La Orient
About
Chinese
Price Range : Under $10 (££)
Location
Adress: 63 High Street, Esher, KT10 9RQ
Phone: +44 1372 466629
Work Hours
Business info
- move_to_inboxTake-outYes
- groupGood for GroupsYes
- fastfoodCatersYes
Reviews
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Laura C.
I didn't expect much from the prospect of an all-you-can-eat buffet (I know, such a snob) and I was pleasantly surprised. The food was pretty good, and I duly had three helpings.
Particular highlights for me were the sweet seaweed and the sweet and sour chicken, which had a spicy kick.
The restaurant is not exactly high-end as you might expect in well-heeled Esher, but La Orient sure is popular.
Perhaps, like us, non-locals are the main punters. On a Sunday lunchtime it was about 80% full, mainly with families. Heck, I'd go back again. That seaweed had me at hello. -
Tim L.
Caveat: This review is for the 'South East Asian' not the Chinese food that is on the plate at La Orient. I have to return to give that a go to update this review at some point.
Being from Singapore, I miss my rendang, mee goreng, laksas and what not. When I first found out La Orient touted South East Asian food, all I could think of is - How could that be good?! I mean, my last review about Banana Tree was begrudgingly vitriolic enough. Let alone a place out in the sticks. Well, I then said to myself, there's no way this could be bad, I mean, how could they still operate when loads of folks now travel to South East Asia on a regular basis. Boy was I wrong.
Service here redeems itself from a 1* review. The 'Malaysian' food however, is just not up to scratch at all. It invites me to gently (but oh so only gently) nudge Banana Tree to open up a place in Surrey (Gosh I feel dirty for even saying that). Anyway, we order the Kway Pie Tie as a starter, rendang, mee goreng, and sambal prawns for mains. The first somewhat encouraging sign is that they have plate warmers. Asians love their food piping hot, so I am all about that. However, when the kway pie tie comes, I'm immediately disappointed. It's lukewarm inside (probably from being frozen and reheated) and there's a gargantuan faux crabstick on one of them. Clearly this is not going to end well. My dining partner tries to convince me that I should withhold judgment until the rest of the food comes. I do. And then very quickly I don't.
This IS NOT Malaysian food folks. I should have just gone for the regular Chinese menu. The Mee Goreng is a sorry substitute, egg noodles with no spice, and just beef and tomatoes. I mean, that's what it says, but someone must have not taught the chef what it really tastes like. The rendang looked more like a curry - Too much coconut, not enough depth of flavor coming from different types of spices. The only somewhat redeeming dish was the sambal prawns. But very very diluted in flavor, as if they weren't prepared to lather on the stinkiness of belachan or that they were afraid to overwhelm the genteel Surrey palate. Wasted calories this evening, now I really just wanna go for a run to totally have no remnants left of last night's dinner. Next time, I do wanna see if this place redeems itself with the Chinese food that doesn't purport to be South East Asian. -
Qype User (orem…)
This place is old school, in a good way. On what can be a rather odd high street nice to see a place with tasty and affordable food. The interior is cliched and dated, the service leaves something to be desired, but the food is good and for that I would happily return. It was filled by large groups and families, perhaps because it is actually a reasonable night out for folks compared with the Good Earth across the road. The difference between the two- bar the prices- I found rather minimal.