• HILITE NEWS HAS BEEN NAMED A NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION ONLINE PACEMAKER FINALIST
  • HILITE NEWS HAS BEEN NAMED THE HOOSIER STAR WINNER FOR NEWS SITE
  • HILITE NEWS HAS BEEN NAMED A COLUMBIA SCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION GOLD CROWN WINNER
Your source for CHS news

HiLite

Your source for CHS news

HiLite

Your source for CHS news

HiLite

Sushi buffet sends taste buds on ‘Journey’

By: Michelle Hu <[email protected]>

Craving sushi but can’t afford it on a low budget? The Journey on 96th St. caters to anyone’s sushi needs and more.

The Journey is a newly opened restaurant on 96th and I-69 that serves seafood in a classy and elegant setting. Much of the food can be found in other Chinese or Asian restaurants, but unlike the generic Chinese buffets, The Journey’s selections are highly westernized. Your taste buds won’t pick up on any excess deep fried oil or MSG, and you can put in as much or as little soy sauce as you’d like.

The restaurant’s theme is based off a sea journey. There are blue and green tiles everywhere to create the atmosphere of being on a cruise, especially with all the life preservers and anchors hanging on the walls. The salad bar even looks like a miniature ship.

And yes, The Journey is a buffet, but a very classy buffet. Not only do the waiters and waitresses look highly professional in their pristine uniforms, but they also are quite helpful, as was seen when ours offered to take pictures for our group and even had a couple of pens on hand to offer me when I had forgotten mine.

For those who have experienced authentic Chinese restaurants, either in China or in the local area, the cleanliness isn’t as up to par as people would expect. On the other hand, The Journey is immaculately clean, including the restrooms, according to our photographer.

The price is definitely higher than your typical “$4.99 all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet” deals, but the $16.99 plus tax dinner buffet is worth it. There are almost 30 different types of sushi—trust us, we counted—and for brave souls, there are squid, eel and even caviar sushi. There is one characteristic that sushi connoisseurs will immediately notice, however. The rolls look as if they were cut in a quick and sloppy manner, and when choosing that perfect piece of sushi, it will sometimes fall apart in your tongs. Beware of the wasabi, also. It tends to be just a little more extreme than most people can handle.

But, if you are going with a family that includes young, picky children, there are selections that even they cannot complain about, including pizza, lasagna and macaroni and cheese. And speaking of spoiled siblings, the chocolate fountain is sure to make them zip up their complaints. It’s a multi-tiered fondue machine where patrons can stick toothpicks in wafers, marshmallows, strawberries and bananas—though slightly spoiled chunks of fruit—and smother them in liquid chocolate to their hearts’ content.

Most of The Journey’s selections involve seafood, but they also offer stir fry noodles, a wonderful salad bar, steak, potstickers and even crepes. Some of the food is cooked right in front of you, so don’t fret about freshness. The cooks can speak Chinese or Japanese, too, so feel free to converse with them while waiting patiently for your freshly fried seafood ball. The dessert is fairly decent, also. I don’t suggest trying the cakes or anything else in the dessert bar, really, but the ice cream is worth picking up after dinner. It’s already scooped out for you in neat little bowls, so all you have to do is open the freezer and choose one.

All in all, The Journey just makes you want to return and try a different dish each time. One of the few downsides is that it’s quite a drive from Carmel, and at night, if you’re not acquainted with the area, you might get lost and end up in Geist, as our party did. Another downside is the pricing, as most buffets cost nowhere near $16.99 per guest, but it does give you convenience to pay $20 total, including tip. Oh, and if you’re planning on going to eat during lunch hours, your receipt will already include your “service expense,” a euphemism for your tip. Also, make a reservation. It is probably the most important action you can take, especially if you don’t want to spend half an hour standing outside at night. Luckily, our group did have a reservation and thus, we were ushered in immediately. Do the same, and you’ll be sure to enjoy your seafood journey.

View Comments (6)
Donate to HiLite
$20
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (6)

All HiLite Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • X

    XLadyXAmberXSep 29, 2009 at 4:51 pm

    I went their with my friends on my birthday and we LOVED it! They brought me and it was the best surprise ever( they know I can’t resist seafood) XD

    LOVED IT!!!!!! GO THERE PPLZ IT IS THE BEST SEAFOOD PLACE YET!!

    Reply
  • D

    David DuncanJun 28, 2009 at 9:26 pm

    My wife and I have been going to The Journey since it opened. (at least 3-4 times a month) In that time we have brought our children, grandchildren, other family members and friends. The Food is very Good overall. Steaks are fair at best. Overall atmosphere and clean surroundings is very Good. We have found The Journey to be very CONSISTANT in all areas. There is one main AREA that everyone we have brought and many Guests that have set around us all agree us very CONSISTANT. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM EVERY STAFF MEMBER IS THE WORST WE HAVE EVER SEEN! They are very rude to say the least. When we have parties of 10 – 20 we always call for reservations.
    While thinking they would be greatful for the business their response is “YOU MUST BE OUT IN AN HOUR/HALF, WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE TO COME” This is
    a Restaurant you can come to enjoy a Great Selection of Food items at
    a resonable price. As long as you don’t mind being treated like I dog, I recommend it. (We have tried help them with having to much business so that regular customers can take their time. We only come about once every 4-6 weeks now.) Did I mention I am a Chef and my Wife and I are past owners of 2 Indianapolis Restaurants.

    Reply
  • J

    JordanJan 30, 2009 at 3:07 pm

    The service is pretty terrible, and with a large group of 8 or more, they’ll automatically take 15%, no refunds. You’ll be lucky to get a refill, but they’re short-staffed, and it’s no one’s fault but the manager. The food is pretty darn good, but a little pricey. I had a much better experience at the loon lake lodge on 82nd and I-69, but that’s not asian food at all.

    Reply
  • F

    forgetfulJun 6, 2008 at 5:07 pm

    to anonymous:

    Get over it you big ole baby! boo hoo! “The nail caught on to my 80.00 capris.” If you paid 80.00 for a pair of capris, then honey you can definately afford a new one! customer service is not terrible, you were just miserable which you wanted everyone else to feel the same way you did. Yes the whole situation was ridiculous and definately something to laugh at in the future. What did you expect the restaurant to do, personally go buy you some pants? I don’t think so honey, it doesn’t work that way. You should learn how to make bad situations into funny/good ones. oh yea, i’m sorry you didn’t feel as if you were catered to. ***Keep Smiling!************

    Reply
  • A

    anonymousMay 30, 2008 at 10:15 am

    when u go to this forsaken place be sure to take an extra pair of pants. on our 2nd trip to the journey i sat down with my family in one of their booths and when i got up a nail hanging out of the booth caught on to an 80 dollar pair of capris and put a rip at least 6 inches up the back of my thigh. very upset at this point i tell the incompetent lady in charge (since the manger wasn’t there) what happened and all she did was go get a rusty hammer and pulled the nail out. When I asked to be reimbursed she asked me if i had a reciept for my pants. i replied who in the hell caries around receipts unless they’re taking them back, in which i wouldn’t be wearing them, plus i’m visiting IN I live in Minnesota. She basically told me to go to the mall in my now totally ruined pants and buy another pair. Then give her the receipt and she’d reimbursed me. Okay, so instead of replacing the ones their booth mangled they wanted me to buy a 2nd pair and repay me for those. On top of trying to make me humiliate myself by walking through a mall with ripped up capris on. The entire situation was ridiculous and I ultimately got nothing for my pants and she even had the nerve to charge me for my meal. Their customer service is terrible, and the food honestly isn’t worth the money. Your really paying for variety and their raggedy ass furniture. They charge damn near 20 bucks a person at dinner time and they didn’t even have the decency to compensate me for my loss. Those pieces of shut will never get another dime from me.

    Reply
  • M

    Mo RazackMay 1, 2008 at 10:35 am

    I would like to know if Journey’s have a website. i had dinner there last weekend. It was unbelievable. i am telling everyone about it.

    Thanks

    Reply