Dining at a buffet can be a lengthy process for those keen on truly eating all they can muster, and for others, focusing on eating a wide variety of foods in one brief sitting is more their speed. Asian Star Super Buffet in San Antonio offers a decent selection at an affordable price, making it a reasonable choice for a quick weekday lunch.
Admittedly, I have been to Asian Star in the past, but it’s been years since my last visit, so I moseyed on over to the buffet off Wurzbach Road and I-10 to refresh my memory. Upon arrival, the place looked more or less the same, with dragon statues out front and a big sign advertising to drivers passing by on the highway. Inside, the walls were painted a calm yellow, while a few chandeliers added some glitz to the buffet.
The prices at Asian Star vary by time of day, but it’s only $14.99 per adult from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with dinner prices ranging from $17.99 to $18.99. I was dining on a Friday afternoon, so I was able to take advantage of the lower lunch pricing. This time, I was joined by my husband, so the total for two diners came to $32 and some change after taxes. Some buffets will cost you that much for a single person, but not here.
At Asian Star, you enter the lobby, tell the hostess your party number and they lead you to a table in the dining room. After giving your drink order to a server, you head to the buffet stations to load up on whatever you want. The buffet has distinct areas for certain foods, such as a cold bar for raw seafood, a sushi setup and a Mongolian-style grill where customers can pick out ingredients to be freshly stir-fried. A mix of Chinese American dishes and fried foods makes up the bulk of the buffet.
I ate two plates at Asian Star, finishing with a cup of egg drop soup topped with a handful of crispy wonton strips. To start, I filled a plate with a little bit of everything, including beef and broccoli, fried shrimp, steamed clams, stir-fried mushrooms and a single chicken dumpling. The second plate was much cleaner, with a small serving of fried noodles, a couple of sushi pieces, crawfish and another helping of mushrooms.
Out of all the bites, the mushrooms were the best, thanks to their savory brown sauce and plump texture, but most of the other dishes I tried were just satisfactory. In other words, Asian Star Super Buffet doesn’t compare to some of the other all-you-can-eat spots in San Antonio, like the superior Kumi, when it comes to overall quality, but it does win the affordability race. After all, there aren’t many places that offer a buffet for $15, let alone one stocked with seafood and other premium options.
Find: 9919 Colonial Square, San Antonio, TX 78240