Kokyo Sushi Buffet: Hit or Miss

Kokyo Sushi Buffet is located on the second floor of the Century Theatres complex overlooking a busy intersection of Foothill Boulevard and B Street in Hayward.

The name of the restaurant, styled in red lettering right under its bay window, plus crystal chandeliers shining inside, attract passersby and motorists.

Upon entering, you might discover a fast-moving line to get in, a rather pleasant ambience and attentive service. However, the buffet food remains just that – plentiful and for the most part mediocre.

On the Menu

There are several food stations serving the inside dining hall and the outside terrace that seat 200, combined.

Stick to the sushi station to your immediate right and you may not be disappointed. There is an array of Japanese salads, like seaweed, clam, jellyfish and baby squid, plus a selection of nigiri sushi with tuna, salmon, mackerel, red tobiko, and other staples. There are also rather elaborate sushi rolls, including deep fried ones. The place is popular, so the fish is not getting stale and the quality of sushi is buffet-decent.

The salad/appetizer food station has a fresh baby greens, broccoli and raisin salad, whole cooked shrimp and heartier starter fare, like fried fish and ham salad with mayo. It's also satisfactory.

This is not always the case with the Chinese food station. While a simple wonton soup is fine, a dense hot and sour soup looks much better than it tastes.

Deep fried chicken wings are tasty, but that’s one kind of food you can never go wrong with. The soy sauce chicken can be dry and flavorless.

Deep-fried scallops and the stuffed and baked mussels and scallops are rather good, while the usual crowd pleasers like braised short ribs and thin rice noodles with bean sprouts can be downright disappointing, with some kitchen-sink aftertaste.

The good thing about buffet eating is that if you don’t like one dish, you can always try another, and there is more than enough to choose from.

Also on the menu: egg rolls, wontons, pot stickers; sautéed mushrooms, string beans and other vegetables; deep-fried tofu; chow mein, chow fun, steamed and fried rice, and a wide variety of chicken, beef, pork, and seafood dishes.    

On the Dessert Menu

The dessert station is abundant and seems to be the most popular one.

Several cakes – chocolate, orange, and napoleon — have the same cream base, just colored differently. The profiteroles are filled with that same cream.

There is an array of colorful puddings and jellies as well as beignet-like doughnuts, loved by many. Soft-serve ice cream in waffle cones comes in vanilla and chocolate flavors.

There is also plenty of fresh fruit, which can include melon, oranges, bananas, kiwi, pineapple and strawberry. Try it before you pile up your plate. Some taste like they have been chlorine-washed. 

Kokyo Sushi Buffet is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and has a to-go option. They also offer party trays. 1071 B St., Hayward; 510-881-8868.