A Metropolitan Experience

A Metropolitan Experience
by Cuiyin Zhang

China House Buffet is nestled in the peaceful town of Metropolis, Illinois. The restaurant was moved from its previous location on the opposite of its current location at 1201 East 8^th. Customers pulling into the large parking lot will be astonished by the beauty of the A-frame building that China House Buffet calls home.

China House Buffet has a spacious 5,000 square foot interior. With three party rooms and a large dining area, it can easily seat over 150 people. Qiang Li, the owner of China House Buffet, says his design concept is based on “simplicity and nature.” Dining here will reenergize diners so they can go back to work fully sated and refreshed mentally, he hopes. If you are enthusiastic about Chinese culture you'll find Chinese wood cravings and paintings featuring beautiful scenery interspersed all around the cozy dining area. Crystal lights are hung from the ceiling. He has also placed several potted plants in the dining area, which has infused a fresh and vibrant feel to the already energetic atmosphere.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Food is not something to scarf down when you're in a hurry or on your way to an urgent meeting. A half hour is truly all you need to enjoy what you are eating. Open from 11:00 am to 9:30 pm seven days a week, even on holidays, China House Buffet is always bustling with both long-time and first-time diners. Every customer who walks in will be able to find delicious and healthy Americanized Chinese cuisine. Here, you’ll be dazzled by a selection of winning recipes and great variety. Mr. Li didn’t choose this location so that he could compete with other restaurants; he chose it because it was an excellent spot to offer great Chinese cuisine to locals.

The food at China House is some of the best in the entire area, "We’re always consistent and fresh, and the service is excellent. Many of the inexpensive, authentic selections have their own followings," Li says. On the six buffet bars, you’ll find a vast selection of mouthwatering dishes ranging from appetizers and salads, to cold and hot offerings, as well as authentic pizzas and desserts catering to different customers’ tastes.

There are also some signature dishes that customers must try at least once: Frog Legs made with their secret recipe, General Tso’s Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Banana Pudding. However, the restaurant does not limit itself to offering just Chinese food. Instead, it incorporates many dishes from other cuisines such as cheese sticks, chicken wings, Italian pizza and American style catfish. New items are added to the buffet bars every one to two months to keep customers intrigued.

China House Buffet recently astounded some professional mystery dining experts from AboutFace, a company that evaluates restaurants on food and service through performing mystery visits. The mystery diners were served four items which were randomly ordered. Each left a lasting impression on them according to their comments in the report. Along with excellent service and hygiene scores, China House Buffet also received a very high score on the final portion of the test. With such a breathtaking mystery dining performance, people now have another great reason to head down to China House Buffet when they feel hungry.

Accomplished Cooks on Hand

The restaurant has a wide range selection of dishes sure to include everyone’s favorites. Most dishes at China House are steamed, stir-fried, or boiled. By utilizing three cooking methods, the restaurant is able to offer light and healthy dishes that appeal to health conscious customers while also being tasty. The restaurant’s well-trained chefs are also experts at preparing delicious food without using a lot of vegetable oil or salt.

“All of our chefs are all skilled veterans with more than a decade of experience,” boasts Mr. Li. “Their time-tested abilities guarantee that we get a lot of repeat business.” He specifically mentions that the present location was once a pizzeria before he took over the establishment. The previous owner left him several experienced chefs who specialize in making pizza. Thus, besides Chinese dishes, the restaurant offers some of the best pizza you’ll find on this side of the Atlantic.

Great Food Goes With Excellent Service

Mrs. Li is in charge of the front, greeting customers and supervising the waitress. She requires that every employee adhere to the principle of “customer first, service foremost.” They are trained to provide considerate service and will greet customers when they step into the restaurant. “I really love how they go out of their way to make you feel special,” wrote one online reviewer.

A solid relationship has been established between the staff and customers at China House Buffet. “My wife and our waitress have gotten to know our customers beyond just knowing their names. We also remember most of their favorites and even a little bit about their interests outside of eating delicious Chinese food,” says Li. “It really is a joy to get to know them better while also getting feedback about the restaurant.”

Good Company Helps to Keep Up Spirits

China House Buffet is well known by local people for elaborating food and efficient service. Meanwhile, Qiang Li is kind of distinguished in the area for diligence and kindhearted. He is famous by the community for sponsoring local charities and public welfare activities from where he receives high acclaim and sincere respect. He has established friendship with most regular customers, and they often communicate with each other to solid the relationship.

It’s a long time since Qiang Li has been living in Metropolis. When being asked about the most unforgettable thing between him and the locals, he recalls, “It was about three years ago that a fire broke out in my restaurant. At that time, I was in the slough of despond. Unexpectedly, some of my customers and food suppliers had come forward with an offer of help and boosted me up.” Li was greatly touched by the concern they had shown him. Under their help and the effort he made, China House Buffet was soon reopened.

Look Into the Future

Qiang Li came to America in 1992. He had to adapt himself to a brand new environment and initially found the experience difficult. Newly arrived and without connections, he had to go work at Chinese restaurants to make a living. Starting as a busboy then working up to become a chef, he has done basically every job one can do at a restaurant at some point in his career. In 2000, he opened his first restaurant in Kentucky with the help of several business partners. Now ten years later, Mr. Li has become a veteran in the industry and has shown everyone that he can manage a restaurant on his own.

China House Buffet has received praise for its excellent food and service ever since it first opened. How has the owner been able to achieve success? Mr. Li’s secrets are sincerity, dedication to his career, and continuing to look for ways to improve his restaurant.

Mr. Li has been in Metropolis for many years. He’s very familiar with the area and the local residents know him very well. “It’s important to be persistent and always looking to improve, but I think the key is to be genuinely interested in your customers,” Li says. This approach has allowed China House Buffet to surpass all expectations and Li is now considering whether to open up more locations in the future. The people of Metropolis are glad for him and looking forward to possibly having even more chances to enjoy Li’s delicious buffet food at other spots in the city.

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Name: China House Buffet
Location: 1201 East 8^th Metropolis, IL 62960
Phone: 618-524-8860
Capacity: 150+
Offers: Buffet, Dine-in, Take-out