Oriental Garden

105 Commercial Road, Bournemouth. Tel: 01202 240 200

<Update - Mar 10: unfortunately the quality and value for money is definitely slipping downwards. We were there over the weekend and a mediocre plate sweet and sour chicken was very disappointing.

I would have to recommend Ocean City instead.</update>

<Update> - Oct 07: Since writing the original review below, I do feel that they seemed to have lost the top spot in my opinion to Ocean City. Even my favourites of Crispy Noodles with Seafood or Mixed Meats have become soaked with too much sauce. Please sort it all out soon. </update>

We've been going to this place since it was originally called Oriental Express, a Chinese takeaway/basic cafe. After a face lift and extension, the food is essentially the same but with better decor.

The food is more authentic than the run of the mill Lemon-Chicken kind of restaurants catering for Western tastes. At least here you can get Dim Sum along with soup/noodles, roast duck and so on.

Tea and dim sum

After living in Sunderland before coming down to Bournemouth, we always had the Chinatown in Newcastle within easy reach for dim sum and real Chinese food on Sundays. At first there wasn't anywhere in Bournemouth for that kind of food. Yes, Ocean Palace and The Mandarin were all well and good but a bit too prim and proper at times.

What we really wanted on a weekend was dim sum, especially somewhere that sell Cheung Fun. Anywhere can steam some defrosted dim sum but they would have to be a bit handy to knock up light and fluffy cheung fun. So, it was really good that Oriental Express opened. Their seafood ho fun or crispy noodles were always top of the list for us.

The old cafe side of things was a bit naff. Cold in winter and a bit greasy, so when it turned into a nicer restaurant it was a welcome change. We went within the first few days and there were teething troubles with the service at first, being all new and that but that was long ago now.

There's always Chinese people eating there so that's always a good sign!

If you manage to spot us there and you say hello, I'll even buy you a drink! As long as you are not one of our friends.

Dim Sum

Firm favourites: seafood special with ho fun or crispy noodles, har gau, sui mai, steamed spare ribs, glutinous rice parcels, beef stew with turnip, roast duck and char sui noodles, won ton soup, beef cheung fun and much more.

Some of the food can be a bit overdone with the oil which is a bit annoying but the best authentic Chinese food in Bournemouth. Maybe not quite your taste if you are stuck in your chop suey ways but worth trying the once so you know.

Click for Dim Sum cookbook.

Please note that the photos are not from the restaurant.

Since writing this review another place has opened up doing decent dim sum. Check out the review on Ocean City.