Every region has that one Chinese buffet — the one locals defend with surprising passion, the one that quietly feeds half the town every weekend. In the Finger Lakes, that place is Ling Ling, a sprawling operation on Hamilton Street in Geneva that won Gold for Best Asian Restaurant and draws a crowd that includes everyone from Hobart and William Smith students to families making their weekly ritual visit.

The buffet does what a good buffet should: it offers impressive variety, keeps the stations stocked and reasonably fresh, and prices everything at a point where you never feel bad about going back for another plate. Expect the staples done well — General Tso's chicken with a proper crunch, lo mein that isn't swimming in grease, a sushi roll station that's surprisingly competent for a buffet setting, and stir-fry options that rotate throughout service. This is not the place for a refined, plated dining experience; it's the place for volume, comfort, and the specific satisfaction of loading up a plate with exactly what you want.

Ling Ling fills a real niche in Geneva's dining scene, which skews heavily toward wine bars, farm-to-table spots, and lakeside fine dining. Sometimes you don't want a curated tasting menu — you want crispy sesame chicken, an egg roll, and the freedom to eat as much as you feel like without doing math. Families with kids especially appreciate the no-pressure format. It's not going to make any best-of lists in food magazines, but the consistent local loyalty and that FLX Finest Gold say something genuine about what it delivers.