Features

The Blue Pearl: Buffet & Grill

story and photos by Patricia M. Grossman

The Blue Pearl Buffet and Grill boasts of over 150 alternating items daily on their tantalizing buffet.   In one visit you'll realize that they are not kidding.

While the decor is plain and the buffet tables are lined up along the wall in no fancy design, this is the place for you if you're into variety. Besides well-prepared traditional Chinese food, you'll find Korean, Japanese, Italian and Vietnamese fare on Blue Pearl's buffet tables.

Already owning six other successful buffet restaurants in Virginia, two months ago the Chen family opened their first Maryland buffet right here in City Place Mall. In this two-month period the Blue Pearl has already established regulars who say things like, "I haven't visited City Place Mall in ten years until this restaurant opened." Neither had I.

Meats at the buffet

When approaching any restaurant buffet, there is just so much you can eat. Whatever your strategy, whether you are satisfied with one trip to the buffet for fresh, deliciously prepared food piled high on your plate, or whether you prefer to make several trips, building in breaks between each course, one thing is for certain:Whatever you do, don't come thirsty. Even one glass of the accompanying free drinks served at the Blue Pearl will fill you up before you've had a chance to hit the buffet tables.

Upon entering the Blue Pearl you pay in advance, the lunch buffet is $7.95; dinner is $11.95. During the weekends and holidays from 11:00a.m.- 4:00p.m. the Blue Pearl serves Dim Sum specialties as well, which are also $11.95.   No tip is required when you pay your bill, but the wait staff works hard clearing your dishes and takes care of refilling your drinks. I always leave a few dollars on the table as a tip, though it is not expected.

The selection at the buffet is dazzling, and it is even more so on weekends, like the Saturday on which I ventured in, as Dim Sum was available. Dim Sum is often a weekend treat in which diners choose from an endless variety of little Chinese appetizers. Most of the Dim Sum at the Blue Pearl were variations on the theme of dumplings. Dumplings can get a little mushy sitting atop the steaming buffet tables, but these weren't. In fact, most were as good as those found at any traditional Dim Sum restaurant where you sample the offerings from atop shiny steel carts that the wait staff wheel about the dining room.

The plate of food I designed.

There were also a few surprises to ensure something for absolutely everyone:   macaroni and cheese, corn on the cob and great looking pizza for the kids. (Those under three years old eat free.) A new ice cream machine dispenses vanilla, chocolate or mixed soft ice cream.

Vegetarians will be impressed with the selection of sliced gluten, seaweeds and vegetables. Bright and colorful salad bar ingredients make up one whole section of the buffet as well as a fine selection of fresh fruit. Stewed bamboo shoots, of which I'd never seen the likes, stood out from among the vegetables. In a light, slightly spicy sauce they reminded me of little crunchy unicorn horns. Alas, they looked more interesting than they tasted.

Gazing at my plateful of food, I realized that there is an art to plating food at a place like this, and my own effort didn't rate an A for design. It seemed to be lacking a variety of colors and textures. I began discreetly checking out the customers' plates around me to see how their choices measured up.

Soup and Mongolian grill ingredients.

The choices of the foods, colors and designs on my neighbors' plates were as unique as each individual, some overlapping, piled high, some keeping space between selections, some colorful, others a study in brown.

More people had chicken feet with black bean sauce on their plates than one would have imagined. Once I tried them though, I was no longer surprised by the dish's popularity.   They were plump and flavorful.

Roast duck, three different kinds of dumplings, skewered grilled chicken, shrimp with cream sauce and Szechuan scallops all led to second helpings, I enjoyed them so the first time around.

And how's this for variety?   Other selections included the pork with dried mustard cabbage, General Tso's chicken, tripe, sweet and sour chicken, lo mein, sauteed pork chop, fried chicken wings, bar-b-q chicken, huge meaty spareribs, fried sardines, frogs' legs, salt and pepper shrimp and crab claws, to name just a few of their 150 menu items.

Vicky Bova enjoying the Vietnamese seafood noodle soup.

And if that weren't enough, the barbeque and grill serves up your choice of fresh seafood, meats and vegetables "prepared right in front of you." Adding the lo mein noodles makes this a meal in itself. You choose the seasoning: either Teriyaki style, Mongolian style (with garlic and ginger) or Szechuan style (hot and spicy). I had to turn away from this inviting course, as I was way past full.   My grill selection would have been a Mongolian style shrimp and scallop with lo mein noodle dish with broccoli and onions, but my stomach pleaded, "No!"

Next time.

Nothing is spared at the Blue Pearl for an authentic Vietnamese noodle soup - down to the fresh basil leaves, bean sprouts and condiments. I noticed it a little late in my visit, and I was disappointed because, once again, I was too full to try it.   Two tables away sat a young couple with a big bowl of the soup. As Vicky Bova expertly used her chopsticks to gather the noodles from the other ingredients in the soup bowl she said, "Really good, I love it--we come here all the time."

The dessert selection.

Mentioned earlier was the soft ice-cream machine. Also available at the Blue Pearl was the usual vanilla and chocolate pudding dessert.    If you've been to a Chinese buffet you might be accustomed to seeing pudding for dessert as well as the ever-popular triangular watermelon slices. Besides these stalwart options for dessert, I saw water chestnut cake, coconut balls, taro dumplings and sesame seed balls.

My choices for next time will be a fine helping of the incredible roast duck, the Vietnamese noodle soup and a small plate of Mongolian style seafood, including vegetables. I'll get my chance.   Like many others discovering this new jewel of the City Place Mall, I've become a regular.

The Blue Pearl Buffet and Grill is located at 901 Ellsworth Drive in City Place Mall, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301-565-4334). Hours are Sunday through Thursday 11:00a.m. -10:00p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00a.m. -11:00p.m. Carryout is available for lunch and dinner.

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