Those four little words -- All You Can Eat -- are as irresistible as the latest fad diet, and often as disappointing. We're easily wooed by the concept of getting more bang for our buck, and in this economy, who can blame us?

But aside from the perils of pigging out (did we really need that fourth plate of mu shu pork?), joining the buffet line too often means sacrificing quality for quantity.

That's why we were happy to sample the smorgasbord at Shinju Japanese Buffet, which opened Dec. 29 in Davie, joining locations in Coral Springs and Miami.

The quality is very good for the price -- $10-$11 at lunchtime and $17-$19 for dinner -- especially when you consider the variety of sushi and sashimi.

With about 150 hot and cold items, you're bound to find a few duds, but overall this is a deal that's hard to pass up.

The 176-seat restaurant is across the street from Nova Southeastern University, a utilitarian but pleasant setting with red accents and a good mix of tables and booths.

Sushi and hibachi chefs are slicing and dicing at a feverish pace so they tend not to interact, but if you have questions, they're helpful. And if they're not busy, you can make special requests.

The extensive sushi bar features more than 60 items, including California, J.B., futomaki and ``crazy'' tuna rolls. We also loaded up on cool, clean slabs of seared raw salmon, deep red tuna and white tuna (escolar) and marinated mackerel. If you're a sashimi fan, your best bet is a dinner trip, when you'll find the biggest selection.

The fish tastes fresh and is comparable to what you'll find at many Japanese restaurants. As for the rolls, the seaweed wraps were a bit chewy on one trip, but better on a second visit.

Don't miss side items like edamame and jellyfish salad -- more appealing than you might think, sweet and salty, with a hint of sesame oil. There's also a raw bar with snow crab legs, cocktail shrimp and mussels.

If you prefer hot dishes, head to the hibachi grill, where chicken, shrimp and/or beef with fresh veggies are cooked to order. This alone is a good value.

The Chinese station offers more than 50 items, with four types of soup plus typical dishes such as ribs, tempura veggies, Mongolian beef -- and chicken nuggets that ensure the kids will find something to like.

The Chinese fare has its ups and downs. Best bets were stir-fry shrimp and veggies, button mushrooms, panko-crusted shrimp and tempura. Next time, we'd skip the Chinese bun, which was just bread instead of the usual roast pork-filled delicacy. Barbecue pork ribs were chewy. And we could barely taste the veggie filling in the spring roll.

If you can possibly eat one more bite, there's the last course: fresh fruit and desserts -- Western-style pastries like brownies, cream puffs and cakes, puddings and seven varieties of ice cream, including green tea, butter pecan and chocolate.

We noticed tipping jars by the sushi and hibachi stations -- management says these are for diners who want to show appreciation for a special effort. Whether or not you leave a tip for the chefs, you'll want to tip your server, who brings drinks and clears dirty dishes. The Emily Post Institute suggests 10 percent at a buffet, but 15 percent seems fair when you consider the bargain you're getting at Shinju.