This review is about Japango an “Asian Fusion” joint which opened a couple of weeks ago in Boca Raton…there is another Japango located in Parkland, same owner, same menu, same prices…but I haven’t been to that one.

At this stage of the game, let’s go to Japango’s website www.japangomenu.com for menu/prices/photos.

This is a very easy review to write…Japango has delicious-moderatley priced food. Last night I “sampled” in no particular order—bbq ribs, chicken teriyaki, stir fried noodels, fried rice, miso seafood soup, shrimp tempura…like I said before– delicious. I will tell you, that the bbq ribs and fried rice were as good if not better, than the top stuff I have eaten down here in Chinese restaurants.

Japango is an upscale looking joint, but the tee shirt-shorts ensemble works. The menu has a great combination of Japanese, Chinese, Thai items…so if you aren’t a sushi eater, you are covered.

Word of mouth…I have heard that the Japango in Parkland is also a dynamite restaurant—always packed. that joint is located at 7387 North State Road 7, Parkland, Florida 33073, (954) 345-4268.

Japango is open Monday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm, Friday 11:30am-10:30pm, Saturday 4:30pm-10:30pm, Sunday 4:30pm-9:30pm.

Vari Asian is a Chinese-buffet-joint. It has 2 locations, 1 in West Palm Beach and 1 in Tampa.

I recently had an an absolutely terrific dinner at the West Palm Beach location. First let me tell you, that this joint ain’t a dump…it is an upscale-decorated restaurant with a full liquor bar…but your tee shirt/shorts ensemble will do just fine. In addition to something like 9,000,000 Chinese soups, salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts (I am assuming that pistachio, vanilla and chocolate ice cream are Chinese food), there is a huge sushi-selection…the joint also has a habachi grill and wok station. Trust me, the food is very good… far superior to most of the local Chinese eat-in/take-out joints in South Florida.

Vari Asian Crazy Buffet is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.  Depending on the day of the week…Prices range $9.99-$15.99 for lunch and $17.99-$19.99 for dinner.

If glatt kosher fast food is your game, I got a real good joint for you, Boca Pita Express located in Boca Raton. Boca Pita covers all of the bases…burgers, hot dogs, philly steak subs, salads, soups, pita sandwiches, sushi and all kinds of Chinese dishes including honey chicken, sesame chicken and  pepper steak.

Boca Pita is an absolute hole in the wall…maybe 25 can eat inside and 10 outside…order at the counter-pickup at the counter.

Tonight I “sampled” a hamburger, spicy sausage pita sandwich and General Tso’s chicken…all were delicious. As for pricing, the burger was $4.79, the spicy sausage $8.99 and the General Tso’s chicken with a fried rice side and egg roll $14.99.

Like I said before, if glatt kosher is your game, Boca Pita is a place that you should know about. The joint is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday 11am-3pm…

Fuji Asian is located in Boca Raton. It is a Japanese Restaurant, but its menu does have a handful of Chinese dishes.

Last Sunday Night (8/3/08)  was my first “time” in this joint and I have to tell you that I was very impressed by the decor/food/service….I did find the menu a bit pricey for a neighborhood-strip center restaurant. Rather than my describing the joint’s decor as a combination of ”Raider’s Of The Lost Ark and Aladdin” do me a favor and take a look at Fuji’s website at www.fujiboca.com which has a handful of pictures of the restaurant’s interior…the website also has menu/prices/other details.

It goes without saying, that this Japanese joint has the full gamut of Japanese stuff like sushi, sashimi, miso soup, teriyaki chicken, sake.

Just so you know, I didn’t eat any Japanese food, but “sampled” the Chinese menu…won ton soup,  shrimp fried rice, steamed pot-stickers, roast pork, General Tso’s chicken…the Chinese stuff was as good if not better than my favorite neighborhood Chinese eat-in/take-out.

As for the Japanese part of the menu, the three folks that I was with absolutely raved about the shitake mushroom soup, miso soup, yellowtail snapper, shrimp & vegetable tempura and California roll-tuna roll-salamon roll.

Now…you know and I know, that Jeff Eats has impeccable taste…As for the three folks I was with, these were the same people who just a few months ago told me  “There is no chance whatsoever that Big Brown will lose the Belmont.” Based on the Chinese food alone, I highly recommend Fuji and would bet that the Japanese stuff is also terrific.

Fuji is open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner…and Saturday-Sunday dinner only.

Kyojin Buffet is a Japanese/Chinese buffet-joint…which currently has 4 locations,  Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami and Lauderhill…I have eaten in the Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale restaurants a combined total of 9 times… If sushi is your game, the buffet is loaded with choices…plenty of soups, meat-seafood-chicken dishes, not to mention desserts…there are also guys working habachi grills, who will make you all the bbq ribs-chicken-steak-shrimp that your little heart desires. The food is pretty decent… but it won’t make you forget your favorite Japanese or Chinese joint…the joints are kept exceptionally clean and the buffet is constantly replinished.

Take a look at Kyojin’s website www.kyojinbuffet.com for menu/pricing/locations. Kyojin is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner…by the way, this isn’t one of those “bargain” buffets…lunch and dinner prices differ, but figure on spending around 25 bucks or so for the dinner buffet. One final observation…everytime I have eaten at Kyojin, it has been packed…which leads me to believe that a whole lot of people like the food and consider it a bargain for the money.

Tempura House serves both Japanese and Chinese food.

Now, let me tell you a little story.

Every year, Spanish River High School which is located in Boca Raton, holds an auction to raise funds for various school activities. Members of the PTO (Parents-Teachers-Organization) literally spend months “going” to various merchants in the “area” requesting merchandise and services as donations for the AUCTION. I recently learned “first hand,” about one student’s mother who (last year) “went” to Tempura House (which by the way, is frequented by many families who have children at Spanish River High School) seeking a “gift certificate” and was told by the “same man” on 3 different occasions that, “She should come back when the owner was in.” Let’s make this story “short. Suffice it to say, the mother never got a gift certificate and the “same man” was in fact Tempura’s owner.

Now I ask you: Do you really want to eat in this joint? I know that I don’t.

End of story.