Best of 2001: Best Value Chinese Lunch Buffet

Jade House Restaurant
569 H Street, Chula Vista
619-426-5951

You're shopping at Macy's, Chula Vista. Your feet are killing you. You're starving. Stop! Resist the shopping-mall eateries. Just a walk away. Cross H Street. Head for the green and white and red building with the big sign. "Jade House." It is not the most rico suave place in town, but it does have a great, endless buffet. Naturally, everybody goes for the Kung Pao chicken first, their most popular dish. But all the standard Chinese fare is there: orange beef, broccoli chicken, egg rolls, fried rice, lo mein soft noodles, fried fish, fried yam, string beans, stir-fry with black beans. And they have a salad bar with grapefruit, oranges, cantaloupes, and watermelons, plus one or two dessert items such as carrot cake. The great thing: they don't mind if you go back for more and more. As long as you eat what you get. But whatever you do, don't leave without the most delicious surprise in the buffet: imitation crab puffs with cream cheese. Put one on your dessert plate along with a pineapple ring, slice of melon, and a square of chocolate sponge cake.