With Asian buffets in virtually every city and town in the nation, to find one that stands apart is refreshing.
BC Osaka, located at 2999 E. Lincoln Hwy. in Merrillville, is such a buffet, with a tastefully decorated interior of dark wood and intricate carved cork art ensconced in glass dividers.
Food is served on large white ceramic platters, rather than in metal steam trays, service is attentive and friendly, and the restaurant is clean and bright.
Guests can enjoy a variety of cuisines, including Chinese dishes such as kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef, hot spicy shrimp, orange chicken, crab Rangoon, pot stickers, clams in black bean sauce, and vegetable rolls; American dishes such as carved prime rib, mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, stuffed mushrooms, mozzarella sticks, baked salmon and Alaska Pollock; and Japanese items such as dragon rolls, softshell crab rolls, spicy salmon maki, rainbow maki, angel hair rolls, California maki and caviar rolls with red, green, orange and black roe.
There are cold selections, such as salads, fresh fruit and mussels. There’s also a soup buffet featuring miso, clam chowder, hot and sour, and egg drop.
The buffet also has a hibachi grill so that guests can fill a plate with an assortment of selections, including beef, chicken, shrimp, vegetables and noodles, and watch as a chef prepares the dish with flair. The same kind of technical finesses can be experienced in the other half of the facility, which is a sit-down traditional hibachi restaurant.
Hibachi seating is available during lunch and dinner hours. Meals include soup, salad, fried rice, hibachi vegetable and tea for lunch. Dinner includes the same, as well as a shrimp appetizer and ice cream. Guests can choose from chicken, scallops, salmon, lobster, shrimp, calamari, filet mignon or any combination of the selections, prepared for groups around a flat grill in an entertaining display of chopping, slicing, flipping, and humor.
BC Osaka also offers an extensive sushi menu featuring Godzilla rolls to sashimi platters.
A party room is available for any occasion, and catering and buffet to-go is also an option with pricing by the pound.
BC Osaka
Address: 2999 E. Lincoln Hwy., Merrillville, IN
Pricing: Lunch buffet for adults $9.29; for children 2 to 9 $2:50 to $6.50; dinner buffet for adults $14.99; children ages 2 to 9 $3.99 to $7.99. Hibachi menu ranges from $7.59 to $11.95 for lunch, and $21.99 to $37.99 for dinner for adults and $6.99 to $11.99 for children. Sushi ala carte ranges in price from $2 per piece to $3.25 per piece and maki from $3 to $7.50, special maki from $7.95 to $14.95.
Hours: Buffet is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch Mon-Fri; and 4:30 to 10 p.m. for dinner Mon-Fri; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sat and Sun for dinner. Hibachi is open for lunch from 11 a.m. 2:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.
Contact: 219-947-9888