'mood' for this dirty, run-down, and shady-ass dump. Loud music, screaming children, and violent drunks just don't mix too well. You just know it's BAD. Just try to sit down here for like 5 minutes, to enjoy a nice sandwich and a cold drink underneath all of that commotion; and you'll see what I mean. Just PAY and GTFO is their motto! Then came the food... It was served in large plates and dishes, but the actual portions were rather quite small tho. Just a few small bites here and a couple of sips there, and you're pretty much done already. $60 for an entree is INSANE. $15 per drink is MURDER. Skimpy-ass food portions, tiny-ass beer/wine glasses, and just greedy-ass business practices overall (as other reviewers have pointed out). 8 bucks just for a water is awfully expensive if you ask me, and I honestly think that I've had much better beer at some other places. And when we tried the stuff out, NONE of it was actually any good at all. The food was really bland and under-seasoned, but we could also tell that they had really loaded it down with like a TON of MSG and artificial additives. Far too little ingredients, not quite enough flavor, very poor texture/consistency, and it really shows when you taste it. You could probably do WAY BETTER than this, with some microwave dinners at home. The meaty parts were just RAW on the inside and inedible, plus the veggies were cold and tasted like LEAD. None of it was fresh at all, bro. Some parts of the dishes were also under-cooked, as it gave one of my poor Lakota friends the SHITHOUSE RUNS afterwards. He was the kinda guy who just happens to have a sensitive stomach, and was quite allergic to things like that. He got so terribly sick, that he even PUKED when we all went back to the hotel later that evening. "That wasn't no meat or fish; that was SOMETHIN' ELSE, ese..." He said, as he gripped his stomach in pain and then just barfed ALL his guts right into the toilet. Then when the bill finally came, it was almost $800. I just shook my head and rubbed my eyes in SHOCK, thinking that it was all a mistake. But to THEM at least, it was definitely NO mistake. There were only 4 of us in all, and each person spent about 120 bucks or so on food and drinks, not counting the 50 extra bucks that we spent playing some pinball/arcade games while waiting FOREVER for the food to arrive (which even ate up some of our quarters, BTW). So after taxes and fees, the total should've really come out to be like no more than $550. We got the waitress, and inquired about it. Then she simply just cleared her throat, raised her voice again and told us in a very rude condescending tone (with amplified volume), that it was a 'gratuity fee' that was automatically tacked on by default. "You HAVE TO PAY that, sir!" I'm like, SERIOUSLY??? Well, I'm all for tips and service/overhead charges when it comes to dining out with friends, but HOW ON EARTH did that come out to be an extra $150? Knowing that she simply just CANNOT be reasoned with, we just foot the bill and left the damn place. We were so 'full of it' that we couldn't even stay for dessert. My Lakota friends even got sick afterwards. I think they will all make it a point to NEVER visit me or my town ever again. I am SO sorry, my friends! 😫
I couldn't stop laughing when he was imitating that guy that was watching him 😂
I think I ate at the HK Buffet around 15 odd years ago! I was so frustrated that they charged service for a self-serve buffet!! A very sub-par buffet at that!
Lol I think they also had a sign about charging for wastage, a group next to us were trying to hide their leftovers 😅
It may have been a different one though, as there are few out in China Town. Mr Wu was our go to as students as it was £4.95 for all you could eat! Was consistently so salty and they'd refuse to serve you tap water 😂
eat it... eat it, GEORGIE! 🤡🤡🤡 08:27
You actually need to peel those prawns first not eat them with their shell and legs
I like them with the skin on too
I went to watch the first one. Wow! The woman was so rude and never changed… why dose she choose to work in a restaurant or cafe…
You had me fooled. You didnt look like the food was bad when you were eating it. Lmao 😅😂
It was awful !!!! Went there today and they demanded money up front and the food was dreadful. Charged my kid full price !!! AVOID !!!
Well a lot of lunch restaurants have pay up front, so don't think this restaurant is an exception.
We have too many immigrants nowadays they just afraid people have no money to pay the meal
@@usercs_2682 what a dumb comment
Man, I'm Asian so I know this can be weird and uncomfortable to a lot of ppl, but thats just a form of hospitality in places where the staff and the owner are SUPER friendly. Ive eaten in some small places in India- north and south, urban, rural and suburban, and people ask you how the food is when you eat, and ask you try certain things (esp if its a full course meal/thali which can have anything from 5-15/20 items on plate, I'm not on joking🤣). In Indian weddings, you'll see the relatives and caterers walking around the hall asking people how they are doing, how the food is and if they want anything. I understand how it can be suoer uncomfortable to people who are not familiar with this form of hospitality, and I'm not saying the place was any better but I thought putting a little content might help! Im sad that the food is horrible there tho.
Super friendly staffs = bad food most of the time. In those Indian/HK restaurants where the waiters and staffs have a sort of attitude? Bomb azz delicious bussin' food
Awww I'm glad I discovered you Harrison 😂 😊
I went here years ago with some colleagues… we all just had one half a plate it was horrific. The worst ever. Never again.
The food is dry and tastes bad because it’s been under heat lamps
Yeah Ive been there twice...not sure why a second time. Its a dump. Worst buffet in the world.
No kidding mate you look exactly like comedian Rick Mayal from the comedy ‘young ones’ ,your expressions 😂lol
OUTSIDE TABLE FOR DINE IN CUSTOMER ONLY. Sums it up. In the 1970s, in Oldham (before we got the Hell out of Dodge and moved to America) our local Chinese was superb. We used to call it "Effin Elsie's" not because she swore a lot but when she took our order, she always said "Effin Else?"
Well dont for slightly racist tone, so serve this effin customers!
You didn't know you can peel the shrimp shell & legs off? Have you never eaten shrimp before?
He did this in another video as well. I genuinely don’t think he’s ever encountered prawns with the shell still on so he doesn’t know what to do with them! 😂
As a hker hope you won't have a bad impression, come and try those genuine hk local food!
You got to try this place...We ate at Lotus Garden in Chinatown and it was absolutely the worst restaurant we visited on our 4 week trip across Europe and the Mediterranean.
I ordered sezchaun beef and I think it was literally watered down slightly spicy ketchup poured on fried beef strips.
14 pound in central London. What do you expect? It’s a place for teenagers and their pocket money. And they need these places with affordable food.
There’s a video here on RUclips and the buffet was £6.90 at some Chinese place in England 🏴
Never heard an old person say “it’s for teenagers” in reference to a restaurant spot 😂 excuses galore
I'm here to tell you that you are supposed to peel the bloody prawn dude 😂you don't eat the bloody shell 😂😂
This just popped up, and now I'm hooked!! What a brilliant brilliant channel!!
It must be operated by mainland Chinese.
I was waiting for the camera to pan at the audience of two boys who “trolled” Harrison about the prawn to reveal it was Andy with a friend the whole time haha… Would’ve been such a twist! 🫶🏼🫶🏼
He probably can't stop staring when you're eating the prawn shell instead of removing it.
You can eat it with shells too
Well, this still lokks better as most "average" american restaurants! We were visiting the USA for a two month "road-trip" across the country back in 2022!
I almost couldn´t believe what we were seeing on this journey, this was really kinda "life-lesson"!😏
P.s: Thank god i´m from Switzerland, here standards (especially when it comes to serving food) are very high! 🤗
This is the kindest.. Sweetest man. ❤❤
7:37 looks eerily similar to a gordon ramsay post-first service confessional lmfaoo
One way to keep people from eating too much food in a buffet setting, is to make it all inedible. 😂
Tbf in a lot of chinese players you do pay before you eat. The places are so hectic that they can't keep on top of people coming in and out and people sometimes order drinks and just walk out so they charge first.
Nobody asked you…
Look at the size of the seating area, then how big is the kitchen, for the number of food items on display and the number of staff. So why say that. Some Chinese Restaurants in the tourist areas have the food in the main cooked off site and bused in on trolleys with trays. Chef Ding Ding is at work ie Mircowave. The old adage, the tourist is here today and gone the next, but money is in the till. My first hand knowledge while working in London.
I live in the US. Do with Minnesota to be exact. We have a Chinese buffet here called the Giant Panda and all my friends love it. I won't go there even when they pay because I've seen their food and I've ordered off of the regular menu. Which by the way pissed off the waitress to no end in the food was horrendous. I ordered beef lo mein and shrimp egg foo young and I took two bites out of each and I left.
So I hope you don't get sick like I did. And remember I only had two bites. 🤢
you guys didn't eat shrimp leg??? that thing is good deepfried. idk about the one on that restaurant tho
Loving these videos lmaoooo
I am sure the food is not even that bad. Chinese food is the best ❤❤❤❤
so they could vastly improve their buffet just by getting a better recipe cook? but then if they're busy like that...what incentive is there to improve? it's kinda surprising that it's so crowded
I want to see you rate the best rated Chinese restaurant in London
That could be fun!!!
@@HarrisonWebb97 Go next door, literally as you said, the place next door is great I went there last week! Its called Tao Tao Ju, would make for a good vid.
Aguamiel honestly have the best churros in London 🙌🏼🙌🏼 10:45
I am a new sub from the USA. You are brilliant and funny!! love it.
Thanks for subbing!
Really..how worthy is this guy’s “appraisal - he’s certainly not a “ gourmand” - not with his elbows on the table!! Hahahaha!!
If any foreigner wants to know what one of the most quintessential British reactions to bad food this is it! 😂
A lot of our people will just sit there and eat their horrific food without complaining to the staff and just happily pay for it come the end! 😂
Yes i have noticed chinese and India food has become expensive and the quality has gone down like the processed chicken they all seem to use generally has no taste.
Moral: pay attention to trip advisor reviews 😂
Busy yet no Chinese customers - take the hint!! 🤦🏽♀️
Don’t feel mean - they’re serving crap - they’re not daft! They’ve only got to get people once to make money ☹️
Why are these places still open????
Lol omg this video is hilarious, "mmm delicious" 😅😂
hahaha you know what else is funny? if you , farted in someones face 😁😂
I dont see what was wrong with the prawns? Like if u don't like the flavour/sauces fair enough but why would u put it on your plate if u know u don't like prawns? Also I don't know if the shell was on or not but u can peel it off however some people do eat the whole thing- including shells, legs, head. Again u can take the head/legs off too...
I felt like u could've explained y u didn't like the noodles, the veg spring rolls a little bit more even after u left rather than just saying u don't like it.
Did you try the toenail fried rice?
Dude you know you're supposed to peel the shrimp before you eat it right?
They don’t eat it much in the uk
Dude you can eat legs too. I think you know little about shrimps
You don't have to- the head, tail, and shell are actually nutritious if you choose to eat them
@@ZhangBangsFurylol we absolutely do. He obviously doesn't
@@deadziobut who does? Nobody but 3rd world country white people
“How did you get into China” when I see the subtitle 😂😂😂as a Chinese I enjoyed this content hahahhaha
Tell me you didn’t just eat a prawn with the shell and legs still on 😂😂
that s ok.
The London China restaurant and eatery has become increasingly complacent over the years, clinging to outdated practices and a stubborn mindset reminiscent of the 1970s. The owner seems resistant to change, focusing primarily on maintaining low-quality yet lucrative food offerings. This establishment operates under the misguided belief that they are the best option available in London, disregarding the evolving tastes and expectations of today’s diners. As a result, they risk alienating a customer base that seeks both quality and authenticity in their dining experiences.
00:32 The food was WASHED, the restaurant was WASHED, the staff was WASHED.
Is that a thing one would say? Or are they saying the restaurant was really clean? 🤔
On average i would say chinese buffets are the worst restaurants in terms of food quality, cleanliness and turnover rate. At best you can find one thats decent.
I completely agree
why is there a service charge when you serve yourself.
so your service charge is for some one to watch you eat there food.
may be just film secretly with spy cameras then voice over instead so don't draw attention to you.
the food did not look that good and the unwanted attention from staff and people is very off putting to eat there
its like they know completely that there food is not good. and dont want anyone else to find out about it
I can’t look at you and not see Rik Mayall. Pls take that as a compliment.
Love your content.
You're supposed to peel the shell off the prawns... Haha
You can eat legs too.
This guy probably wants the shrimp deveined as well.
You can eat it with shells too
I did peal off the shell and was met with the shit sack and mushy flesh, my dead nan was younger than the prawns.
To be honest they do eat some very weird food in China , so this sort of thing is very tame in comparison.
£36 for chinese style curry sauce is out of my budget...
thT was an experience 😂😂😂
Tao Tao Ju, the place next door, is absolutely INCREDIBLE. One of my favourite restaurants.
How are you an adult and you don’t know how to eat a prawn?
Having an automatic service charge added on is dodgy in the UK IMO, even if it’s not a buffet place (which makes it even more egregious). We have a minimum wage and our wait staff are paid (reasonably) well so they don’t have to rely on tips. But more and more places are doing it and I find that in those places that do it, that service charge doesn’t go to the wait staff, it’s just extra money that goes to the owner. Highly dodgy.
Still binge watching 😂😂 haven’t commented on everyone because that’s just weird 😬 anyways now to watch this one 😊❤
Happy i came across his RUclips channel! He’s pretty awesome!
I work at a hotel on the east coast of the UK and we operate as pay as you go, everythi g is paid for before you receive it. Its like any other product, like on amazon, you pay for it, then you get it, or in shops. Didnt think it was such a foreign concept
If the restaurant waiters/waitress/staffs are unusually super nice to you, walk out!! It is indication that the food is bad and they have to have good service to compensate for that & pull people in. Because in a good restaurant, the waiters & chefs don't give a sh1t what you order, don't need to serve you like kings/queens and don't care whether you walk out or not