Tri-City: Yama Fuji Sushi Boat Buffet

When we found out that a new Japanese buffet had opened in Newark, my family was all aflutter.  We love Japanese buffets...even though we always regret going immediately afterwards.

We made it a point to check out Yama Fuji as a family:

TT tagged along too.  When she found out that we were going, she invited herself.  No shame, that one.  Which is why we get along so well.  Plus, she's basically part of the family.

Not that actually being a part of the family means anything.  They were so excited about the sushi buffet that my parents already took my sister to Yama Fuji once earlier in the week.  Without me.  So much for family unity.  When I unexpectedly got a day off of work, I demanded that we go to Yama Fuji for lunch.

Since it was the holidays, there was a special deal going on.  Weekday lunch was only $13.99.  Woot!

The place was huge.  Multiple rows of hot food, a long counter for salad and dessert, and best of all, a giant sushi boat bar:

There were a lot of hot food options, but I kept it to a minimum so that I could concentrate on what's really important: sashimi.

Here's what my first plate looked like:

The key to sushi buffets is to divide and conquer.  The entire party has to work together so that there is a constant supply of food on the table.  It's a group effort.  You don't just look out for yourself, you bring food back for everyone.  Eating at a sushi buffet is probably the only occasion where I enjoy group work.

To get sashimi, you order it at the sushi boat bar.  You tell them what you want and they slice it for you:

So much sashimi to choose from: albacore, tuna, salmon, red snapper...and if you go for dinner, there's also hamachi, uni, sweet shrimp, tako, and ika.  My favorites were the white tuna and the saba:

You can also order a wide range of fried goodies.  We got the fried oysters:

And the fried softshell crab:

There are plenty of yummy things that you can pick off the sushi boat line:

Rolls lotsa rolls lotsa rolls lotsa rolls:

TT snagged these:

While I'm a sucker for Philadelphia rolls:

You can also order some special rolls, such as this lion roll:

As with most Japanese buffets, don't expect the food to be stellar.  You definitely get what you pay for.  But hey, what you get at Yama Fuji isn't bad at all.  The sashimi is pretty fresh and there's a wide selection of food.

Considering how much gas costs these days, my family will be sticking closer to home and choosing Yama Fuji over Fuji Sushi Boat & Buffet in Davis.  Even without the special holiday prices.  $15.95 for lunch on weekdays isn't unreasonable.

Sorry, Fuji.  It was fun while it lasted, but we've moved on now.


Yama Fuji Sushi Boat Buffet
5605 Mowry School Rd
Newark, CA 94560
(510) 979-9678