Milpitas Buffet Dessert Station: Soft Serve, Cakes and Fruit

The dessert station at Milpitas Buffet is small and simple. A June 2024 Tripadvisor reviewer summed it up as a reasonable dessert table with fruit, gelatin, cookies and typical Asian cake items, plus an ice cream machine that was working, with a single chocolate sauce. That is a fair picture: nothing elaborate, but enough to finish a heavy seafood meal.

What is on the dessert station

Toppings are limited. Do not expect a sundae bar with sprinkles and cherries. The June 2024 review mentions one chocolate sauce, and that is about it.

Asian pastries worth trying

If egg tarts are out, take one. The Cantonese egg tart is a short pastry shell filled with a smooth egg custard, and it is the most traditional item on the dessert side. Sesame balls are the other classic: a chewy glutinous rice shell rolled in sesame seeds with a sweet filling. They sit with the fried items, so check the hot line too.

Lighter options and dietary notes

• Fresh fruit is the lightest finish and the only reliably vegan, dairy-free choice.
• Soft serve, egg tarts and most cakes contain dairy and egg.
• Sesame balls contain sesame, one of the nine major allergens recognized by the FDA.
• Gelatin is made from animal collagen, so it is not vegetarian.

Vegetarian diners can find more meat-free picks in our vegetarian dishes guide.

When to get dessert

The dessert station gets busiest in the last half hour of a family dinner, when every table sends the kids up at once. If you want a full tray of pastries, go a little earlier, or grab a few on your second trip and come back for ice cream later. Refills slow down near closing time, which is 9:00 PM on weekdays and 9:30 PM on weekends. The hours guide has the details.

Saving room

Most people fill up on fried food and rice before they reach dessert. Take small portions of the heavy items, especially chow mein and fried rice, and keep the crab and seafood for the middle of the meal. Leave dessert for last, but leave room for it.

Is dessert included and can I take it home?

Dessert is included in the per-person price at every meal period. You cannot take it home: there is a posted $50 charge for leaving with food from the buffet. If you want sweets for a party, the tray list includes sesame balls and mini donuts. See the takeout and large groups guide for how tray orders work, and the price per person guide for current rates.