Loon Ho Buffet (Chinese)

Loon Ho Buffet is located at 871 Chemong Road in Peterborough, the small city about 125km NE of Toronto. We went for weekday lunch, which was a very nice find from Mishy as our other plan didn’t work out and we weren’t even aware of this place until then. Loon Ho has a basic contemporary interior with a couple of nice decorations such as the front counter area and a traditional carved lantern. There were only a few customers as it was near the end of the lunch period. Pop is $2.75 canned not AYCD.

Sausage was slightly salty but fresh without any rancid oil flavour. Mishy loved the chicken wings and said she's usually not a fan; I liked them as well. The honey garlic wings were quite good. Mishy said the spring rolls were beautiful, full of spicy flavour and flaky on the outside; they were actually quite good. We both noted the chicken balls are full of chicken, rather than breading. Hot and sour soup sadly was too salty to be enjoyable. Wonton soup was quite good with a mild but pleasant chicken stock savour. 

Chicken fried rice was slightly stale but still pretty good, standard takeout-style. Pepper beef was quite good and well-seasoned, as were mixed vegetables which were probably the same dish but just without the beef. Lo mein was fresh, was just put out as we arrived and we both enjoyed it. Chicken chop suey was also fresh, and I was expecting it not to be as it's a common thing for it to go mushy at the smaller lower-traffic buffets, but was pleasantly surprised.

Fried wontons were slightly oily but still good. Fried potato were more like tempura and I enjoyed them. Onion rings were quite enjoyable, and not too oily. Sweet and sour pork didn't have much flavour of other sweet or sour, I can't tell whether they were just stale or it wasn't there in the first place, but at least it was edible.

For dessert, orange sorbet was creamy and Mishy loved it but said that the chocolate and other flavours were very hard to scoop... agreed and it took a lot of strength but was worth it as was amazingly good. Cookies-and-cream, strawberry, butterscotch ripple and tiger tail (yes!) ice cream once melted a little were very good and not freezer-burned. Rice pudding was delicious, although plain without cinnamon or raisins or any other topping. Orange and cherry Jell-O was good, but hard to get that wrong.

Our visit to Loon Ho was quite productive, in that I was finally able to resolve one of my longstanding unknowns: where those little cakes (which I can also now correctly refer to as petit fours cut from sheet/slab cakes) ubiquitous at buffets all over Ontario come from. Note the photo of the fridge with them which also shows two boxes. The logo led me to King’s Pastry of Mississauga, and there were the strawberry, mango and mocha mousse petit fours I most commonly see, plus the tiramisu found at Loon Ho, plus many other pastries I have enjoyed at so many other establishments.

It was $20.99 for weekday lunch. This is a very good price; it filled us up for the day and the offerings, for a smaller local Chinese-style buffet, were better than expected.

Rating: 8 - 8.5 / 10 + 0.5 value adjustment = 8.5 - 9 / 10

Dawat (Afghan/Indian/Pakistani)

Dawat is located at 60 Overlea Blvd. in Toronto’s east central East York borough. Lunch and dinner buffets are offered. Dawat has a pleasant and brighter interior with nice background music; there is also a raised carpeted area for traditional dining. We went for weekday lunch and there were a moderate amount of customers. Pop is $2.50 canned not AYCD, but we stick to water at Middle Eastern places as we’ll inevitably encounter spicy heat that needs a higher volume intake than cans can provide!

Chicken Karahi was delicious and nicely seasoned without being too hot. Mishy said that the chicken tandoori had not been baked long enough in the tandoor, so to her did not have smoky flavour and was just like regular roast chicken with red spice. I tried it and enjoyed it, but it was not like other chicken tandoori, pretty much as Mishy noted. However the butter chicken made up for it and she said it was excellent. Kabuli pulao was delicious, and I think the meat may have actually been mutton minus the gamey flavour, but whatever it was I liked. Mishy she said that the naan bread was too salty; it’s kept out rather than being delivered on demand. Palak (no paneer) we both loved even though it is just spinach as the seasoning was so good and it brought out the flavour very well. Baingan eggplant is one of the first times I enjoyed eggplant without reservation as its flavour is excellent and hides the “eggplantiness”.

 

Veal nihari is a slow-cooked veal stew which has little else in it but veal and gravy, and sadly it was quite delicious... sorry, calves. Tawa keema masala was a bit oily and I think it contains mutton as it is a mixed mincemeat dish, but that is the way it's supposed to be and it was tasty in an exotic way. Chana masala had different flavours than a completely Indian place would have it, and had some afterburn, but was very good. Beef with chickpeas korma was excellent and blended its flavours well. 

I was surprised to find French fries, but I usually am in places that they wouldn't be expected as they are so universal; they were very well-made, seasoned so that they were interesting and not bland. Mishy enjoyed the fish pakora and I did as well as it was well spiced. Samosas are very good, although they probably are from elsewhere in consignment but nevertheless were enjoyable. Chicken biryani was delicious and I enjoyed it very much, it had plenty of nice seasoning and seemed quite traditional. Bhindi, which is an okra-based dish, was quite good and had plenty of okra flavor. Lobia kidney beans are almost like chili... it’s indicated to be cooked with onions and spices, but I could almost taste something tomatoey.

Chicken manchow soup was made very similarly to hot-and-sour soup, but without bamboo or noodles; instead there are chicken pieces and mushrooms, and it was very good. Butter chicken was excellent, comparable to or better than most places, with a little heat and plenty of other flavours. Chicken korma was a fantastic combination of gravy with cardamom and other spices that blended together well. Creamy white chicken was mildly seasoned but nonetheless enjoyable.

For dessert, unfortunately Mishy was not impressed with the gulub jamun indicating that they were cold and soggy even though they were in sauce; I noticed that, unlike at Indian restaurants, they are not heated in a steam tray from beneath, so as she noted it is at room temperature. They were still good, though I agreed not as much as as the Indian heated ones, and one thing lacking is there is no serving spoon in the tray to put honey sauce on one's bowl of gulub jamon with. Rabri kheer is lightly sweetened rice pudding judging by the flavour, with hints of cardamom and other spices, and was very enjoyable. Weekday lunch is $22 and this is very good considering the offerings, minor shortcomings aside. We certainly enjoyed our lunch there.

Rating: 9 / 10 + 0.5 value adjustment = 9.5 / 10

168 Sushi Buffet - Ottawa Merivale (Pan-Asian)

168 Sushi Buffet is located at 1651 Merivale Road in Ottawa. We’ve previously reviewed the Mississauga and Vaughan locations of this chain. We went for weekend lunch. $2.50 AYCD fountain pop is available, also non-AYCD canned for the same price. Interior was a bit noisy but it was very busy (though we didn’t need to wait), modern and darker. iPad menus are used. Soy at table was rich, not salty and savoury. Ginger is dyed pink. Disposable chopsticks are used unfortunately so we brought our own as usual. There is also a serving robot. 168 really is a buffet, as salads, desserts and soups are available from a buffet station in the centre. The menu will tell you this if you try to select one of them from it. A small bowl of tempura dipping sauce is also provided at the beginning of the meal.

Mishy loved the surimi (I think... it was unlabeled) salad from the buffet and so did I. Spring rolls were good, although not superlative, but no complaints and the sauce was good enough as well with some citrus notes... Mishy added that they were just at the right temperature.. Kimchi was alright, but at least it wasn't super-hot like so many other places make these days. Corn salad, or what I think it was, was actually excellent with a nice flavour that may have been orange.

Mishy loved the lemon chicken, which is one of her perennial favourites; I enjoyed the sauce because the sauce was not sickly sweet and excessive but more mild. Pork shiu mai was delicious and it did not require any sauce. Deep fried scallops (probably surimi) were delicious and also did not any require any sauce with the dollop on top. Mixed vegetable tempura was a bit oily and not very flaky breading, but at least it was tasty and the sauce was good. Chicken curry was Thai-style and was quite good though a bit oily. Beef dumplings were delicious, not oily and may have been from frozen but at least weren't freezer burned or stale; they were better than most places.

For the first time, tom yum soup actually was yum, as usually I don't care for it much at other places; I think here they put some tomato essence or similar on top and it really worked well. Wonton soup was doubly labelled as “Wangtong soup” which I did not realize was a phonetic variant, so I didn’t fish for wontons, but at least the broth was quite tasty. Hot and sour soup I thought would be burnt because it was dark and thick, but in fact it was quite good, maybe even very good. Miso soup was very good to excellent being savoury and fresh, especially being able to add unlimited wakame and green onions. Chicken udon soup was excellent with a very nice flavour, well-balanced seasoning and was made interesting by the addition of other things such as bean sprouts.

Beef teriyaki was almost excellent (quite a few “almosts” here!) as the sauce was quite good and it wasn't a bad cut either. It’s still impressive to find this on the lunch menu in any case. Chicken teriyaki was delicious, not rubbery, and went well with the sauce. Chicken katsu aka torikatsi was quite good as the sauce was well-made and full of classic katsu flavor. Beef bulgogi with a savoury sauce, Mongolian spicy beef and spicy beef were all very good and I ended up ordering seconds for a couple.

Mishy loved the salmon rose and said it was perfectly made and did not fall apart as in many other places; I liked it too, very much, and ended up having many pieces of it. Crab aka surimi nigiri was quite fresh and good, it went well with the soy sauce and brought wasabi, although only a hybrid of the real stuff this time. Salmon nigiri Mishy thought was off for some reason but mine was quite fresh and enjoyable, which is good because Mishy ordered eight of them and then didn't want to help me eat them. Tofu pocket sushi was very good. California roll, although a little short on roe, was also quite good and fresh, which is good because Mishy didn't help me with that one either. Red snapper aka tilapia nigiri was very good as was tomago.

For dessert, Mishy fell-over loved the chocolate mousse in small plastic containers like shot glasses; it was everything she said and more. I loved the cherry cheesecake; it was sweet and creamy and delicious. Green mousse, which I've had before and pretty sure is honeydew, was excellent. Mango shot glass pudding was understated but still quite good with a honey overtone. Mishy loved the mango ice cream saying it was very smooth. This and five others are available from the buffet section self-serve. Chocolate ice cream was delicious and full of bitter chocolate nose. Red bean lacked the elusive flavour but was still quite good and fresh. Green tea ice cream was delicious and quite flavourful. Vanilla ice cream wasn't French vanilla but it was still quite good. None of the ice creams were freezer burned. It was $25.99 for weekend lunch and this is quite a good price these days; the AYCD drinks were also reasonable. Service was very good with speed of delivery and removal of used plates etc., contrary to many reviews I have seen. We certainly enjoyed our lunch ... twice as we ended up at the same place the next day accidentally thinking it was the other Ottawa location, but we stayed nonetheless. I guess it could be concluded it was good enough for a return visit!

Rating: 9 - 9.5 / 10 + 0.5 value adjustment = 9.5 - 10  / 10

Daal Roti - Mississauga (Indian)

Daal Roti is located at 6990 Financial Drive in Mississauga, which borders Toronto's west end. It's close to the Hwy. 401 Mississauga Road exit and is also transit-accessible on several MiWay and GO routes. We went for “weekend” lunch but it was really a civic holiday. There is also an Oakville location. Daal has a very nice interior with latticework, mirrors and ambient Indian music. Pop is $2.99 canned not AYCD.  Mishy also ordered a mango lassi and loved it. I neglected to get photos of the buffet area.

Mishy loved the chili chicken and said it was beautifully seasoned with just enough heat well-balanced; I agreed the chili chicken was delicious with moderate salt and heat. I loved the fish pakora which had excellent seasoning and was not dry. Curry chicken was fantastic with some heat but a superlative amount of flavor and spicing... It's amazing how spicy and intensely flavorful it can be. However there was a little too much salt in it and Mishy also noticed a little too much salt in the chicken tandoori. Butter chicken was fantastic and that had much to do with it not being excessively sweet, and was helped by the large and moist chunks of white chicken meat. Chicken kalameri I have not had recently enough to remember, and it was delicious and the flavour reminded me of sausage, I guess due to the similar seasoning.

Chana masala was excellent without too much heat, and the sauce was rich. Dal makhani was fantastic with powerful seasoning which worked together very well and did not have excessive heat. Paneer tikka masala was excellent and very well seasoned with an elusively beautiful flavour. Methi matar malai is a delicious peas dish I have had a few times before at buffets and was very enjoyable.

Aloo gobi was quite good. Veg. rice was mildly flavoured with a very slight tang but enjoyed. Veg pakora was excellent with plenty of flavour and were fresh. Hakka noodles were quite good although understated.

Puris went well with the teekha pani spicy water from the nearby bottle which is used as a dip. Buns with nearby sauce on a tikka, probably aka masala pav, were delicious. We both loved the naan bread as it was moist, perfectly charred and had a wonderful flavour. 

For dessert, rice kheer was delicious with plenty of cardamom flavour. Fruit custard was good though Mishy isn't big on the chunks of fruit, but unsure why as that's what it's all about. Sooji halwa aka kheera was delicious with noticeable cardamom. Gulub jamun were delicious and moist. It’s $21 for weekend lunch ($17 on weekdays) a truly excellent price for some truly excellent offerings in a very nice setting.

Rating: 9 - 9.5 / 10 + 1 value adjustment = 10 - 10.5 / 10 = 10 / 10

Great Canadian Buffet - Elements Casino Mohawk (Western)

Elements Casino Mohawk is still located at 9430 Guelph Line, in Woodbine Mohawk Park, Campbellville, just n. of the Hwy. 401 exit for Rte. 1 Guelph in Milton, about 35km w. of Toronto. Before going to the buffet, definitely get a free Great Canadian Rewards card from the onsite services counter. Elements was recently appropriated into the Great Canadian chain of casinos, and the buffet area updated though it looks very similar to how it was when we first visited for breakfast. Thursday to Sunday dinner is only $25 with the Rewards card, and $20 if as little as a dollar is spent on gambling using the card that day. This pricing matches that of Great Blue Heron. Without the card, it's $50. Signage indicates a 90 minute time limit, but we went about ten to fifteen minutes over without issue. Layout is odd with gravy in the dessert area. AYCD self-serve fountain pop is included which is an excellent value bonus (even though it’s all Pepsi products) and is an improvement on Great Blue Heron where only one non-refill is provided, and it's also a pay-first system which allows one to skip any tip (all the wait staff really do is remove used dishware anyway.)

Glazed carrots were good though mild. Prime rib was tender though had a slight gamey flavour with the prime rib gravy, and this was not present with the brown gravy. Mishy reiterated that it was fantastic and this is one of her favourites. I agree and thought the medium was one of the best buffet prime rib I've had in years. Sliced ham from the carvery was excellent with the included whole grain Dijon mustard. Potato wedges were very good and well-seasoned. We both loved the sweet and sour chicken which was very moist and had plenty of pineapple. Vegetable lasagne I loved as it had plenty of creamy cheese, although Mishy said there wasn't much flavour but I thought it made up for in cheese whatever was lacking in vegetables. Mixed vegetables were good even with their simple seasoning of not much other than black pepper.

Pepperoni pizza was delicious and comparable to chain slices. The split pea soup had a strange and unpleasant aroma which I thought was B.O. from someone nearby, but it turned out to be the soup; I have no idea what made it but I'm suspecting it was the pork; at least that didn’t come out in the flavour. Lentil soup’s flavour was quite good although understated, but at least it didn't smell like B.O. The made-to-order wonton and noodle soup from its station is shrimp-based which isn’t my favourite but it was still enjoyable.

We both did not like the beet salad as it had a slightly odd flavour and was missing most of the vinegar tang. Coleslaw was alright but understated. Potato salad was quite good and with enough tang. We both enjoyed the pasta salad which was fresh and well-seasoned. Mixed bean salad was delicious and the flavours were well balanced enough that they didn't need a lot of vinegar or sweetener added.

For dessert, apple and blueberry pies were very good although I suspect they were not baked on premises. Soft serve vanilla ice cream is delicious with butterscotch sauce and marshmallows. Nanaimo bar was very good. No-sugar cheesecake was delicious and I would never have guessed they were sugar-free. Apple blossom (also possibly from outside) is the width and mass of a hamburger and I wasn’t sure if I could finish it, but I did and it was delicious. As with Great Blue Heron, I count the price as $25 as this is with a free player’s club card and without spending anything on gambling. With that and the included AYCD pop, the stellar value certainly compensates for any shortcomings.

Rating: 7.5 / 10 + 2 value adjustment = 9.5 / 10

Original review follows:

Update: 2026-06-03 - This location is back open and is now part of the Great Canadian Buffet casino chain, so it's much different. We'll definitely be returning for a revisit whenever we can.

Update: 2021-08-20 - There is no more buffet/AYCE at this location post-lockdown, and it is unknown if and when it will ever return. I am therefore removing it from the active list, and will follow up periodically and restore it should it return to AYCE status.

Elements Casino Mohawk is located at 9430 Guelph Line, in Woodbine Mohawk Park, Campbellville, just n. of the Hwy. 401 exit for Rte. 1 Guelph in Milton, about 35km w. of Toronto. Before going to the buffet, definitely get a Rewards card (the red ones are free) as there will be a significant discount. We went for weekend brunch. AYCD soft drinks are not only available, but also included. Pop was good, not watered down at all, but the coffee was unfortunately burnt at least on first try. The buffet is in a large, bright open space and everything appears shiny clean as if it had recently been remodelled.

Starting with the breakfast options, happily there was bacon and it was quite good... off to an excellent start! Sausages were acceptable, a bit dry but still quite edible. Home fries were a bit salty but still actually delicious, the salt on the surface along with seasoning made them enjoyable. Scrambled eggs were a bit dry and crumbly but still tasty. AYCE Danone packaged yogurts are another amazing option, and were very good of course. There is also a custom omelette station... I had mine with everything and extra cheese,  and it was very good (especially with even more bacon!) Frittata, like a thick Italian omelette, was pretty good but needed a little hot sauce.

For the lunch items, potato vegetable soup was also quite good and quite well seasoned. Tomato soup was not bad, although a little too creamy and not tomatoey enough but I still got through it. Pepperoni pizza was very good and we both enjoyed it very much, but crust was moist and flavorful. There was also prime rib, which was a little dry on its own, but with the included gravy, which was actually pretty good, it moistened, became delicious and I enjoyed it. Vegetable pizza was also surprisingly good, on a moist flavorful crust and the toppings were tasty. Chef's pasta was penne in marinara and was good. Rice pilaf with surprisingly good and flavorful, with a nice fragrant aroma. Julienne carrot salad was good although the sauce is a little too sweet. Potato salad was quite good and I enjoyed it, and the pasta salad as well, for which the sauce was not too sweet.

For dessert, Mishy said the pecan pie was amazing, tasting like a giant butter tart and was even better with a nearby whipped cream. Sadly, the soft serve ice cream machine was out of order which is unfortunate as there are plenty of toppings I would have liked to try. However the pecan pie and apple pie were both made better by the whipped cream (which was out of cans so very fresh) and the caramel topping; they became amazingly good. Ultimate Brunch weekend price with the free Rewards card as noted is only $10, including the AYCD beverages. This is a fantastically good price... one of servers confirmed that the establishment is deliberately losing money on the buffet to attract customers. Although there were some items that were just OK, most were good and some excellent and it was certainly an enjoyable brunch that held me over the remainder of the day. For this amazingly low cost even if everything was "just OK" I would still be happy, and since ratings are based on value, I can't give anything less than the highest regards.

Rating: 10/10