Moonstar Buffet Review

Moonstar is a higher end Asian Buffet in Daly City, a short distance from the Serramonte shopping center, and almost next door to Chinese food Mecca, Koi Palace.  They used to have a location in San Francisco, but it closed years ago. Todai pioneered the idea of charging more and serving sushi, sashimi, etc a couple years back, but Moonstar took the idea to a higher level. Our last visit was at the May 2013.

We like coming to Moonstar because the quality of most of the items is high.  Moonstar Buffet prices: You can pay up to $25.88 for dinner on the weekends or on holidays, but in return you get a wide selection of sashimi, crab legs, noodles, salads, Chinese cooked food, charcoal grilled items, roast duck, etc… The dessert selection is solid too!  Puddings, cakes, chocolate fountain, several kinds of ice cream, all sorts of puddings, jello, etc.. Lunch, during the week, costs $15.88, $21.88 on the weekends.  They removed options like lobster and abalone on our last visit.

There were some changes on our most recent visit to Moonstar.  The one dinner Daily Special ticket for half a lobster, abalone, lamb chops, or sharks fin soup was gone.  Moonstar also added several new cooked items as well as grilled items. The place is packed on the weekends for dinner, so beware. They play a gong to celebrate people’s birthdays. Clearly a lot of people come here on their birthday to gorge out. Lots of families and big groups come here. Moonstar’s decor is clean and modern with a space age theme.

When you come in on your birthday with 1 guest you receive 50% OFF of one meal for yourself. When you bring 5 more guests you receive one FREE MEAL for yourself with Photo and cake. Must have proof of birthdate.

Salads are their weakest area with just three available. There is fresh fruit, melons, fruit cocktail, almond Jell-O, and mixed Jell-O in evaporated milk.

Moonstar has several types of dim sum available including several types of dumplings, siu mai, har gow, all weak. They used to have more Dim Sum in the past. Soups included a miso soup, hot and sour soup, Chicken soup, and a red bean dessert soup.

Deep Fried Alley included egg rolls, tater tots, deep fried shrimp, and deep fried fish.

Hot dishes include fried rice, chow mein noodles, giant clams in black bean sauce (Very good), stir fried crab, stir fried mussels, stir fried clams, eggplant, Chinese broccoli, beef with vegetables, pork belly, salt and pepper shrimp, taro scallop, crayfish,beef tenderloin, short ribs, beef sukiyaki, butter squash, curried chicken, sweet and sour pork, sticky Rice, cockles with chili, and many others. Selection changes from time to time.

Cooked Chinese food

Chinese Food

Very good King Crab Legs, crack and peel Shrimp, oysters, mussels, crayfish, and langostino.

Custom made cooked to order Jook and Noodles at their noodle bar. Egg noodles, flat Rice noodles, udon, jook aka congee, wontons. Add-ons include chicken, crab, seafood, 1000 year-old eggs, Chinese donuts, green onions, minced pork.

Black Bean Oysters

Moonstar’s selection of food varies each night but usually includes: Many Chinese hot dishes, custom made noodle soups, skewers of meat and seafood, roast beef, calamari, grilled yams, mushrooms on skewers, spare ribs, eggplant, several kinds of sashimi and sushi, crab legs, shrimp, mussels, lots of salads, several Chinese soups, chocolate fountain, cotton candy, many kinds of ice cream, tons of other desserts. In 2013, they added cooked to order crepes. Unlimited soda, tea, coffee, and coffee drinks.

Our favorite items include:

Roast Duck – Some of the best around.  Decent Roast Pork with crispy skin too. Very surprising.

Grilled items, most on a stick! Pork Skewer – Another surprisingly delicious item with lots of flavor. Be sure to return to this area as the selection changes.  We have encountered ribs, chicken wings, corn on the cob, pork skewers, stuffed tomatoes, quail, really good baked purple yams, potato skins with bacon, Filipino longiso sausage and mackerel.

Baked oysters with cheese, Taro Scallops, garlic bread, and Indian fried bread were added on our last visit.

A cooked to order ribeye steak, salmon or tilipia was added in 2013. Decent quality.

Sashimi, Sushi

Sashimi – Not tier one quality, but decent raw fish. A hungry guy can do some major damage here. You’ll find tilipia, albacore, tuna, and Salmon sashimi. They also have 10 kinds of sushi rolls, and tempura shrimp.
Alaskan Crab legs – A pain to crack open, average quality. Same goes for crawfish

Dessert City

Ice cream selection included Crystal’s Sesame, rainbow sherbet, chocolate, lychee, and a tasty but purple colored sesame ice cream. Add ons included Fruit Loops, Oreos, and sprinkles. Mousse cakes, puddings, cheesecake, and other desserts were featured. They also have several Chinese style desserts including fresh almond cookies, sesame balls, coconut pudding, black sweet Rice with condensed milk, egg tarts,and steam egg pudding with ginger.

Workout before coming here

Chocolate Fountain – Hit it before the kids fill it with crap. Moonstar uses a pretty sweet and pedestrian  chocolate. They finally posted a sign teaching people how to use this beast with strawberries, marshmallows, and Rice crispy treats.

Cotton Candy – As many as you can tolerate! Need we say more? No wonder kids want to come. Alas, they removed the cotton candy on our last visit in 2013. Boo!

If you do not like Asian food, you should probably stay away from Moonstar and stick to the Vegas buffets like the one at the Wynn. Moonstar Buffet prices have remained steady for the last couple of years. Join the free VIP club on their website and get discounts and coupons that are pretty much useless unless you come during off-peak times.  Kid’s Club for those 8 and younger allows them to eat for free with 2 paying adults.  Special discounted prices for kids, that vary with height and age. (Free – $10.88) Charging full price for a 10 year old kid generates a ton of their profit. Tons of families with kids here because of this. Tuesday is senior discount day at Moonstar.

We like Moonstar in Daly City because you can quickly sit and eat what you want. The quality of the food is slightly better than other local buffets. Some feel the need to get their money’s worth and gourd themselves. The service was fair and overloaded. They mainly pickup plates and bring the bill.

This place is superior to the local competitors Hokkaido, KOME, and Champagne Buffet.  The only local buffets that are superior is the super expensive Ritz Carlton Sunday Brunch. The best buffets we have visited, remain Conrad Nicolini’s Sunday Brunch Buffet, Hong Kong and Harbourside Hong Kong

$25 Dining Certificate for $5

Moonstar

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Good)
Service Rating:	(Average)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Very Good)
Value Rating:	(Very Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Full Bar
Attire:	Casual
Hours:	M-F 11am-3pm, 5-9pm. Sa/Sun 10am-3pm, 430-9pm.
Parking:	Lot
Reservations:	Yes for Big Parties
Prices:	$12.88-$26.88