A new all-you-can-eat Japanese and Chinese buffet has opened in Bloomington, and it didn't take long for word to get around. Shiki Buffet, which serves sushi, sashimi, oysters and crayfish alongside American Chinese staples like fried rice and dumplings, set up shop at 7730 Normandale Blvd, and opening-week crowds showed up ready to eat.
The restaurant's debut drew long lines, according to Bring Me The News, which reported on the buffet's focus on seafood and its mix of Japanese and Chinese offerings.
Lunch at Shiki runs $20.99 per adult, while dinner jumps to $35.99, the station's report notes. Kids ages 4 to 7 eat for $9.99, and those 8 to 11 pay $15.99. The restaurant also sells a takeout buffet by the pound for diners who'd rather eat at home.
A Vacant TGI Fridays Finds New Life
The Normandale Boulevard building has seen some turnover. It spent years as a TGI Fridays before the chain closed that location permanently in September 2024 amid a wave of national store closures, according to Bring Me The News's earlier reporting. Wow Bao has a Bloomington pickup-and-delivery location on DoorDash.
Shiki's arrival adds another option to the Twin Cities suburbs' Asian buffet scene. Feast Buffet & Banquet opened a seafood and sushi buffet in Woodbury in September 2025, as Woodbury Magazine reported.
Same Name, No Relation
There's a bit of a naming coincidence worth untangling for Twin Cities diners. Bloomington's Shiki Buffet is distinct from Jester Concepts' Shiki, a 630-square-foot Asian noodle and dumpling bar that Minnesota Monthly said was set to open that summer. It's also distinct from an Illinois-based buffet chain that shares the Shiki Buffet name.
Mullet Review has been documenting a journey through Chinese buffets across the country.
What It Costs to Run a Buffet in Bloomington
Behind the scenes, Minnesota's labor laws shape how a restaurant like Shiki has to staff its dining room. State law prohibits employers from taking a tip credit against the minimum wage, and the statewide minimum wage is set to reach $11.87 in 2027, per the Minnesota Employment Guide's summary of the statute.
