Oriental Buffet

Very friendly to the odd American, and excellent food! We enjoyed it. It was a first for my friend, and he is now a fan of it!

We went here on Saturday for a tea time treat, two adults and two toddlers aged one and three. There were lots of empty trays at the buffet. The ones that contained meat were mostly full of veg and sauce and a lot of the meats were dry. I didn’t use the loo but my husband and three year old daughter went to them, my husband said they were absolutely disgusting and my little girl refused to use the toilet once she’d seen inside. We didn’t really enjoy the food, in comparison to other Chinese restaurants it was rank. We just ate and paid, my husband and I said to each other ‘never again’. We thought that was the end of it but we had all been struck down with what appeared to be food poisoning starting with stomach cramps and vomiting through the night and various other hideous symptoms. I called the restaurant to complain and was given the run around. The first person I spoke to advised that there was no manager to speak to and gave me a mobile number to call. I asked to speak to another staff member who said that the manager was upstairs but I had to call his mobile, and gave me the mobile number again changing the last two digits, which I queried, and then he gave me the correct number. He also said ‘normally when this happens we ask for a hospital certificate to prove you are ill’. I called the mobile number and the man answering told me he wasn’t the manager and gave me another number and the person answered said he is the manager but has no authority and he would need to speak to the company director! He told me that I was calling his personal number and that he wasn’t working today. He sounded as though he was seeking sympathy from me. He said that in three years they have never had a complaint. I told him what the other staff member had said about ‘normally when this happens’ and the manager said he meant that is what they have learned in training. I asked for a refund for our meal and was told the same story about requiring a certificate from the hospital. He said that if he were to refund me he would get the sack! I explained that we haven’t visited the hospital as we were ill late on a Saturday night through to Sunday and it would have been too much of a struggle to go to the hospital. I called the out of hours doctor who said that it isn’t a hospital case at this stage and if it carries on for ten days then they’d investigate but these types of bugs are transient so taking a sample was unlikely to show anything anyway. The ‘manager’ refused to do anything because I didn’t have the all important ‘certificate’. The doctor advised that I can print off proof of the call logged through my surgery but I’d probably be charged for it. The charge would be around the same price as the meal so not really worth the bother. I wonder if this run around and ‘certificate’ request are designed to prevent people from complaining. I called environmental health, but I also I told the restaurant I was reporting them and I believe that they had time to clear up prior to visit. The Environmental Health officer found nothing wrong although they said it was just ‘ok’.I went in last night to try and get a refund or at least some acknowledgement and had a humiliating hour arguing with the manager who had taken me upstairs to a dark, empty part of the restaurant on our own where we just argued; I felt quite vulnerable and ended up leaving in tears. The manager said he had no power to refund me without ‘the certificate’ from the doctor and said that he isn’t the actual manager, there is a director in London but he refused to give me the ‘director’s’ number or name or any contact details. I have struggled to find any details of the director. I found out after this experience that you have previously reported issues with this restaurant. I can obtain a copy of the call log from the surgery but have found the whole situation quite distressing especially given the fact that my children are only one and three and my daughter had vomited during the night in her bed.

Amazing chinese food loads of selection all you can eat for around £4 child and £6 adult quick service and you can order drinks on your tables tab. The range of drinks aren’t amazing but they are good enough. Be sure not to waste a whole plate of food as they charge £5 for it if you do. They also have a few deserts which aren’t anything special but they are okay.

We love this Chinese buffet! It’s hidden away down South Street in Exeter with a small amount of parking out the front (free after 6pm, I think). They have what must be something like 50 dishes, all set out on a long hotplate system. You get your drinks when you sit down (never seem to have to reserve a table, no matter when we turn up) then are free to take a plate and get your food.
The food is good quality and tasty, even my 3 year old likes it and has tried some new stuff like crab! They do a few other bits in the evening like duck, crab etc that they don’t do in the day, and this is reflected in the price. It’s around £6 for an adult for lunch and £4 for a child, and it’s a few pounds more expensive in the evenings/​Sundays (all day buffet).
We would all highly recommend it, especially the toffee apple fritters!