Seafood Pigout
 

www.todai.com

I have been here 3 times and I have to say that it is quite an experience. Check out the website for a brief history. They offer all-you-can-eat lobster tail and sushi. They are located in Woodfield Mall. Seats about 500. The food is excellent but the lines are pretty bad on the weekends.(1 hour just to get in not to mention the food lines) Weekdays highly recommended. I think everybody should try this place once. After my first time there, I thought I would never want to look at another piece of lobster again but....
I think it is a good place to go once every couple of months. The ambience is kind of lacking but that isn't the reason people go there. They clean plates off pretty regularly and the staff is pretty good. The sheer amount of food they offer is mind-boggling. Price is under $30 per so definitely worth a try. This might be a great place to have a FT gathering. They take reservations for more than 4 I think.

Wow, I guess I have not been to Woodfield Mall in awhile! I consider that a good thing. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/smile.gif

I went to the Woodfield Mall website and Todai is not listed under mall restaurants. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/frown.gif

I called and the hostess mentioned they are on the lower level near JC Pennys.

I usually stay away from buffets, BUT A SEAFOOD BUFFET...... that gets my attention. Will have to try.

Is the lunch menu the same as the dinner menu - i.e. is the selection the same?

Looks really interesting.

Thanks Korea71! Great find!

I've been to Todai several times in PDX and have always been underwhelmed with their sushi. The rice is just off, like they didn't the vinegar/sugar/salt ratio just right. But the huge mound wasabi is pretty impressive.

You are completely right. But I find it acceptable as they are churning it out assembly-line-like. I don't recommend the place for the sushi for the exact same reasons. But I go sraight for the lobster tails and crab legs. They are also kind of lacking in the desserts dept as well. This is the only one I have been too so I don't have a comparison to do. For a place that can seat 500 though, it is quite an experience and should be tried at least once by all IMO.

Todai is a chain that runs up and down California. Being a transplant from So Cal, I was very excited to see Todai open up at Woodfield Mall.

I have to say that I was surprised by the inconsistency of the rice in their sushi at the one in Woodfield Maill. The others I have been to do not have this problem.

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Jimmy

Wife and I went to Todai in Woodfield Mall yesterday evening.

Good fresh seafood should smell like the sea, upon entering Todai it smelled very fishy, not a good sensory introduction. All my other senses were pleased, it is large, clean, w/good displays.

We arrived at 5:15pm and there was no wait although it was filling fast.

As you are escorted to your table the host will hold your ticket/bill above their heads. I guess to make the other servers aware that there are new patrons being seated. Before you are seated they asked if we had been before, we said we had not and were given a brief tour of the layout.

There were three areas, a hot food, salad/sushi, and cold seafood/fruit bar. There are definite places to enter for each.
As w/any buffet, you pick up your plate and go.

Wife went for the salad/sushi area, I for the hot food.

Hot food: Fried Rice, Sukiyaki noodles, teriyaki chicken (cut up into chunks), teppen yaki (cut up beef and veggies), fried lemon shrimp, green lip mussels w/a mayo-like sauce over them, whole shrimp(heads as well) cut in 1/2 w/the same sauce over them, dungeness crab, white rice, miso soup, tempura sauce, and tempura.

Tried all. The mussels were great! Every shrimp I had was very mealy/mushy, not a good experience. Dungeness crab was very good. Miso was acceptable as well as the tempura.

Wife brought back an assortment of sushi. I now understand the above negative comments. It was ok, but being sushi lovers it was below par for us.

I went to the cold bar for some Jonah crab claws, snow crab legs and boiled shrimp. The Jonah crab is almost like a stone crab claw, not bad (but stone crab is devine). Snow crab just never pushes my button, it was so-so. Boiled shrimp were fresh and firm, but on the very small size (its a buffet so one can understand).

The desserts are just the way most should be at a buffet, they are displayed in very small slices/pieces so it is easy to sample much w/o really gorging oneself. As usual there were some that were bad, some so-so and some that were good. One standout was the individual creme brulee, VERY tasty.

There was also a crepe area, but I did not investigate that.

Noticeably absent from the line up was any form of lobster. Lobster is displayed in the Todai posters/signage as you walk in, but nowhere to be found on the buffet. The word lobsters had been crossed out on the posters so I don’t believe they serve them anymore.

During our meal, a line formed to get into Todai, a very large one (saturday evening at a large mall). I noticed that the lines for the various stands were now 10-15 people deep. The line moves, but I was sure glad we were not going up for anymore food.

Seeing as a friend who only eats seafood and veggies took care of our dog for 10 days while we were in HI, we will go back and treat him to Todai, but otherwise probably will not go back.

Admission price for adults is $24.98 for dinner. Drinks (both non-alcohol and alcohol) are extra, they do offer Asian/domestic beers.

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 04-13-2003).]

Noticeably absent from the line up was any form of lobster. Lobster is displayed in the Todai posters/signage as you walk in, but nowhere to be found on the buffet. The word lobsters had been crossed out on the posters so I don’t believe they serve them anymore.


I though they alternated between lobster tail and jumbo shrimp on different days. I could be wrong. I have not been there for several months. If they do not have lobster anymore, I will not be going there either.

just to clarify, on the night I went, there were not any jumbo shrimp either.

I was really bummed about the lobster, but as I stated I will go back to treat this friend of mine and I will do a report again.

On Wednesday evening, there was no lobster. But I still thought the buffet was a good deal at $22.99 on weekday evenings. The sushi selection is expansive and of decent quality. I'd definitely go back.

FYI, when you get to Woodfield, try to park near JCPenny's.

That night of treating my bud was tonight.

My friend had read a review in the Chicago Tribune that said the spread at Todai was greater on the weekends than weekdays.

Tonight my wife and I were very pleasently surprised at the much higher quality of food we experienced, perhaps Todai reads Flyertalk Dining! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/smile.gif

The sushi was far superior to the last time we went. Some great sashimi as well, tuna "salad", and some other delicious dishes.

The filet mignon teriyaki was terrific, tender and flavorful.

Calamari stunk.

Honey walnut shrimp were sweet and delicious, but I still thought they were mealy, although not as bad as last time.

Alas, no lobsters http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/frown.gif

I have a different opinion about Todai now, While not stellar, it sure was better this evening.

I went to Todai a few weeks ago - the sushi was actually MUCH better than many other places I've been to where it WASN'T a buffet.

The rice was excellent, the fish quality was good and the rolls were good too!

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When once you have experienced being a 1K, you will forever fly the friendly skies with your eyes set on 100% mileage bonus and SWUs, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return, every year!

You need to get out more http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdi...orum/smile.gif

Well, I mean, there are definitely better sushi places, but come on - you'd be plopping at least half a buck if not more on really good sushi in Chicago. Really good sushi in Chicago also doesn't even come close to places like Nobu or Yama in NYC, or this one place in Vancouver (I forget the name!).



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When once you have experienced being a 1K, you will forever fly the friendly skies with your eyes set on 100% mileage bonus and SWUs, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return, every year!