Located in a strip mall across South Dixie Highway from South Miami Hospital, Kyojin is the place I'm most likely to return. The food selection and quality are comparable to Emerald Coast, with fewer desserts but lots more sushi and sashimi (a platoon of sushi chefs turns it out while you watch). You can have pork, chicken, steak or squid cooked to order at the hibachi station. And the crab rangoon appetizers were "as good as the ones at the Mandarin," according to the girlfriend with whom I had lunch.

What would really bring me back, though, is the atmosphere. With its dark woods, Japanese wall hangings and well-space tables, Kyojin achieves something close to serenity -- a real feat in a buffet setting. The $5 Asian pear saketini didn't hurt, either.