TJ Asian Buffet, one of the few remaining dining options at the dying Pittsburgh Mills northeast of the city, has a distinctly Korean look to its exterior. The entrances both inside and outside the mall are framed by a wooden doorway and a wall enclosing its outdoor seating area is built to resemble mud and tile construction seen in traditional Korean architecture. The tiles throughout the restaurant are from Dongyang Tile (동양기와) in Chongju.
It's interesting to note that TJ Buffet was the former home of Sinobi, a Korean-owned Japanese restaurant that had a location near Indiana University of Pennsylvania that also displayed a piece of traditional Korean design: a wooden totem (장송) ubiquitous in Korean folk villages and festivals.
It's also interesting to note that TJ Asian Buffet is opening a second location to replace Tokyo Buffet on McKnight Road in the North Hills.
