Central Buffet

Is it the best chinese food around? No.  Does the restaurant get an "A" or "B" grade? No.  But what it does have is cheapness and seemingly decent quality, and lots of variety.  For a mere $4.25 for takeout, or $4.75 for dine-in, you get to choose 4 items with your rice.  It's easy peasy to find things you want to try.  And while sometime I stick to my usual, with 4 choices, it's easy to try a new dish or two whenever you go.  The eggplant was a bit cold today, but you can't go wrong with the deep-fried meatballs or the sauteed greens. 
Central Buffet, 195 Centre Street, NY, NY 10013 (btwn Howard and Hester)