Just down the road from the Pearl is a Ruby (King)

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Looking Good on the outside

I have to start off this week by declaring my bias: I am not generally a fan of Chinese Buffets in general and especially not of RubyKing in particular. Every now and then, simply because it is a favourite of a majority of the Supper Seven, I have to allow my own preferences to be overridden. So it was  that this evening, we headed to the Far East (of Orleans). It seems that there are quite a few of our favourite restaurants on St. Joseph Boulevard in Ottawa’s East End. In the last month or so, four of the six restaurants that we have reviewed have been within a mile or so of each other.

Why, you may well ask, am I not a huge fan of buffets? Well, first of all, although I rarely take more than one plate of food, I find I still end up eating more than I probably would if served an individual plate. Second, because some dishes can be sitting around for some time, the food is not always the freshest. The main reason, however, is that generally, I find there is a ‘sameness’ to the food, regardless of the content. This is especially so, for me at least, with Ruby King. There is nothing particular that I could or would complain about, I just don’t come away feeling ‘wowed’! My favourite part is usually (and this visit was no exception), the fruit selection for dessert.

I suppose, as Chinese buffets go, this is probably one of the better ones. After all, there must be a reason why 6 out of the Supper Seven have absolutely no problems with coming here on a regular basis! There are a couple of things I can recommend: The grilled shrimp on a skewer! A little messy to peel but always delicious. Buddha’s (or Monk’s) delight, if fresh is really good with crisp juicy bok choy! The chicken wings are a favourite of several of our group and a principal reason for coming apparently.

Pictured at the left is my personal selection of food. Normally, I do not select more than I can eat but this night my eyes were far ahead of my stomach. This was no fault of the food, since perhaps somewhat uncharacteristically, almost all the dishes were fresh.

We have come to know most of the serving staff as well as the owner and we are always treated almost like family. The fact that so many of the staff have remained the same over the years is a sign of a well-run establishment.

Summary

• Positives: Wide variety of food. Very children friendly.
• Negatives: They increase the price $2.00  Friday-Saturdays. Too much sweet sauces
• Summary: If you like Chinese buffets, you should probably give this one a whirl.

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