Honey Walnut Prawns and Roast Duck at Milpitas Buffet

Honey walnut prawns and roast duck are two of the dishes Cantonese banquet menus are built around, and both turn up on the hot line at Milpitas Buffet. They are also the two dishes first-time visitors most often walk past, because everyone heads straight for the crab. Here is what to expect from each and how to get them at their best.

Honey walnut prawns

Honey walnut shrimp is a Western-influenced Cantonese dish that most likely started in Hong Kong before spreading to Chinese restaurants in the United States. It is lightly battered shrimp in a sweet sauce made with mayonnaise, honey and often condensed milk, topped with candied walnuts. At a banquet, it is one of the more expensive plates on the table.

On a buffet line, the sauce is the risk. Once battered prawns sit in a creamy glaze for too long, the coating softens. The best plate comes from a tray that has just been set down, when the batter still has some crunch under the sauce.

• Take a few prawns, not a pile. They are rich and taste best warm.
• Look for walnuts that still look glossy and crisp rather than soaked.
• Pair them with something plain, like steamed rice or green beans, to cut the sweetness. Want it at home? Try our buffet-style honey walnut shrimp recipe.

Roast duck and steamed buns

Cantonese roast duck belongs to the siu mei family of roasted meats. The skin is meant to be glossy and seasoned, and the meat underneath stays moist. At Milpitas Buffet, duck meat is served from the hot line next to plain steamed bao, so you can build small duck buns yourself. It sits away from the busiest stretch of the line, which is exactly why people miss it.

We did not find a recent diner report of a live carving station here. Treat the duck as a tray dish, not a carved-to-order one. The restaurant's party tray list does include a whole duck tray at $60, the most expensive tray on the list, which tells you how the kitchen values it.

When they are freshest

Neither dish is guaranteed on every shift, since the line rotates. If one of them is the reason for your visit, call (408) 945-8888 and ask. The hours guide covers the busiest and quietest windows.

Buffet price vs ordering a la carte

At a sit-down Cantonese restaurant in the Bay Area, a plate of honey walnut prawns and a half roast duck are each priced as full entrées, and together they can cost more than a whole buffet dinner. At Milpitas Buffet, both are included in the per-person price, along with the seafood bar and sushi. See the price per person guide for current reported rates.

The tradeoff is consistency. A restaurant cooks the prawns to order; a buffet holds them in a tray. If you want the dish at its absolute best, order it at a banquet restaurant. If you want to eat it alongside crab legs from the seafood bar and sushi without a big bill, the buffet wins.

Allergy notes

Honey walnut prawns combine two major allergens, shellfish and tree nuts, in one dish, plus egg in the mayonnaise. Serving spoons can move between neighboring trays. If anyone in your group has a nut or shellfish allergy, ask staff before serving and keep away from the shared tongs. The menu page has the full allergy notes.

Takeout

You cannot box food from the buffet line; there is a posted $50 charge for it. The duck is on the party tray list at $60 and can be ordered for pickup. Honey walnut prawns are not on the published tray list, so ask when you call. The takeout and large groups guide explains how tray orders work.