Standard Chinese delivery establishment, which is exactly what I was hoping for! Their website made ordering an absolute breeze, and my food came within 20 minutes. (A record no doubt.) As for quality, the Orange chicken wasn't enough to alert the President over, but it was tasty. I'll certainly order from here again.
(3)
Chris P.
HORRIBLE "Chinese"!!! Apparently every order comes with a free case of diarrhea we ordered the spare ribs, which are nothing like Chinese spare ribs are supposed to be and Combination fried rice. Two pretty safe and usually tastes dishes. The ribs were way over sauced and again, nothing like real chines spare ribs. Plus they were all fat and very little meat. The combination fried rice was quiet possibly the worst fried rice I have ever had. And I can eat just about anything. Everything was bland as hell, and the lady was definitely not the politest. I am the biggest fan of Chinese food. Especially "hole in the wall" spots as they are often the best hidden gems. But I will never return!!! This joint is no gem and should definitely remain hidden. Portions are ok for the price, but if you like you food to remain inside your body before the allotted natural time, I STRONGLY suggest you go elsewhere.
(1)
Will Z.
Wow... The buffet is completely empty by 12:30 and the woman working is too busy yelling at someone on her cell phone than replacing the empty pans with food. When I was finally tired of waiting I went and paid and she apologized but by then it was too late and I had to return back to work still feeling hungry.
(1)
Tiffany F.
I've gotten sick the last two times I ate here. I don't know what changed, but it isn't good.
(1)
Pranay G.
Just ordered couple dishes from this place and we asked for it to be delivered and couple minutes after we ordered, someone from the restaurant called us back and literally didn't speak any English and it was hard to understand and later when the driver came to deliver, he said "this place is packed and I am never delivering again!" With that we had to take away the tip we had offered him and also the food is not made to order!
(1)
alex m.
My daughter loves chicken and broccoli from here! We get delivery from here often and so far so good. I tried sushi roll and wasn't all that. I'll just stick to their Chinese dishes.
(4)
Keo D.
Can improve on customer service but that's nothing new for most Chinese restaurants. Their crab rangoon is better than most. I always get it. And you get a lot for the money. Their standard entrees are good too, I don't have any complaints. Beef w/ garlic sauce is my favorite. Delivery service takes a little longer than normal, though. At most I waited was over an hour. It's better to just pick it up or dine in.
(4)
Jill W.
Honestly, this place tasted like everything was frozen. Delivery service: They got my order right and included napkins and conidments. So far so good. The Sushi: Rice didnt taste fresh. Or really have any flavor. Eh. The eggroll: Extremely stale and tasteless. General Tso's Chicken: Flavorless as well. Extremely sweet, sticky, plain sauce all over it. Thick, stale tasting breading over chicken. Accompanying fried rice had never been fried. Was yellow rice with mixed in frozen peas and carrots. I'll pass. I ate a few bites of each thing, thinking I would still be hungry after since I didnt really dig any of this food. I still feel full almost 5 hours later, as if I ate four meals. Ouch. Allow me to add that I love Chinese food and am not a picky eater.
(1)
Nathan C.
This is a great place to go for a quick buffet lunch or to order out from. Their buffet is usually fully populated at 1130, and it's worth getting. The food is all well prepared, fresh, and tasty. Any lunch buffet that has good dumplings on it gets extra points in my book. Their hot and sour soup is good to boot. They put a big variety of hot dishes on the buffet, along with some sushi which is certainly adequate for a lunch buffet but not something I'd come for on its own. If you're in a rush, you can get a to-go box for under $8 and stuff it to the brim; a much better price than the hot bar at Raspberry Deli next door. If you end up ordering out, the lunch specials are tons of food for not much money. Delivery is free but has a minimum (I believe $10). The staff is quite friendly and observant and will make sure you're seated quickly and that the food you want is out there. If you are waiting on something, tell them and they will make it directly. An anecdote - during the Great Summer Flood and Power Outage of 2011, they lost power for a couple of days. They ran the register off a battery pack, and the gas stoves in the back. They stayed open and serving, and even cut their prices to apologize for the lack of convenience!
(4)
Justin S.
I eat here frequently for lunch, so my opinion might not apply to dinner hours. The food is good, particularly the pepper shrimp and spring rolls. There's a good selection of chicken dishes, too. The food is good, but they don't always have it available. They make food for the lunch rush but don't replenish the supply unless someone requests it. I figure they do this to cut down on wasted food, but it means they might not have what you want and you'd have to request more and wait for it to be made. I've seen people come in for the buffet to go and have to wait 15 minutes to fill their boxes because multiple trays were empty. They also have issues keeping up the supply when there's a big rush. The only other complaint is that there's a sign that says cash only if the bill is under $8. The buffet is $7.25. You'd have to order a drink if you need to pay with a card. Overall, Orient Express has quality food with a decent selection but is too cheap and small to keep up with demand. I still go, though, because its the only Chinese buffet in the area.
(3)
Tiffani N.
For delivery, they actually have decent sushi. It's not the freshest or most innovative but there is a nice choice of favorites and regional combos. I don't love their other dishes. The fried rice I had was yellow, like Spanish rice, not fried at all. There's another chinese carry out close by with better food and prices but they don't offer sushi. I may give their lunch buffet a try one of these days. I'm mildly curious about what kind of sushi they offer for such a low price of $6.35.
(3)
Channez M.
Didn't feel like cooking, but didn't want to spend and arm and a leg either, and still looking for favorite haunts in our new hood. This place was recommended by our concierge, Walter. I told him we felt like some good Chinese food, but nothing fussy, just good, old fashioned, yummy carryout. Well, this place fit the bill. They were fast, courteous, the delivery man was adorable, the order was correct, and the food was fresh and tasty. Rob had a spicy, combination lo mein, that he said was as good as any he's had, and I started with spare ribs, then moved to the kung pao chicken... all good.
(4)
A C.
First off, don't trust your GPS when driving here. It's not at all where the major map services say it is. It's on the south side of 100, in the same strip mall as Gunning's Seafood. Second, it's extremely clean and pleasant, especially for a strip-mall take out Chinese place. There are seats, and a lunch buffet, but it also looks like it does a good amount of take out business. The menu seems pretty standard for Americanized Chinese fare. Some encouraging signs, such as Ma Bo Dofu, means they're probably a bit more authentic than most suburban places. I only had the sushi, which was decent. There's a huge difference in the way that Korean/Chinese cooks, and Japanese cooks, make sushi rice. The Japanese make it better. A lot better. But the sushi rice at Orient Express is among the best I've had at Chinese restaurants. There's a bit of corner-cutting here, as the "smoked salmon" in the Philadelphia Roll (though not called that - forget their title) was flavored with artificial smoke. That's a huge negative, and along with an inedible piece of mackerel and no beer/wine, cost them a star. I'm concerned about what the fake smoked salmon means for the rest of the menu (that, and they were out of pickled radish - an item not commonly seen on Chinese restaurant sushi menus...is that because there's so much call for it that they run out, or because no real sushi eaters go here, so it's not worth them keeping it in stock? The lack of tamago, and white tuna, and a few other Japanese staples on the menu, suggests it's the latter). And the sushi chef was talking on the phone, on what was clearly a personal call, for more than ten minutes before she started my order. That wasn't a good sign. And the nigiri/sashimi selection could be broader, and the pricing is odd (around $1.50 per piece of nigiri, or around $5 for three pieces of sashimi). So why three stars? Encouraging signs. Hopeful signs. The Korean influence meant some of the maki rolls had two sizes, small (regular) and large (the size of a futomaki). The place was small, but pleasant (as was the staff), and as I've written, clean. Food presentation was very simple (more so than the furniture) but honest, and the food was tasty. A nice crunchy spicy shrimp roll - which you don't see that often - and a very nice, ripe avocado roll. Overall price was decent, though by no means discount - four maki rolls (including one large), three pieces of nigiri, and free-refill soft drinks, just over $30 with tip. So many Asian restaurants in this area have staff that can appear to be brusque, or disinterested in establishing relationships with customers. Some of that can be language barriers, and some of it is the appalling way that customers in this area can treat restaurant staff, especially at Asian restaurants. But I felt very welcome at Orient Express, and despite some of the initial disappointments, I'm going to give it another shot or two before making a definitive judgment. Their lunch buffet is only Mon-Fri (tough for those who don't work in the area), but it reportedly has sushi. And now that I know how to get here (less than 15 min from Odenton) I may have to find a way to try the lunch buffet.
(3)
Pranay G.
Just ordered couple dishes from this place and we asked for it to be delivered and couple minutes after we ordered, someone from the restaurant called us back and literally didn't speak any English and it was hard to understand and later when the driver came to deliver, he said "this place is packed and I am never delivering again!" With that we had to take away the tip we had offered him and also the food is not made to order!
(1)
alex m.
My daughter loves chicken and broccoli from here! We get delivery from here often and so far so good. I tried sushi roll and wasn't all that. I'll just stick to their Chinese dishes.
(4)
Keo D.
Can improve on customer service but that's nothing new for most Chinese restaurants. Their crab rangoon is better than most. I always get it. And you get a lot for the money. Their standard entrees are good too, I don't have any complaints. Beef w/ garlic sauce is my favorite. Delivery service takes a little longer than normal, though. At most I waited was over an hour. It's better to just pick it up or dine in.
(4)
Jill W.
Honestly, this place tasted like everything was frozen. Delivery service: They got my order right and included napkins and conidments. So far so good. The Sushi: Rice didnt taste fresh. Or really have any flavor. Eh. The eggroll: Extremely stale and tasteless. General Tso's Chicken: Flavorless as well. Extremely sweet, sticky, plain sauce all over it. Thick, stale tasting breading over chicken. Accompanying fried rice had never been fried. Was yellow rice with mixed in frozen peas and carrots. I'll pass. I ate a few bites of each thing, thinking I would still be hungry after since I didnt really dig any of this food. I still feel full almost 5 hours later, as if I ate four meals. Ouch. Allow me to add that I love Chinese food and am not a picky eater.
(1)
Nathan C.
This is a great place to go for a quick buffet lunch or to order out from. Their buffet is usually fully populated at 1130, and it's worth getting. The food is all well prepared, fresh, and tasty. Any lunch buffet that has good dumplings on it gets extra points in my book. Their hot and sour soup is good to boot. They put a big variety of hot dishes on the buffet, along with some sushi which is certainly adequate for a lunch buffet but not something I'd come for on its own. If you're in a rush, you can get a to-go box for under $8 and stuff it to the brim; a much better price than the hot bar at Raspberry Deli next door. If you end up ordering out, the lunch specials are tons of food for not much money. Delivery is free but has a minimum (I believe $10). The staff is quite friendly and observant and will make sure you're seated quickly and that the food you want is out there. If you are waiting on something, tell them and they will make it directly. An anecdote - during the Great Summer Flood and Power Outage of 2011, they lost power for a couple of days. They ran the register off a battery pack, and the gas stoves in the back. They stayed open and serving, and even cut their prices to apologize for the lack of convenience!
(4)
Tiffani N.
For delivery, they actually have decent sushi. It's not the freshest or most innovative but there is a nice choice of favorites and regional combos. I don't love their other dishes. The fried rice I had was yellow, like Spanish rice, not fried at all. There's another chinese carry out close by with better food and prices but they don't offer sushi. I may give their lunch buffet a try one of these days. I'm mildly curious about what kind of sushi they offer for such a low price of $6.35.
(3)
Channez M.
Didn't feel like cooking, but didn't want to spend and arm and a leg either, and still looking for favorite haunts in our new hood. This place was recommended by our concierge, Walter. I told him we felt like some good Chinese food, but nothing fussy, just good, old fashioned, yummy carryout. Well, this place fit the bill. They were fast, courteous, the delivery man was adorable, the order was correct, and the food was fresh and tasty. Rob had a spicy, combination lo mein, that he said was as good as any he's had, and I started with spare ribs, then moved to the kung pao chicken... all good.
(4)
Ronn F.
Standard Chinese delivery establishment, which is exactly what I was hoping for! Their website made ordering an absolute breeze, and my food came within 20 minutes. (A record no doubt.) As for quality, the Orange chicken wasn't enough to alert the President over, but it was tasty. I'll certainly order from here again.
(3)
Chris P.
HORRIBLE "Chinese"!!! Apparently every order comes with a free case of diarrhea we ordered the spare ribs, which are nothing like Chinese spare ribs are supposed to be and Combination fried rice. Two pretty safe and usually tastes dishes. The ribs were way over sauced and again, nothing like real chines spare ribs. Plus they were all fat and very little meat. The combination fried rice was quiet possibly the worst fried rice I have ever had. And I can eat just about anything. Everything was bland as hell, and the lady was definitely not the politest. I am the biggest fan of Chinese food. Especially "hole in the wall" spots as they are often the best hidden gems. But I will never return!!! This joint is no gem and should definitely remain hidden. Portions are ok for the price, but if you like you food to remain inside your body before the allotted natural time, I STRONGLY suggest you go elsewhere.
(1)
Will Z.
Wow... The buffet is completely empty by 12:30 and the woman working is too busy yelling at someone on her cell phone than replacing the empty pans with food. When I was finally tired of waiting I went and paid and she apologized but by then it was too late and I had to return back to work still feeling hungry.
(1)
Tiffany F.
I've gotten sick the last two times I ate here. I don't know what changed, but it isn't good.
(1)
A C.
First off, don't trust your GPS when driving here. It's not at all where the major map services say it is. It's on the south side of 100, in the same strip mall as Gunning's Seafood. Second, it's extremely clean and pleasant, especially for a strip-mall take out Chinese place. There are seats, and a lunch buffet, but it also looks like it does a good amount of take out business. The menu seems pretty standard for Americanized Chinese fare. Some encouraging signs, such as Ma Bo Dofu, means they're probably a bit more authentic than most suburban places. I only had the sushi, which was decent. There's a huge difference in the way that Korean/Chinese cooks, and Japanese cooks, make sushi rice. The Japanese make it better. A lot better. But the sushi rice at Orient Express is among the best I've had at Chinese restaurants. There's a bit of corner-cutting here, as the "smoked salmon" in the Philadelphia Roll (though not called that - forget their title) was flavored with artificial smoke. That's a huge negative, and along with an inedible piece of mackerel and no beer/wine, cost them a star. I'm concerned about what the fake smoked salmon means for the rest of the menu (that, and they were out of pickled radish - an item not commonly seen on Chinese restaurant sushi menus...is that because there's so much call for it that they run out, or because no real sushi eaters go here, so it's not worth them keeping it in stock? The lack of tamago, and white tuna, and a few other Japanese staples on the menu, suggests it's the latter). And the sushi chef was talking on the phone, on what was clearly a personal call, for more than ten minutes before she started my order. That wasn't a good sign. And the nigiri/sashimi selection could be broader, and the pricing is odd (around $1.50 per piece of nigiri, or around $5 for three pieces of sashimi). So why three stars? Encouraging signs. Hopeful signs. The Korean influence meant some of the maki rolls had two sizes, small (regular) and large (the size of a futomaki). The place was small, but pleasant (as was the staff), and as I've written, clean. Food presentation was very simple (more so than the furniture) but honest, and the food was tasty. A nice crunchy spicy shrimp roll - which you don't see that often - and a very nice, ripe avocado roll. Overall price was decent, though by no means discount - four maki rolls (including one large), three pieces of nigiri, and free-refill soft drinks, just over $30 with tip. So many Asian restaurants in this area have staff that can appear to be brusque, or disinterested in establishing relationships with customers. Some of that can be language barriers, and some of it is the appalling way that customers in this area can treat restaurant staff, especially at Asian restaurants. But I felt very welcome at Orient Express, and despite some of the initial disappointments, I'm going to give it another shot or two before making a definitive judgment. Their lunch buffet is only Mon-Fri (tough for those who don't work in the area), but it reportedly has sushi. And now that I know how to get here (less than 15 min from Odenton) I may have to find a way to try the lunch buffet.
(3)
Justin S.
I eat here frequently for lunch, so my opinion might not apply to dinner hours. The food is good, particularly the pepper shrimp and spring rolls. There's a good selection of chicken dishes, too. The food is good, but they don't always have it available. They make food for the lunch rush but don't replenish the supply unless someone requests it. I figure they do this to cut down on wasted food, but it means they might not have what you want and you'd have to request more and wait for it to be made. I've seen people come in for the buffet to go and have to wait 15 minutes to fill their boxes because multiple trays were empty. They also have issues keeping up the supply when there's a big rush. The only other complaint is that there's a sign that says cash only if the bill is under $8. The buffet is $7.25. You'd have to order a drink if you need to pay with a card. Overall, Orient Express has quality food with a decent selection but is too cheap and small to keep up with demand. I still go, though, because its the only Chinese buffet in the area.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Ronn F.
Standard Chinese delivery establishment, which is exactly what I was hoping for! Their website made ordering an absolute breeze, and my food came within 20 minutes. (A record no doubt.) As for quality, the Orange chicken wasn't enough to alert the President over, but it was tasty. I'll certainly order from here again.
(3)Chris P.
HORRIBLE "Chinese"!!! Apparently every order comes with a free case of diarrhea we ordered the spare ribs, which are nothing like Chinese spare ribs are supposed to be and Combination fried rice. Two pretty safe and usually tastes dishes. The ribs were way over sauced and again, nothing like real chines spare ribs. Plus they were all fat and very little meat. The combination fried rice was quiet possibly the worst fried rice I have ever had. And I can eat just about anything. Everything was bland as hell, and the lady was definitely not the politest. I am the biggest fan of Chinese food. Especially "hole in the wall" spots as they are often the best hidden gems. But I will never return!!! This joint is no gem and should definitely remain hidden. Portions are ok for the price, but if you like you food to remain inside your body before the allotted natural time, I STRONGLY suggest you go elsewhere.
(1)Will Z.
Wow... The buffet is completely empty by 12:30 and the woman working is too busy yelling at someone on her cell phone than replacing the empty pans with food. When I was finally tired of waiting I went and paid and she apologized but by then it was too late and I had to return back to work still feeling hungry.
(1)Tiffany F.
I've gotten sick the last two times I ate here. I don't know what changed, but it isn't good.
(1)Pranay G.
Just ordered couple dishes from this place and we asked for it to be delivered and couple minutes after we ordered, someone from the restaurant called us back and literally didn't speak any English and it was hard to understand and later when the driver came to deliver, he said "this place is packed and I am never delivering again!" With that we had to take away the tip we had offered him and also the food is not made to order!
(1)alex m.
My daughter loves chicken and broccoli from here! We get delivery from here often and so far so good. I tried sushi roll and wasn't all that. I'll just stick to their Chinese dishes.
(4)Keo D.
Can improve on customer service but that's nothing new for most Chinese restaurants. Their crab rangoon is better than most. I always get it. And you get a lot for the money. Their standard entrees are good too, I don't have any complaints. Beef w/ garlic sauce is my favorite. Delivery service takes a little longer than normal, though. At most I waited was over an hour. It's better to just pick it up or dine in.
(4)Jill W.
Honestly, this place tasted like everything was frozen. Delivery service: They got my order right and included napkins and conidments. So far so good. The Sushi: Rice didnt taste fresh. Or really have any flavor. Eh. The eggroll: Extremely stale and tasteless. General Tso's Chicken: Flavorless as well. Extremely sweet, sticky, plain sauce all over it. Thick, stale tasting breading over chicken. Accompanying fried rice had never been fried. Was yellow rice with mixed in frozen peas and carrots. I'll pass. I ate a few bites of each thing, thinking I would still be hungry after since I didnt really dig any of this food. I still feel full almost 5 hours later, as if I ate four meals. Ouch. Allow me to add that I love Chinese food and am not a picky eater.
(1)Nathan C.
This is a great place to go for a quick buffet lunch or to order out from. Their buffet is usually fully populated at 1130, and it's worth getting. The food is all well prepared, fresh, and tasty. Any lunch buffet that has good dumplings on it gets extra points in my book. Their hot and sour soup is good to boot. They put a big variety of hot dishes on the buffet, along with some sushi which is certainly adequate for a lunch buffet but not something I'd come for on its own. If you're in a rush, you can get a to-go box for under $8 and stuff it to the brim; a much better price than the hot bar at Raspberry Deli next door. If you end up ordering out, the lunch specials are tons of food for not much money. Delivery is free but has a minimum (I believe $10). The staff is quite friendly and observant and will make sure you're seated quickly and that the food you want is out there. If you are waiting on something, tell them and they will make it directly. An anecdote - during the Great Summer Flood and Power Outage of 2011, they lost power for a couple of days. They ran the register off a battery pack, and the gas stoves in the back. They stayed open and serving, and even cut their prices to apologize for the lack of convenience!
(4)Justin S.
I eat here frequently for lunch, so my opinion might not apply to dinner hours. The food is good, particularly the pepper shrimp and spring rolls. There's a good selection of chicken dishes, too. The food is good, but they don't always have it available. They make food for the lunch rush but don't replenish the supply unless someone requests it. I figure they do this to cut down on wasted food, but it means they might not have what you want and you'd have to request more and wait for it to be made. I've seen people come in for the buffet to go and have to wait 15 minutes to fill their boxes because multiple trays were empty. They also have issues keeping up the supply when there's a big rush. The only other complaint is that there's a sign that says cash only if the bill is under $8. The buffet is $7.25. You'd have to order a drink if you need to pay with a card. Overall, Orient Express has quality food with a decent selection but is too cheap and small to keep up with demand. I still go, though, because its the only Chinese buffet in the area.
(3)Tiffani N.
For delivery, they actually have decent sushi. It's not the freshest or most innovative but there is a nice choice of favorites and regional combos. I don't love their other dishes. The fried rice I had was yellow, like Spanish rice, not fried at all. There's another chinese carry out close by with better food and prices but they don't offer sushi. I may give their lunch buffet a try one of these days. I'm mildly curious about what kind of sushi they offer for such a low price of $6.35.
(3)Channez M.
Didn't feel like cooking, but didn't want to spend and arm and a leg either, and still looking for favorite haunts in our new hood. This place was recommended by our concierge, Walter. I told him we felt like some good Chinese food, but nothing fussy, just good, old fashioned, yummy carryout. Well, this place fit the bill. They were fast, courteous, the delivery man was adorable, the order was correct, and the food was fresh and tasty. Rob had a spicy, combination lo mein, that he said was as good as any he's had, and I started with spare ribs, then moved to the kung pao chicken... all good.
(4)A C.
First off, don't trust your GPS when driving here. It's not at all where the major map services say it is. It's on the south side of 100, in the same strip mall as Gunning's Seafood. Second, it's extremely clean and pleasant, especially for a strip-mall take out Chinese place. There are seats, and a lunch buffet, but it also looks like it does a good amount of take out business. The menu seems pretty standard for Americanized Chinese fare. Some encouraging signs, such as Ma Bo Dofu, means they're probably a bit more authentic than most suburban places. I only had the sushi, which was decent. There's a huge difference in the way that Korean/Chinese cooks, and Japanese cooks, make sushi rice. The Japanese make it better. A lot better. But the sushi rice at Orient Express is among the best I've had at Chinese restaurants. There's a bit of corner-cutting here, as the "smoked salmon" in the Philadelphia Roll (though not called that - forget their title) was flavored with artificial smoke. That's a huge negative, and along with an inedible piece of mackerel and no beer/wine, cost them a star. I'm concerned about what the fake smoked salmon means for the rest of the menu (that, and they were out of pickled radish - an item not commonly seen on Chinese restaurant sushi menus...is that because there's so much call for it that they run out, or because no real sushi eaters go here, so it's not worth them keeping it in stock? The lack of tamago, and white tuna, and a few other Japanese staples on the menu, suggests it's the latter). And the sushi chef was talking on the phone, on what was clearly a personal call, for more than ten minutes before she started my order. That wasn't a good sign. And the nigiri/sashimi selection could be broader, and the pricing is odd (around $1.50 per piece of nigiri, or around $5 for three pieces of sashimi). So why three stars? Encouraging signs. Hopeful signs. The Korean influence meant some of the maki rolls had two sizes, small (regular) and large (the size of a futomaki). The place was small, but pleasant (as was the staff), and as I've written, clean. Food presentation was very simple (more so than the furniture) but honest, and the food was tasty. A nice crunchy spicy shrimp roll - which you don't see that often - and a very nice, ripe avocado roll. Overall price was decent, though by no means discount - four maki rolls (including one large), three pieces of nigiri, and free-refill soft drinks, just over $30 with tip. So many Asian restaurants in this area have staff that can appear to be brusque, or disinterested in establishing relationships with customers. Some of that can be language barriers, and some of it is the appalling way that customers in this area can treat restaurant staff, especially at Asian restaurants. But I felt very welcome at Orient Express, and despite some of the initial disappointments, I'm going to give it another shot or two before making a definitive judgment. Their lunch buffet is only Mon-Fri (tough for those who don't work in the area), but it reportedly has sushi. And now that I know how to get here (less than 15 min from Odenton) I may have to find a way to try the lunch buffet.
(3)Pranay G.
Just ordered couple dishes from this place and we asked for it to be delivered and couple minutes after we ordered, someone from the restaurant called us back and literally didn't speak any English and it was hard to understand and later when the driver came to deliver, he said "this place is packed and I am never delivering again!" With that we had to take away the tip we had offered him and also the food is not made to order!
(1)alex m.
My daughter loves chicken and broccoli from here! We get delivery from here often and so far so good. I tried sushi roll and wasn't all that. I'll just stick to their Chinese dishes.
(4)Keo D.
Can improve on customer service but that's nothing new for most Chinese restaurants. Their crab rangoon is better than most. I always get it. And you get a lot for the money. Their standard entrees are good too, I don't have any complaints. Beef w/ garlic sauce is my favorite. Delivery service takes a little longer than normal, though. At most I waited was over an hour. It's better to just pick it up or dine in.
(4)Jill W.
Honestly, this place tasted like everything was frozen. Delivery service: They got my order right and included napkins and conidments. So far so good. The Sushi: Rice didnt taste fresh. Or really have any flavor. Eh. The eggroll: Extremely stale and tasteless. General Tso's Chicken: Flavorless as well. Extremely sweet, sticky, plain sauce all over it. Thick, stale tasting breading over chicken. Accompanying fried rice had never been fried. Was yellow rice with mixed in frozen peas and carrots. I'll pass. I ate a few bites of each thing, thinking I would still be hungry after since I didnt really dig any of this food. I still feel full almost 5 hours later, as if I ate four meals. Ouch. Allow me to add that I love Chinese food and am not a picky eater.
(1)Nathan C.
This is a great place to go for a quick buffet lunch or to order out from. Their buffet is usually fully populated at 1130, and it's worth getting. The food is all well prepared, fresh, and tasty. Any lunch buffet that has good dumplings on it gets extra points in my book. Their hot and sour soup is good to boot. They put a big variety of hot dishes on the buffet, along with some sushi which is certainly adequate for a lunch buffet but not something I'd come for on its own. If you're in a rush, you can get a to-go box for under $8 and stuff it to the brim; a much better price than the hot bar at Raspberry Deli next door. If you end up ordering out, the lunch specials are tons of food for not much money. Delivery is free but has a minimum (I believe $10). The staff is quite friendly and observant and will make sure you're seated quickly and that the food you want is out there. If you are waiting on something, tell them and they will make it directly. An anecdote - during the Great Summer Flood and Power Outage of 2011, they lost power for a couple of days. They ran the register off a battery pack, and the gas stoves in the back. They stayed open and serving, and even cut their prices to apologize for the lack of convenience!
(4)Tiffani N.
For delivery, they actually have decent sushi. It's not the freshest or most innovative but there is a nice choice of favorites and regional combos. I don't love their other dishes. The fried rice I had was yellow, like Spanish rice, not fried at all. There's another chinese carry out close by with better food and prices but they don't offer sushi. I may give their lunch buffet a try one of these days. I'm mildly curious about what kind of sushi they offer for such a low price of $6.35.
(3)Channez M.
Didn't feel like cooking, but didn't want to spend and arm and a leg either, and still looking for favorite haunts in our new hood. This place was recommended by our concierge, Walter. I told him we felt like some good Chinese food, but nothing fussy, just good, old fashioned, yummy carryout. Well, this place fit the bill. They were fast, courteous, the delivery man was adorable, the order was correct, and the food was fresh and tasty. Rob had a spicy, combination lo mein, that he said was as good as any he's had, and I started with spare ribs, then moved to the kung pao chicken... all good.
(4)Ronn F.
Standard Chinese delivery establishment, which is exactly what I was hoping for! Their website made ordering an absolute breeze, and my food came within 20 minutes. (A record no doubt.) As for quality, the Orange chicken wasn't enough to alert the President over, but it was tasty. I'll certainly order from here again.
(3)Chris P.
HORRIBLE "Chinese"!!! Apparently every order comes with a free case of diarrhea we ordered the spare ribs, which are nothing like Chinese spare ribs are supposed to be and Combination fried rice. Two pretty safe and usually tastes dishes. The ribs were way over sauced and again, nothing like real chines spare ribs. Plus they were all fat and very little meat. The combination fried rice was quiet possibly the worst fried rice I have ever had. And I can eat just about anything. Everything was bland as hell, and the lady was definitely not the politest. I am the biggest fan of Chinese food. Especially "hole in the wall" spots as they are often the best hidden gems. But I will never return!!! This joint is no gem and should definitely remain hidden. Portions are ok for the price, but if you like you food to remain inside your body before the allotted natural time, I STRONGLY suggest you go elsewhere.
(1)Will Z.
Wow... The buffet is completely empty by 12:30 and the woman working is too busy yelling at someone on her cell phone than replacing the empty pans with food. When I was finally tired of waiting I went and paid and she apologized but by then it was too late and I had to return back to work still feeling hungry.
(1)Tiffany F.
I've gotten sick the last two times I ate here. I don't know what changed, but it isn't good.
(1)A C.
First off, don't trust your GPS when driving here. It's not at all where the major map services say it is. It's on the south side of 100, in the same strip mall as Gunning's Seafood. Second, it's extremely clean and pleasant, especially for a strip-mall take out Chinese place. There are seats, and a lunch buffet, but it also looks like it does a good amount of take out business. The menu seems pretty standard for Americanized Chinese fare. Some encouraging signs, such as Ma Bo Dofu, means they're probably a bit more authentic than most suburban places. I only had the sushi, which was decent. There's a huge difference in the way that Korean/Chinese cooks, and Japanese cooks, make sushi rice. The Japanese make it better. A lot better. But the sushi rice at Orient Express is among the best I've had at Chinese restaurants. There's a bit of corner-cutting here, as the "smoked salmon" in the Philadelphia Roll (though not called that - forget their title) was flavored with artificial smoke. That's a huge negative, and along with an inedible piece of mackerel and no beer/wine, cost them a star. I'm concerned about what the fake smoked salmon means for the rest of the menu (that, and they were out of pickled radish - an item not commonly seen on Chinese restaurant sushi menus...is that because there's so much call for it that they run out, or because no real sushi eaters go here, so it's not worth them keeping it in stock? The lack of tamago, and white tuna, and a few other Japanese staples on the menu, suggests it's the latter). And the sushi chef was talking on the phone, on what was clearly a personal call, for more than ten minutes before she started my order. That wasn't a good sign. And the nigiri/sashimi selection could be broader, and the pricing is odd (around $1.50 per piece of nigiri, or around $5 for three pieces of sashimi). So why three stars? Encouraging signs. Hopeful signs. The Korean influence meant some of the maki rolls had two sizes, small (regular) and large (the size of a futomaki). The place was small, but pleasant (as was the staff), and as I've written, clean. Food presentation was very simple (more so than the furniture) but honest, and the food was tasty. A nice crunchy spicy shrimp roll - which you don't see that often - and a very nice, ripe avocado roll. Overall price was decent, though by no means discount - four maki rolls (including one large), three pieces of nigiri, and free-refill soft drinks, just over $30 with tip. So many Asian restaurants in this area have staff that can appear to be brusque, or disinterested in establishing relationships with customers. Some of that can be language barriers, and some of it is the appalling way that customers in this area can treat restaurant staff, especially at Asian restaurants. But I felt very welcome at Orient Express, and despite some of the initial disappointments, I'm going to give it another shot or two before making a definitive judgment. Their lunch buffet is only Mon-Fri (tough for those who don't work in the area), but it reportedly has sushi. And now that I know how to get here (less than 15 min from Odenton) I may have to find a way to try the lunch buffet.
(3)Justin S.
I eat here frequently for lunch, so my opinion might not apply to dinner hours. The food is good, particularly the pepper shrimp and spring rolls. There's a good selection of chicken dishes, too. The food is good, but they don't always have it available. They make food for the lunch rush but don't replenish the supply unless someone requests it. I figure they do this to cut down on wasted food, but it means they might not have what you want and you'd have to request more and wait for it to be made. I've seen people come in for the buffet to go and have to wait 15 minutes to fill their boxes because multiple trays were empty. They also have issues keeping up the supply when there's a big rush. The only other complaint is that there's a sign that says cash only if the bill is under $8. The buffet is $7.25. You'd have to order a drink if you need to pay with a card. Overall, Orient Express has quality food with a decent selection but is too cheap and small to keep up with demand. I still go, though, because its the only Chinese buffet in the area.
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