Edo Sushi Bar and Buffet

update: Edo Sushi Bar and Buffet is closed.

In a word: Go for the tall pirate ship, stay for the short bill.

The specs: #0151
Comments in a sushi thread at madison.com.

JM, John and Nichole all ate at the buffet.
The bill was $22, or $7.33/person, plus tip.
JM gave Edo Sushi Bar and Buffet  a B-; Nichole gave Edo Sushi Bar and Buffet  a C+; John Edo Sushi Bar and Buffet a D (if you have discriminating tastes) and an A if not (see our grading rubric).

The dining room at Edo, though packed, was eerily quiet as customers ate with feverish intensity. It wasn't super clean. And there was this blacklit painting of - Holland?

As for the eats, there were lots of choices and even some fancy stuff like crab legs. The buffet included over 12 different entrees, 3 soups, and a soft serve machine.  Our consensus was that the food was good (even sometimes very good), not great, but the low price really made up the difference.  Sure, it wasn't the best crab rangoon, but, at these prices, it was much better than it could have been.

Nichole found the hot and sour soup rather good, but the miso was just a cloudy broth with one huge floating piece of seaweed in the tureen. The hot tea went straight from weak to bitter. The "peanut chicken" was almost certainly creamy peanut butter over off-brand Shake 'n' Bake, or a very good facsimile thereof.

On the other hand, most of the other meat dishes were superior. The spring rolls were crispy and fresh. The sushi was no better than it should be for a buffet, but definitely topped, say, Chin-Mi's. John opined, "I'll come back. Oh yes, for crab legs, I'll come back!" and "I'm glad I don't live closer to this place, or I'd eat here all the time."

In summary, we agreed the low price was the best part. That, and the pirate ship.

Update 4/20/06: It seems Edo is closed.