Review: Oriental Pearl, Owasso, OK

The Oriental Pearl in Owasso, Oklahoma offers a good variety of Asian food for a great price.

I decided to go to Owasso for banking and shopping today instead of dealing with Tulsa, and Cameron wanted a Chinese buffet that served ice cream, so I decided to check out the Oriental Pearl located just off of US 169 on the west side of the overpass on E. 96th St. in Owasso (by the main shopping area). The sign in the front said $5.95 for lunch, so I was already happy since so many of the buffets in Tulsa are 3 or more dollars more than that. We were greeted at the door and taken to a table where a young gentleman was already waiting to take our drink order. Then we were off to find what we wanted to eat.

The selection is your typical Asian fare, but the sushi bar had a nice variety of rolls that were very fresh and tasty. The Mongolian grill section also had much more fresh ingredients compared to other places in the Tulsa area, although it still lacked eggs. Overall, I was impressed by how fresh the food in the buffet was, and how good the flavor was. The General Tso's chicken was one thing I didn't care for, as it was too sweet and not spicy enough (like almost every place in Tulsa), and the Teriyaki chicken sticks were on par (not great, but not bad). What blew me away was the schezuan beef. It had a nice rich sauce, tasty beef, perfectly cooked bell peppers (firm and fresh), and actually had a decent kick! In fact, I ate more of the stir fries than I usually due at Tulsa area Asian buffets because their sauces were packed with a lot more flavor than the bland, clear gravy types many places offer.

Overall, I'd have to say this is the best tasting Asian buffet I've tried in Tulsa since Kim Long's went away (it's still no Kim Long's), and the price is where an Asian buffet should be. If you're up in Owasso, check it out.

Click Here for it's Google entry.