Krystal's Lunch...Buffet

If I knew how to do a slide show I would, because Krystal's buffet is the kind of place that deserves a slide show. Upon entering Krystal's, it is necessary to walk back, past the counter, past the baked goods, past the tables, to the back stairway. Walk up the dark wooden stairs and you will find a large room, where there will be people, enjoying their lunch, watching some Filipino tv, and going up for seconds at the buffet. This is exactly what you should be doing too. I can't think of a better way to spend a lazy weekday afternoon. I went with Stella, who believes Krystal's to be a better lunch than Fiesta Grill. Or should I say "a better bang for your buck" so as not to misquote. I have to agree that unlimited soda, food, and cake, all for $8.00, is pretty hard to beat. Here are some highlights of the meal.
This is a terrible picture, taken to show you the size of the buffet table. There are around ten options. I didn't want to bother fellow buffet goers, so the man is blocking most of it. Sorry.
This is my first plate. Above the white rice are some lumpiang shanghai (spring rolls) and some crispy pork belly. To the right of the rice: some chicken stewed in coconut milk, adobo pork, and a beef stew with potatoes, peppers and olives. The lumpiang were good, I'm not sure I've ever had a bad spring roll. The crispy pork varied. I had a few nice crispy fatty pieces, some chicharron-y pieces, and some were too dry. I liked the chicken, it was falling off the bone tender, with a mild coconut sweetness. The adobo was my favorite. The pork was so soft, and the soy-garlic flavor really permeates the meat but doesn't overpower. The beef stew was very Spanish-tasting, hearty, beefy, and I love anything stewed with olives. Something I would want on a cold or rainy day. The rice was rice.
These vegetables were good. Still crunchy, barely steamed, and just seasoned carrots, cabbage, another vegetable that reminded me of chayote, (maybe because it was?) and the best part: quail eggs.
Soup! Chicken soup! Large chicken pieces and rice noodles.

The second time up to the buffet I got some pancit that wasn't out before, and a little more adobo. I couldn't resist.

Cake Buffet. Does it really matter if it's good? I got a piece of the ube cake.
I just love the color. I mostly just ate the filling. It mostly just tasted sweet. I was too full to try anything else, but I just liked knowing that it was there. I just like knowing that Krystal's is there, feeding all of these people every day, while I've just been walking past, oblivious all of these years. I feel better about the world knowing that the upstairs buffet exists.

Krystal's Cafe & Pastry Shop
69-02 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside