I ate at The Oriental Express in Cleethorpes for the first time in years
When the Oriental Express buffet restaurant opened to customers for the first time in 2006, I can vividly recall just how popular it was among diners in North East Lincolnshire. With one side of the buffet dedicated to Chinese food and the other serving up popular Indian curries and side dishes, the restaurant was a big hit among both locals and visitors to Cleethorpes alike looking for a quick and tasty bite to eat after a day out at the seaside. I ate at the Oriental Express quite often when it first opened – in fact, I may have even had one of my birthday parties there when I was young. But it had been so many years since visiting that, after a family session of swimming at the leisure centre a couple of Sundays ago, we decided to give it a try. We parked in the adjoining car park and headed in before ordering our drinks and paying at the counter. For a family-of-three with an under-five (who eat for free), the total cost came to about £32, which I thought was very reasonable. We chose a table near the buffet section and went up for our first plates. Looking around, I couldn’t help but notice that the interior of the restaurant is quite run-down compared to what it used to be. It wasn’t dirty – it just looked quite tired. I don’t think it’s changed at all since I last ate there, which was a good few years ago. All the typical options from a Chinese takeaway are available at the Oriental Express buffet restaurant (Image: Grimsby Live) To start with, I went for egg fried rice, chicken chow mein, sweet and sour chicken balls and vegetable spring rolls – all classics when it comes to Chinese food. It’s worth noting that the food options at the buffet didn’t seem to include Indian cuisine anymore, just Chinese. The food itself was tasty enough – some of it was a bit dry, but I enjoyed most of what I had. The second time I went up to the buffet I got some sort of chicken curry, noodles, beef in black bean sauce and sesame prawn toast. The toast and chicken balls were tasty, but I preferred what I had in my first serving. The food at the Oriental Express was tasty enough – but the inside of the restaurant could do with a bit of a spruce up, in my opinion (Image: Grimsby Live) The food at the Oriental Express isn’t the best Chinese food I’ve ever had, but it’s one of those where you get what you pay for. All the typical Chinese takeaway dishes that are popular amongst us Brits are available, and it’s the perfect place for those of us who – unlike me – can eat a lot without getting full. I think the inside of the restaurant could definitely do with a bit of a spruce up to get the place back to its former glory, but the food is decent enough.