Shinju Japanese Buffet

Buffets can be iffy -- just how long has that food been sitting there? What, exactly, is in that sauce? There are none of those concerns, though, at Shinju, which operates locations in South Miami-Dade as well as Broward and Palm Beach counties. The brisk turnover and high attention to quality make this place a stellar bang for the buck. An all-you-can-eat spread costs about $10 at lunch and $20 per person at dinner, with a couple of dollars' variation for weekends, children, and seniors. For the one-stop-shop price, you could go for filling selections from the Chinese section, which is larger than the generally Japanese vibe would let on, including items such as fried chicken wings, barbecued pork ribs, crab rangoon, sesame chicken, and fried rice. (Perhaps it's a hangover from the location's previous all-Chinese incarnation as Taipei Gourmet.) There are also the usual, most popular sushi rolls -- California, bagel, and the like, which are replenished quickly on weekends. Still, for the ultimate value, go for the seafood, namely the Alaskan king crab legs. There's a seemingly endless supply that's yours for the consuming, a cold comfort when you hit the dessert bar, which is plentiful but -- with ice cream, cake, and a chocolate fountain -- less than Japanese.