Master Buffet: 39-23 Queens Blvd., Sunnyside;
482-0600 or 361-7185
Cuisine: International
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays;
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Handicapped Accessible: Yes
Credit Cards: Visa and MasterCard
Just about six weeks old, Master Buffet in Sunnyside is virtually a culinary United
Nations.
Located underneath the Queens Boulevard el, this all-you-can-eat establishment offers
over 100 different international dishes, from Asian to American to Italian.
Always perceived as bargains because of their relatively low price-to-quantity ratio -
where you eat for quantity, not quality - some buffet restaurants have developed a certain
notoriety for selling food that has been left out in the open too long.
Not true at Masters. Items move fast and empty chafing
trays are continuously replenished with fresh, piping-hot items.
Eat as much as you want, from whatever you desire. Prices for lunch (11 a.m. to 3:30
p.m.) are $5.99 Monday through Friday and $7.99 on Saturdays and Sundays.
Early bird dinner (Monday through Friday, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.) will set you back
$7.99. Regular dinner Monday through Thursdays (5:00 to 10 p.m.) costs $9.99 and Friday
night dinner (until 11 p.m.) is $10.99. On the weekend, dinner is served until 11 p.m. and
costs $10.99.
Before patrons go to sample the multi-hued and multi-flavored fare, they are led to
their tables and asked their choice of drinks. Masters is still in the process of getting
a liquor license for beer and wine, so drink choices are, for now, limited to tea, coffee,
juice and soda pop.
Figuring out where to start was a tough decision. Clearly, the chefs know what they are
doing, since none of the selections sampled were over-or under-seasoned. Spices are used
to bring out the flavor of the food, not to disguise it.
For starters: a broccoli salad, which proved to be crisp and sweet, the chunks a deep
green, were picked at the perfect stage of ripeness. The snow-king-crab legs were boiled
to sweet perfection, the meat crumbling on the tongue.
Lo mein (a Chinese noodle dish), a staple at most Chinese restaurants, is given a
different spin here. The noodles are light, airy and chock-full of flavor, instead of
saturated with oil and grease.
During dinner hours, Master’s grill room opens for business, and patrons can savor
cuts of filet mignon they pick themselves, salmon, roast duck and spare ribs.
Clearly the restaurant’s owners anticipated a large clientele, and the floor plans
reveal it. About 250 people can be seated comfortably at widely-spaced tables on the
ground-floor level.
The lower level — used as a catering hall for private parties — has seating
for 120 people, a lighting system, dance floor and electrical and audio connections for DJ
equipment. Masters also does on-site catering.
— Sven Weil
