With a large number of Chinese restaurants available in Bourbonnais/Bradley/Kankakee, Gold Bowl buffet always stands out as having both a wide selection and good quality food. After being seated you are able to go up and take a look at the huge selection of Asian cuisine that they offer as well as a small selection of American foods. I opened with a plate of egg fried rice with General Tso's chicken on top, black pepper chicken, and a few crab rangoon. This was probably one of the best choices I could have made. My taste buds were sent on an ecstasy-filled adventure. General Tso's chicken is made almost everywhere, but I have to admit this is some of the best I've ever had. Though it was all delicious, the egg fried rice was a bit dry. I suggest topping it with some kind of meat such as the General Tso's chicken, my personal favorite, or the black pepper chicken. Not mentioning the crab rangoon would be an injustice to this plate of delicious. Let me preface this by saying I do not like cream cheese or crab but somehow when you put these two items together you can create an item of greatness that can rarely be achieved. I went with a group of 13 people. With each and every plate that my group had, almost every single one included at least one of these delectable treats. Not only does this place offer a wide array of delicious foods, but the service is great. No matter the size of your group, they always keep up with removing your plates and keeping your drink filled. Trust me, this is a tough task with how fast I drink pop. The servers as well as the owners are extremely nice and definitely show that they care about their customers.
Now, even though this is probably the best Chinese buffet I've been to, it has its down sides. Both the rice and the egg rolls have no option for meat so if you’re not a fan of vegetable egg rolls, like me, you may be disappointed. The egg fried rice is very good but as previously stated it is a bit drier than normal. Another thing I noticed was that the chicken for the sweet and sour chicken can often be rather tough and/or overly dry. When mixed with the sauce it can help, but it’s still not as good as other sweet and sour chicken I have had in the past.
Without a doubt in my mind I give this place a 9 out of 10 easily being the best Chinese buffet in the Kankakee area in my opinion. The number of positives easily outweighs the few negatives that this place offers. If you’re considering going out for some delicious Chinese, and you have never been to Gold Bowl buffet, I would, without a shadow of a doubt, suggest it as a great place to dine.
-Stephen
