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Woo Buffet & Restaurant Lounge - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Asian Fusion Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants Buffets Asian Fusion, Lounges, Buffets [Edit]
10 Dundas Square EastSte 500
Toronto, ON M5B 2G9
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 977-9966
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
47 reviews for Woo Buffet & Restaurant Lounge
Review Highlights
47 reviews in English
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Review from Markus L.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 12/23/2011
This location closed in December 2011.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/5/2010
Very nice atmosphere and a modern style restaurant.
If you are looking for all you can eat sushi as… Read more »
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Review from Brian T.
North York, ON
2/11/2012
Apparently, Woo has gone out of business due to "difficult economic conditions". I can't say I'm surprised. I'd bet dollars to dumplings that there were TWO economic conditions that led to their demise: the economy, and their prices.
If you've ever eaten at a "white people" Chinese buffet -- the kind where deep fried potato slices, wonton soup, chow mein noodles and common steamed vegetables are mainstays -- then you've eaten at Woo, only without the high-falutin' atmosphere and probably a lot more vacu-molded dragons on the walls (which is as much what the "white people" Chinese buffet experience is all about as the food).
The problem with Woo was that they expected you pay upwards of DOUBLE for the experience of sampling the SAME KIND OF FOOD, only to do so among a cross section of Toronto's vacuous trendies and tourists visiting Yonge-Dundas square who don't know any better.
The food was edible, even tasty and satisfying at a basic level (if rarely healthful), but this was by-the-book "Chinese food for white people" (look, honey, they've got chicken balls!"), more suited to a buffet restaurant in a strip mall in Mississauga or Sarnia run by Hong Kong ex-pats than to a would-be upscale "experience" that was all but forced to justify its exorbitant meal prices with slick interior design better suited to a King Street resto-lounge with some la-di-da Chef's name attached. Mind you, woe is to ANY restaurant that tries to make it in that Yonge-Dundas behemoth. Many businesses have tried and failed there, and the loss of Woo will probably scare away many indies and smaller chains from making a go of it. Best bet for the space will probably be some national chain with deep pockets and a familiar taste.
I ate at Woo twice (just in case Yelp's stupid filters are on patrol). Once at regular prices, once with a TeamBuy coupon. Both experiences were just OK, but only the decor separated the place from a million Chinese buffets across Canada. Woo was essentially an all-you-can-eat Buffet, a la Mandarin, meaning you build your meal from a variety of "stations" offering hot foods, salad components, soups & dumplings, sushi, and desserts. Nothing wrong with that, but the stations were poorly maintained and both times I went, the little signs above the food frequently didn't match the food beneath them, and I found myself staring at the trays for several seconds trying to figure out just what it was. I've eaten in many western-style Chinese buffets over the years, and I've almost never run into such poor labeling. The hot trays weren't refilled in a particularly timely manner, either, which was possibly a bigger reason for my disappointment. When I hit the buffet, I expect EVERY station to be reasonably stocked with food, but at Woo I was often greeted by a few nubbly bits of food left drying under the warming lamps. Not too appealing.
Serving staff were attentive enough -- lord knows they should've been at Woo's prices -- but -
Review from Raymond W.
Toronto, ON
1/10/2012
If you never in your life had Chinese food before, or seen things in colour..you'll probably like this place. In fact, if you enjoy the colour white, this is the place for you.
You know how I ended up coming here? University girls. Question thought of, question answered. I don't understand the idea of a buffet restaurant turning into a bar lounge, you'd have to be the type of person who matches their furniture to the colour of the white walls in their home. I went there with a academically gifted girl who's priorities are completely misguided, and her trollop girlfriend who is just the worst possible enabler for any maturing young female. So I guess it doesn't matter how I ended up here, but whether if I'm really living my life the way God intended me to.
What I liked about this place was the attentive bus-person by the buffets that constantly maintaining the cleanliness of the table tops, and that there plenty of desserts to choose from, but the selection of food was just ordinary and far from plentiful. It wasn't very Asian either.
To my horror, our waiter was a Man who I went to junior high with, and obviously he was gay. This wouldn't be relevant if not for the horribly mannered trollop who insisted on questioning him on whether if he was gay. I begged her not to, but she did it anyway.
"Uh...yes I am, what a weird question." The waiter who shall not be named said.
I apologized profusely, and he was cool about it. Great, now I'm obligated to leave a giant tip, and I didn't even get my food yet.
The décor had me thinking that I accidentally walked into a 90's rap video just prior to the 'hoes' showing up. Neon lights, white upholstery, and a panoramic view of Dundas Square which belonged in a magazine ad marketing domestic vodka to under-aged teens. If this were a condo, it would house to the likeness of rappers such as Drake, but since I don't like Drake..I'm not super swell about this place. The woman I was with questioned our waiter's sexual orientation...GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!
I think I left a twenty dollar tip on a sixty dollar meal.
Woo, that's got to be someone's last name....or else the name just sounds sarcastic. WOOOOOOOO BUFFETTTTTTTT... -
Review from Mike U.
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
WoW! What a waste of space in my stomach! I cannot believe I walked into this place several months ago on vacation for lunch because the ambiance and the restaurant's appeal caught our attention. Maybe as previous Yelper's mentioned, that this place was designed to be a strip bar...hey it caught my attention!
I can tell you that 99% of the lunch buffet was a rice, noodle, or fried breaded item. There isn't anything really palatable per se. It was an awful experience to pay $15 for food that was not even worth it. We highly NOT recommend you stumble in here unless all you're looking for is to stuff your faces with some type of oily starch just for the sake of filling up your tummies.
Woo, why are you so appealing to eye initially and all of a sudden when you sit down to enjoy it you turn around and say SIKE!! -
Review from Zoe R.
10/1/2011
I've kept other Yelper's reviews in mind with each visit there...
Pretty amazing and unexpected that this place was originally designed to be a strip bar.
I finally visited their washrooms tonight, only their sinks stood out as being unusual.
As for food poisoning, I have always been spared from that, here.
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Thing is, I had Team Buy coupons going in. Coupons imply savings, no?
Service was good, but on weekends, there's an automatic 30% Service surcharge. We had two beers and two bottomless ginger ales. Argh, even w/ the coupons, our total still reached over $50?!! That seemed like a joke to me. The mgr patiently explained it to us... And has had to explain to many times prior.
Location was fun/good, service was good, prices were deceptive. Quality of food was okay at most. I hear they have a rockin' dance floor...Listed in: 30-day challenge businesses
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Review from Billy K.
Markham, ON
3/18/2012
Came here for a work function. One word - Yuk. Food was very greasy. Many items were not re-filled. Sushi a few notches below your average AYCE place. I will never be back.
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Review from Karl R.
8/29/2011 9 photos
In my culture woo refers to sloppy, unscientific thinking. Uncritically accepting ghosts, anti-vax claims, hair analysis for supposed mercury toxicity, using a poor understanding of quantum mechanics to shore up your belief in ESP... well that's Woo. Anyway, I've wanted to try Woo Buffet for some time on name alone. First, as I said it has "woo" in the name and that makes me giggle like a high school boy hearing your nun teacher saying "ejaculation" (which is actually a not dirty Catholic term the non-laid non-laity use http://catholicism.abo...). Second it has the word "buffet" in it which pleases that area a couple hand lengths above my groin.
Mmmmm. Buffet.
I don't know if Woo means anything to CUTE! Chinese Girl but buffet to her means spending two hours eating desserts. I don't know where she puts it, either.
TeamBuy voucher in hand we hit the Woo Buffet at the crack of 11:30 am. It wasn't quite open. And many of the dishes weren't out yet on the tables. And I found what looked like a long pubic hair on our table. And another weird black short hair on the plate. Sigh.
I do like their plates, however. They are big and long. Ready to unload a full and dirty load right in your mouth. But, man, the kitchen staff need to shave themselves down there.
The food is about the quality of a three star Vegas hotel buffet. Great if you're comp'ed as part of your dingy cigarette ash and semen stained room but you don't want to pay full price for this. No way.
Being Sunday morning they had a selection of dim sum. The pork tasted like something died in my mouth although CUTE! Chinese Girl had seconds without complaint. So maybe I just don't have a correct attitude. The shrimp were pretty good although all vanished on my second trip.
I'd bumping things up one star because the service is quite good, attentive, and friendly. Everything about this place says someone invested a lot into it (fixtures, lighting, mood, Yonge street side patio) but has walked away from it and it's running merely because the people there want their jobs.
This place could be so much more and might well have been so much more when it opened a couple years ago. -
Review from Lisa C.
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Despite working just down the street from this place, I had never been, so when my coworkers invited me out, I was game. I've been in the Life Square building and eaten at most of the establishments there, but Woo's has never been on my radar. Probably for good reason.
When my coworker said "buffet" I was all in. We made a reservation (definitely do this) and we got there early and waited for our party. The place looks pretty cool, various kinds of bar glasses lit up from underneath, white leatherish chairs and simple tables.
Right off the bat, I have low expectations for service because its a buffet-style restaurant. Service at these kinds of places is below average because all the service that's required is for drinks and clearing dishes. Our server though was incredibly inattentive, even when we wanted the bill he couldnt be found, so that was annoying.
And then there was the food.
First off, it looked really nice when we walked up to the buffet area. Upon closer inspection, there were some major things wrong. First off, a massive chunk of the buffet was incorrectly labelled. Having an allergy to crab and lobster, I know that this kind of food usually has many dishes having crab, so I was a little concerned to try some of the unusual looking dishes for fear that I would blow up like a balloon and end up in the hospital. I stuck to what I knew; my first plate was mostly empty by the time I finished it. I tried dumplings and samosas (which were odd... almost could have passed for dessert) and veggies. I stayed away from the sushi because most of it was fish and I wasn't taking any chances.
I tried as much stuff as I thought would be safe but there was quite a bit that was left on my plates: the beef ribs were TERRIBLE, there were about 4 noodle dishes and only one of them was any good. My coworker tried the herring and said it was a disaster and most people left stuff on their plates. Dessert was an ok experience, but vanilla and chocolate jelly? I had to try the chocolate jelly (I mean, how often do you SEE that on a menu!?) and it tasted like nesquick... the dry kind. Gross. The ice cream was hard as a rock and at least half of the plates were dirty and ALL of the cutlery at the buffet bar was dirty as well.
Quite frankly, if the thing that your staff has to focus on is clearing dishes, making food for the buffet and restocking CLEAN dishes and cutlery, this place gets a massive FAIL. Overall, its a crap place to go to eat. Go to Jack Astors and have a decently predictable lunch there, or venture out of the Life Square building and head north to find a few other all you can eat places that have better ratings than here. -
Review from Evan R.
North York, ON
11/6/2011
The first time I came here (about a year ago) I was blown away by the food, particularly the crab legs. This memory prompted a friend and I to try it out this weekend. The lesson I learned? Memories can be fairly deceiving.
The buffet itself was not bad...I only eat seafood and Woo offers a pretty wide variety of this food group. They even had lobster, which I was fairly impressed by. I have two problems with the buffet, however; firstly, almost everything is labelled incorrectly. I found this pretty annoying, having a dietary restriction. Second, I don't find that the buffet itself has very much selection. I had almost everything I wanted to eat on my first plate, which shouldn't be the case at a buffet.
My biggest qualm was with the added gratuity...I only had one cocktail and the buffet and my bill was $40. I found this to be absolutely ridiculous...why would I tip 30% when I am getting my own food? Being a student, I don't think I would tip 30% EVER.
All in all, Woo is a good place to try once but I would have a hard think about going there again (actually I probably wouldn't go again...there are many cheaper and better Chinese restaurants in that area). -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
8/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thankfully senility isn't contagious because I would have caught it.
The food is not good. -
Review from Alex B.
East York, ON
9/28/2011
I went to Woo soon after moving to Toronto. The place was ok, nothing very special and the price for the dinner buffet seemed on the high side.
The best part is there patio, worth going just for that in the summer. -
Review from Ken L.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
This is one bad Chinese buffet and I'm surprised it hasn't gone under. I've first came to Woo's when it opened and the heavy hitters wanted to try it since it was one of the few AYCE Chinese food establishments in the core and it's close to my home. For those who are old like me, you may recall a Chinese buffet chain called Abacus who I would give a similar rating (they had several locations around the city including one in the Eaton Centre that closed back in 2002-2003?).
When Woo's first opened back in 2009, they had better quality, selection and service. Individual lobster (one per person) plus roast beef was offered. The quality was decent but 4 stars at best. I would have given this place a 1 star but it's not that bad so 2 is about right and don't say I didn't warn you. You also need to arrive early cos they start closing the buffet when the crowd dies. One of the pitfalls of a buffet house and it's a vicious cycle... fewer customers = food that sits under heat lamps which may leave you wishing you never chose this place.
I've been here a total of 5-6 times for both lunch and dinner on different celebrations for friends (never my choice and last time was in late 2010) where the quality/selection has been dropping to the point that Manchu Wok has better bang for the buck and I never eat there being Chinese with the authentic stuff not that far away. I'm assuming they cater to younger people (who haven't developed taste buds), tourists and desperate movie goers. If you're stuck with a bunch of starving heavyweights who don't care about quality and selection, then this might do the trick otherwise go to the Mandarin or get real Chinese food in Chinatown. -
Review from Vivian L.
Scarborough, ON
4/13/2011
My boyfriend and I decided to try this place out because we bought a coupon on teambuy that gave us a $12 lunch for 2 there. (Yea cheap i know!) Well Woo was pretty much the shit, and not in a good way. I think for the people who paid regular price, they are mainly paying for the decor not so much the food or customer service.
First off, the hostess and waitress weren't exactly the friendliest. They weren't rude, but it would be nice for them to at least smile you know? Now for food, I was VERY disappointed. I understand that I went there for lunch time, but the selection was EXTREMELY tiny, hardly fit for a buffet. In terms of food quality, I don't see how it is any better than China Buffet King, and frankly I rather go to Mandarin. It's cheaper, has more food, and better quality. Everything was greasy too. I'd rather go to Manchu Wok if I wanted some greasy Chinese food.
Overall, I was really looking forward to going to this restaurant only to be left disappointed. I can't even name ONE item from the buffet that was memorable, or at least yummy. The only reason preventing me from 1 starring this place is the fact that I only paid 12 bucks, so i feel less ripped off. Never gonna return. -
Review from RJ S.
Mississauga, ON
3/6/2011 8 Check-ins Here
Food? No Idea? Party Scene? Wooooooooooooooo!
Never ate at this place, probably never will eat here b/c I'm not a fan of going to a chinese buffet. Plus if you are d/t why would you go here when you have so many other options for chinese food over at Spadina.
If you're looking for a place to party this is the place to go. My friends and family are regulars here every friday night for a couple of reasons.
-One, we like to party.
-Two, the music is sick; all old skool hip-hop, r&b and reggae mixed in with a little new school.
-Three we know the DJ so we will always come out and support and we love what he spins.
-Four drinks are pretty cheap, mind you we buy on average at least 2 bottles and split that b/w almost 20ppl a night sometimes more, it comes out to less than $10 each.
-Five the crowd is mixed, in race (asian and black mostly, some white), and ages (21-30).
-Six dress code is simple, just no hats or runners.
-Seven, decent cover, $15 at the door $10 if you're on guestlist.
I have also partied here on a Saturday night, however the music isn't as good as Friday's in my personal opinion. It's the same concept but they play some dance/techno/pop music. Not the biggest fan of those types of music, when they play it that's my cue to go to the washroom, relax, or get a drink.
This has been the place I have gone to party for almost two years now, I've brought some of my family from the states here and they had an absolutely great time. Mind you that has to do with one big reason and that's the music, courtesy of DJ Kariz and J Class. We (my family and friends and I) don't go to a club b/c of cheap drinks, or the fact that everyone parties there, we go b/c of the music and as long as those two keep spinning at Woo my family and friends will always be partying there. The moment they leave to go to some other venue, Woo will be out of roughly 30 plus party regulars.
Items to definitely get:
- I dunno never ate here -
Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
1/30/2011
FOOD POISONING @ WOO RESTAURANT
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FOLKS - AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE!
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1. Two (2) days of Food Poisoning for one low PRICE $20.00
2. I threw up (vomited 2x times) before we paid the bill!
3. I spent the next evening and morning repeating. Not my idea of a great weekend.
TOTALLY UNINSPIRING MOMENT FROM THE WOO STAFF
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One (very misinformed) male staff member advised me he had food service training and advised me that my food born illness was unrelated to the restaurant.
He believed we had only been there for 15 minutes....what a real tool. Who goes to a buffet for 15 minutes and then goes to pay the bill... The fact was that I was there for 1hr + 45 minutes. I guess the other guy who vomited (3x) in the bathroom was a total coincidence as well. Fact was he was in worse shape then me.....
FOR THE RECORD: Food Poisoning Symptoms
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Symptoms of food poisoning depend on the type of contaminant and the amount eaten. The symptoms can develop rapidly, within 30 minutes, or slowly, worsening over days to weeks. Most of the common contaminants cause:
* nausea,
* vomiting,
* diarrhea, and
* abdominal cramping.
WOO MANAGER WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND
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FOLKS - WOO Manager was not on duty.
I will be speaking to WAYNE and advising that his team and restaurant have significant problems...... Big problems.
I went for lunch.....options were very limited....I would not recommend this place unless you are looking to lose weight....really fast.....!!!
ps...the only positive thing I can say about the experience was the waitress who suggested the humble green tea. It was good. Her service was good. Everything else about the restaurant would not encourage me to recommend it or it's food. Sorry. My weekend was severely impacted after eating here! -
Review from Susan G.
8/22/2011
Woo, while lacking quality food.. constantly draws me in.
Woo is a buffet after all, and I have rarely had a "oo this is so quality" experience at a buffet (I come to eat large quantities only). However, if you are looking for a night of serious eating, you could do a lot worse than Woo. After all, it has a great location (especially if you have plans for a movie) and at least it tries to be trendy with it's decor.
My favorites at Woo: dim sum, (terrible) sushi, and of course, more fried noodles than can possibly be good for me. -
Review from Erika P.
Toronto, ON
3/1/2011
We didn't go here for the food, but for the lounge.
It was alright. I'm not a big clubbing person to begin with so this is similar to my other clubbing experiences; loud music, lots of people and expensive drinks. $32 for 4 raging bulls? Really?
I'm surprised that we had some room to dance though. Most times you're rubbing elbows with the next person and people trying to get through just ram right through you.
Extra star for the heated lamps on the patio. I'd consider coming back here in the summer. -
Review from Maisie H.
Toronto, ON
11/28/2011
I went by Woo for lunch today and they had a 'lease terminated' notice on their door, and the entrance was gated up.
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Review from Ada W.
North York, ON
11/21/2011
Wow, has Woo gone downhill. I bought 2 Teambuys and I'm glad I just finished using them both. I went to Woo first in 2009 for lunch and it was pretty awesome for $13. Atmosphere was great, food was done really well. There isn't variety like Mandarin but the quality was much better. I've been there a handful more times before the Teambuy. I used the first one about 5 months ago for dinner and the food had gone down in quality but was still decent. There was good steamed fish, dim sum choices and sushi/sashimi. The dessert table would offer cheesecake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, fruit cake and little tarts with a variety of fruit - watermelon, honey dew, cantalope, pineapple, etc.
Last night, there was a sad choice of food. Maybe it's a Sunday dinner menu but I'd think they'd want to offer something to encourage diners to come back. Seafood pasta had frozen vegetables mixed with mushy pasta. Steamed egg was done well but salty, and even though I really like steamed egg, it's a cheap offering for a place like Woo especially if there's nothing else but dried shrimp in it. Steamed fish was okay, a fillet of some fish with meh sauce, nothing to write home about. Fried rice looked like a HK cafe $5.99 item featuring more frozen veggies. Chow mein could have been from Manchu Wok. Celery and shrimp was okay, so was the broccoli and something else. The fried foods looked like they'd been sitting there for awhile. The eggplant was a bit greasy but otherwise okay, not overcooked. The crispy chicken leg was a bit dry but something I would try again. Other dishes I don't really remember because they didn't appeal to me at all (sweet/sour pork, 2 versions of ribs... and others).
The biggest disappointment, however, is that there was no sashimi! No salmon at all! Not even as a roll. No tuna, no california rolls... there were some sushi choices but nothing exciting. They were even still covered in plastic wrap like they were brought out from last night or intended to be put away for tomorrow. Either way, not enticing at all. So why the higher dinner price?? Even if the other food wasn't much to feast over, the sushi corner would have helped make up for it!!
The desserts were also quite disappointing. They used to have a good load of choices for ice cream - mango, green tea, red bean, coffee/mocha, strawberry, the typical chocolate and vanilla. Now? Chocolate x2, vanilla x2, maybe Neapolitan x2? The pastries were the small angel's wings, some kind of cake (offered as individual rectangles) and a variety of Asian jellies. Not Jell-O, jellies. For fruit, orange sections, grapes and honey dew, not replenished much.
So after all of this, I've given up on Woo completely. Maybe it didn't help that I was pretty tired after fighting Santa Claus parade crowds but really, as a downtown upscale-ish restaurant, it failed to present anything appealing other than its decor. Absolutely not worth your money! I ate a better meal at the new Eaton's Centre food court and now I wish I went back for another Big Smokin' Burger. -
Review from Vivek S.
4/17/2010
Not the worst of pan-Asian buffets, but not the best either. This wannabe-trendy joint is perched atop 10 Dundas West (Metropolis) right across from AMC. It was a fairly busy Friday night but we were seated right away by a cute tartlet in half a dress. (Check.) The food selection resembles that of Mandarin; sushi, typical buffet Chinese, some Dim Sum, and for no reason whatsoever, butter chicken. You could do better for $25, but if you've got a movie to catch it's not a bad option. The service was great, i.e., ME.
Obligatory Title Pun: WOO-dn't recommend it to everyone.
Menu Readability: Not quite applicable.
Need to mention: Instead of a basin, the sinks in the washroom consist of a hidden faucet and a flat white slab the size of an unfolded newspaper. Now I've seen everything.
What this place teaches me about myself: I see the dress as half-full, not half-empty. -
Review from Cisi Z.
Toronto, ON
8/10/2010
Having watched the entirety of Jersey Boys (It's really good! Go see it!) and returning to downtown Toronto, my cohorts and I were famished; positively ravenous; voraciously craving eats but what to do when you've got a large group of indecisives?!
Looking up we see the neon sign that is Woo.
BUFFET TIME!
So many choices and so much food (though, not piping hot); it was enough to woo us (ahahaha bad pun D; soz. It really needed to said). The mushrooms were incredibly juicy... chewing down on one was like a burst of water. The tandoori chicken tasted like Coca Cola (avoid!). Sushi was standard. Everything else was pretty much standard. Oh, but the coffee desert was good!
I actually thought it to be a stripper joint with the trippy mirrors + stairs and neon lights. Other than that, inside is pretty nice. I'd come back to visit again if accompanied by a large group of indecisives. -
Review from Deanna W.
11/2/2009
I'm a lover of buffets. When done right, they offer decent value and a little bit of something for everyone in a middle of the road fashion. King crab legs, shrimp, prime rib and duck these are some of the premium items at buffets past that get the glutton in me purring. As it was, Woo Buffet had none of these items on offer when my coworkers descended upon their joint for lunch last week. They failed to woo me, har har.
The buffet tables consist of a hodgepodge of the usual suspects: stir fries, soups, dim sum, salad bar and dessert. But most of the offerings are mediocre, lukewarm and poor considering the $13.95 lunch price. I kept myself satisfied with their maki rolls and watermelon. Perhaps they bring out the big guns for the dinner crowd?
On the other hand, Woo is accomodating for large groups and the decor is modern and you can eat in and get out quickly. However, for it's price their offerings are dismal. It's no China Buffet King! -
Review from Jeff M.
North York, ON
10/12/2011
I have been to Woo's several times and have never been disapointed. There is a decent selection and variety. They keep the selections full. There is a large room and a patio. the staff is friendly and helpful. I prefer Woo's over Mandarin.
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Review from John C.
Mississauga, ON
10/8/2010 2 photos
Well worth the lunch price.
pan-Asian buffets. -
Review from ness y.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2009
Woo is a good place to go for group dinners when you're uncertain of/ accommodating to various preferences. There's a little of everything, as per typical buffets. Plus, the location is very convenient for most.
With that said, the quality and taste is also just "good", even for a buffet with decent traffic (i.e. replenishing of freshly prepared food).
Curiously, plastic-looking, poorly made-up service staff. Maybe it's the lighting in their bathroom where they check their painted faces? Still, they're friendly enough.
You may want to call ahead for reservations because it was fairly busy the evening my team went for an after-practice chow down. -
Review from C K.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2011
Wow ... just wow
We bought coupons through Teambuy and decided to check out Woo at Yonge-Dundas on a weekday at 6pm.
There were hardly any people in there.
The food was not warm enough, not to say cold. The carrots I wouldn't even give to animals, it was hilarious! I even thought we might be in some sort of candid camera to see if customers would respond. The sushi smelled funny and after biting in the fried sushi, I had no chose but to spit it back out. I have no idea what on earth that white smelly mass was that was in the sushi but omg I was beyond disturbing.
The couple sitting beside us came in after us and left before we did. The woman had very little on her plate (yes they were sitting close enough to watch this) and gave almost her entire plate back saying she was done. The man tried to eat what he had on his plate, but also did not succeed in eating it all. They went for dessert when we were getting ours and decided to stick with fruit.
I rather go to Mandarin next time around, at least their service is good and food is way better! -
Review from Charmaine L.
Mississauga, ON
7/18/2011
Horrible.. the entire floor was so sticky that my feet stuck to the floor, the table was wiped with a mouldy dirty rag and reeked the entire time I ate my meal.. The choices on the buffet tables were sparse and most trays were mostly empty.. The dessert consisted of a few flavours of ice cream, one when I put the scooper in, had the consistency of oatmeal and 2 sad looking cakes and a few slices of fruit.. The dim sum wasn't bad, the sushi was not even mediocre.. The waiter didn't come buy to take away empty plates or fill our drinks (that's his entire jobs since he doesn't even take orders or bring out food!), and we asked for our bill 3 times and he still didn't bring it, finally we walked up to the cash ourselves and paid, because we had waited over 30 mins just to get our bill.. Wasn't worth the $6 groupon that I bought the meal with.. Never again..
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Review from Thom H.
3/19/2010
Woo was originally intended to be called Woo-Woo's and open as a 70's themed strip club. The licensing fell through at the last moment, long after the designers and contractors were applying the finishing touches. Okay, that may be entirely fictional, but its the most plausible explanation I can come up with.
Occasional shards of garish light slash through the dark interior. Do you want the table lit for spot dances or one of the many others gloomy enough for surreptitious masturbating?
The food is arranged around what was surely meant to be the main stage. Fortunately, the brass polls have been removed. Unfortunately, the food is what you might expect from a strip club: all of it vaguely tastes and smells fishy. This might explain why the sushi is actually quite good while everything else is quite, quite bad.
Mango salad is drowning in a horrible tasting sauce. Spring rolls with pork and shrimp are abandoned after one bite. WTF is that flavour? It's horrid. The main hot dishes are all swimming in sauces looking tired and nasty. Ribs are dry, but not intentionally dry. Har Gow is okay, but Sui mi is - you guessed it - fishy tasting.
Cheap speakers mounted in the low ceilings ensure you don't miss a single Nickleback lyric. Are you still hungry? -
Review from Hazel P.
4/15/2011
OMG, don't eat here! The food is horrible. My hubby & I went on a Saturday afternoon. The place was messy with food all over the floor. And when we hit the buffet, the food wasn't too fresh. I went to the ladies room to freshen up & the washroom stank of cigarette smoke & one stall was out of order. Also very dirty. I was afraid to touch anything & I'm no germaphobe. After leaving our stomachs didn't feel too good. I didn't eat too much so other than an aching stomach I was fine. Hubby was not so lucky & had diarrhea. Eat here at your own peril. LOL.
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Review from David B.
Toronto, ON
9/11/2011
I think this place has taught me to be very, very wary of buying these group buy deals for restaurants. They must have some reason for needing to use these websites in the first place. And man did this place have a good reason. Almost everything there was retch-inducing. The curry fish balls, the curry puffs, the sweet tofu, the garlic pork, most of the sushi, the salad with only two kinds of dressing, the potato topped with bacon (how can you get this one wrong??), the unintentionally dehydrated carrots and celery, etc. There were a few decent dishes but that's because I don't think any restaurant could screw them up- broccoli, seaweed salad, salmon sushi, chow fun. The fish was decent too. Still most of the food was awful. I'd give this place one star if it weren't for the good service and the nice atmosphere.
And a lot of the dishes were unlabeled! -
Review from Hymen C.
Toronto, ON
5/30/2011
I tried to give it a second chance after the first time. Food is bad, water smelled like pee. Only thing good is the environment.
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Review from Moritz H.
7/22/2011
Nice stylish place. Totally mixed Asian food?!?
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Review from Ja L.
Concord, ON
6/19/2011
The worst buffet i ever been! goodthing i got this voucher from teambuy for discounted price. Not really worth the money.... Almost all of the foods are fried and greasy... There was a fly n my water.... And the WORST WASHROOM i ever been!!!!!!!! Will never recommend and will never go back!!!
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Review from Dio S.
7/15/2010
Woo is a fancy looking pan-Asian buffet located right next to the bustle of Dundas Square. The food quality and selection are okay. It's a bit pricey for what it is and I have really no interest in going back.
I was there for lunch. Probably the only thing really worth noting was that they have a few Vietnamese dishes like pork frittata, cha gio, lemongrass pork chop, which I don't often see in Asian buffets. Food's not awful but I've had better.
Not bad was a larger than normal selection of ice creams. 8+ flavors.
It was disappointing to me that even though I was seated right next to the window, I still could not see street level because the windows don't extend low enough and there was a medium between window and table. -
Review from Tina H.
9/27/2010
Service is friendly. The hostess had a nice smile and was very welcoming. Even though the place was dead we decided to try grabbing a drink here. Milestones is my default pre-movie spot for drinks and occasionally food, but I thought I'd expand my horizons, so I tried Woo.
I generally don't like Chinese restaurants because of the poor quality of food, but as this place appears to be more modern and fusion-like, I thought I'd try it for drinks. The idea of "stuff your face with crap for $30" isn't my type of dining experience, so I definitely wasn't about to eat here.
They really like Malibu, and it's in almost every cocktail. The cocktail I ordered--the Woo favourite, with Appleton rum--was pretty good, but not that great for the price. I'm used to paying similar (or sometimes less) for something way better at Milestones, and when it's in the same building I can't help but feel ripped off.
Let me also say that they gave my friend and I wet coasters. Wet, used coasters. How lovely is that?! He gave them to us with his hands too, which means that he would've been able to tell they were sopping wet. Really now? Not that I'm the queen of etiquette, but isn't that a big no no?
The washrooms were a bit messy, and it was hard to choose which toilet to use. I had to go with the one that looked the least bad. Upon entering the bathroom, I looked to the right and there was a white surface covered in water. At first glance, it looked like a baby changing station where a baby peed all over the place and the mother didn't clean it up. After a second look I realized it was the sink. Err... A for effort? Not my style, but ok.
I am SO glad I didn't order food here. I would definitely not return. I hope this place closes soon and something better shows up. It's nice to have another option other than Milestones in that complex. After all, people, this is downtown Toronto: the centre of the centre of the universe! I can't believe this place is here! -
Review from A W.
Toronto, ON
9/1/2011
A cross between Mandarin and all you can eat sushi bars.
Fail and Fail
Over priced, over salted and selection was 1/4 of what you can find at Mandarin.
Salmon was frozen. fail
Not going back for 20 dollars a pop
This place should be called WOO fear Factor -
Review from neesa r.
4/5/2011
a bit expensive for a buffet. about $25 on the weekend and $16 or something of this kind on the weekdays.
buffet has lots of food including japanese (sushi), chinese (dumplings), korean (some of the appetizers), european (tiramisu and stuff) and even american (french fries). anyway.
not a bad variety of food for vegetarians but I would want more veg sushi. lots of desserts and fruits. and I think they even had ice cream (but I was too full to fit any of that into me).
service. was hard to find anybody who could tell me if the dishes were 100% veg (no fish sauce etc) but otherwise fast cleaning of the table and quick bill delivery.
was funny to see that the DJ is located at the bar. the music was good.
it also turns into a dance club at the night time (no idea where do they move all the tables) and I think I'd like to come here for some dancing (cover $10 with a guest list, $15 at the door)
I also think they have a patio... but it might be just an illusion... -
Review from Thomas A.
2/2/2010
This place reminds me of East China Buffet in Flushing, NY...but a crappier version. They do offer a lot of variety in Japanese food and Chinese foods. I liked the fact that they offered a roast pork sticky rice wrapped in a bamboo leaf. The sushi was okay, but the Tuna tasted very fishy. The buffet was okay, but I don't think it was worth the money. I've experienced better in NY.
The food was blah but the decor was really nice. I liked the ambiance. -
Review from M B.
North York, ON
5/11/2011
Terrible, terrible. We went here for a retirement party and the food was truly awful, the quality very, very cheap. I was looking forward to eating sushi - they did not have one fish sushi, except for a spicy salmon roll, which was not very good. Other than that, they had cheap immitation crab, egg, tofu and HAM sushi!!!! Ham??? I would never, ever go again...I barely ate anything. I asked for Terriyaki sauce for the deep fried yams and they didn't even have any!!
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Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
3/18/2010
I've been here twice and both not so happy about.
The first time was close to closing, so of course there was barely any food left, and everything looked a mess.
The second time was better. They have lots of variety, I'll give you that. but the quality of food could be so much better! On top of that, there were so many signs above the food that were mixed up or just wrong.
It's as if they don't really care.
The place looks like a lounge, and its trying to be, but really just a regular chinese buffet. The only good seats really are the booths by the window looking onto Yonge street.
I wouldn't come back again. Go only on their cheap days and only if you have a discount coupon or something (dine.to has some occasionally) and would like to try something different when at Yonge and Dundas.
