Alpharetta, GA — Little Bayadori

Little Badayori 390 Cumming St., Suite A Alpharetta, GA

676.762.0112 website map

I have never had any luck with sushi buffets. Some of my worst sushi experiences have been at sushi buffets. In fact the only sushi buffet to which I would ever return is Midori in Dallas, Texas, So when someone suggested that I try Badayori, an Atlanta area sushi buffet — I was skeptical. But the recommendation was so strong and echoed by others that I decided to give it a try.

There are actually two Badayoris, one in the busy Perimeter Center area and the other, Little Badayori, a few miles up the road in Alpharetta. I was in Alpharetta so I decided to try Little Badayori. When I got to the restaurant it was not very crowded. The hostess/cashier/waitress greeted me warmly and I was seatred at a table. The buffet at Badayori is huge. One portion was desserts and fruits, another hot foods, another a hibachi station and the there was a separate sushi section. The sushi section had different kinds of sushi on square ceramic tiles sitting over ice or a cooler. I was impressed that they maintained a variety of sushi but only kept two pieces on display. As soon as someone took a piece, the sushi chef made a new one. This arrangement kept the sushi fresh.

As for the sushi, there were a variety of rolls and some nigiri. I tried some of the rolls and some of the nigiri. All of the sushi was good quality. The selection was average, nothing exotic but all pretty good.

The hot food and salads were also good. I enjoyed a salad with mushrooms, some sunomono and a dish called dynamite. Dynamite was crab meat and japanese mayonnaise in a small salad. There selection of non-sushi items was impressive. Everytthing was beautifully presented and the staff made sure that all items on the bar were refreshed regularly.

I know this is a sushi blog but there was one item on the bar that was the best I have ever had. The calamari was out of this world. On the bar they had a large calamari body cliced up and seasoned. I am not sure how it was cooked. It was not breaded and not noticably spicy. The calamari was tasty and melted in your mouth. Not the least bit gummy — absolutely perfect.

As I was making a last trip to the sushi section, I saw a round griddle of some sort. Any francophile would recognize it, it was a crepe machine. Badayori's buffet includes made-to-order crepes! I had mine with chocolate, bannanas and whipped creme, absolutely perfect.

I never believed that this would happen, but based on the total experience, Badayori, a sushi buffet, gets my highest rating.

Little Badayori 5 rice bowls