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Many times during visits to Tijuana, I'd passed by Oriental Express and I'd always wondered... "What would it be like to enjoy Chinese cuisine in Tijuana?" Somehow, on mid Monday afternoon, December 28, 2009, things worked in my favor, and I was actually able to enjoy lunch at Oriental Express. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Oriental Express is located on Av. Revolucion, just south of Calle Caohuila, on the east side of the street, in Tijuana's famous Zona Norte. It's almost four in the afternoon on Monday, December 28, 2009, and I'm in the mood to enjoy a great Chinese lunch at Oriental Express, in Tijuana, Baja California. You walk into the restaurant, and much of the decor is no different than any small, mom and pop Mexican diner. You'll feel at home as you sit yourself at one of the booths, upholstered in gaudy, red, vinyl, and you'll notice the furniture is made of laminated wood, with fake wood trim.. The floor is tile, there's a stand-up drink cooler in one corner, the walls are mostly bare, and when you look up at the ceiling, you'll see bare fluorescent light fixtures, the television with rabbit ears playing a Mexican soap opera; all of these features are found in practically any mom and pop diner in Tijuana. Some aspects aren't typical, such as a smattering of cheap, gaudy Chinese decorations on the walls, Mexican picante sauce gracing the tables, and the menu, which features Chinese entrées, in Spanish. Examples on the menu include "Chow Mein Camaron, Chop Suey de Pollo," and "Kun Pao Camaron." To add to the bizarre atmosphere, these folks speak a mixture of Spanish and Chinese, with about 90% of the dialog in Spanish, which makes life interesting. I sat myself down at a booth, and was greeted by the waitress, who introduced herself as María, and was presented a menu. She asked me what I wanted to drink, as I asked for a Tsingtao beer, alas, Oriental Express does not serve anything alcoholic, so I had to settle for a Piña de Crush, which is a mighty fine drink. Despite the fact that it was nearly four in the afternoon, I asked María is I could order from the lunch menu... she said that was fine, so I ordered a #1, which the menu advertised as featuring a main dish of Oriental Express chicken, a spring roll, fried rice, a fried chili pepper, and a salad.
Photo: The dining room decor is pure Mexican, with small Chinese touches. The wood-paneled door in the background leads to the kitchen. Note the stand-up drink cooler, and the television playing a Mexican soap opera.
Photo: Except for one other diner, I had the entire dining room to myself on this late Monday afternoon. A 1990's vintage television is tuned to a Mexican soap opera, which seem to dominate Mexican commercial television broadcasting on weekday afternoons.
Photo: Earlier in the day, they had a buffet, and I peeked into each tray to discover only leftovers. So, I ordered from the lunch menu. If you look in the upper left of the photo, you get a peek into the kitchen.
Photo: Just as I snapped his photo, the chef turned away from my camera. The kitchen is quite compact, but seems quite functional, but I doubt that it would pass any U.S. inspections. I must add, like in many mom and pop diners in Tijuana, during the time of my visit, I was the only customer present. How these folks make a living is beyond me... but I've seen Oriental Express in business for as long as I can remember, so they must be making a living.
Photo: My "salad," which turned out to be a plate of dry noodles, which most likely came to this fine restaurant in a can. Ketchup, for dipping did the trick. My "salad" consisted of a plate of fried deep fried noodles, placed on my table as an appetizer. I had to stifle a laugh, as this wasn't exactly what most folks would consider to be a salad, but I had to remind myself that I was in Tijuana, and things work a little different here. A few squirts of ketchup on the plate for dipping made the noodles taste great, as I dipped them into the ketchup, and enjoyed until my "lunch" arrived.
Photo: My friendly server, Maria, seemed very surprised as I took her photo, after she placed my lunch on the table. Maria is a great server, and is both friendly and efficient. Keep in mind that Tijuana citizens are friendly, and welcome visitors who behave, and respect Tijuana, Baja California, and Los Estados Unidos de Mexico. As in nearly everywhere in Mexico, if you wander from the "tourist" areas, it is recommended that you have at least a basic knowledge of Spanish, as few locals in Tijuana speak English.
Photo: I pose at my booth with the lunch I'm about ready to enjoy. Well, I have to admit the meal was Chinese in many ways, yet Tijuana in many ways, so I guess you could best describe it as a mix of cultures and cuisines, which the restaurant seems to represent. Like any other restaurant, I'm assuming that Oriental Express has adapted their fare in order to cater to the tastes of the locals, and undoubtedly 99.99% of their customers are Mexicans... The service was great, María was friendly, the food was very filling, and the price was right - less than four U.S. dollars ($45.00 Pesos) for the food and the drink. As the old cliché goes, the food may cost money, but the experience is priceless.
Photo: I went with "Especiales de Almuerzo #1," which featured Oriental Express chicken, a spring roll, fried rice, a fried chili pepper, and a salad. As previously stated, the so-called "salad" was a plate of dry noodles, which would put it into the "appetizer" category rather than a "salad." All things are well, good and different in Tijuana. Look at it this way, how many Chinese restaurants north of the border give you a jalapeno pepper with your lunch? Oriental Express didn't skimp on this "lunch" in late afternoon, as I received three large pieces of chicken, deep friend, Tijuana style. I'm talking about three pieces of floured, deep fried chicken, the way fried chicken is cooked at nearly every restaurant in town. The upside down bowl of rice was truly Chinese-style rice, and I could even find a few green peas and cilantro leaves in it, but I wasn't quite sure if it was steamed or fried... but it was savory, with lots of soy sauce, and delicious, with an authentic Chinese taste. The spring roll, or "chun cun"was brown and greasy, and contained some sort of mystery meat and vegetable filling... but aside from it's heritage, it too was delicious, and I enjoyed every bit of it. If you're a lover of Chinese food, and you've never visited Tijuana, you're in for a surprise, as this isn't the variety of Chinese food you'll find north of the border. It's pure Chinese, with a lot of Mexican influence. It's good, it's amazing and it's very different. I'm a fan of Tijuana-style Chinese food, and I'm a believer in Oriental Express, located in Tijuana, Baja California. After I paid for my meal, I asked María if I could use the restroom, and she told me that the men's room was out of order, and directed me to the ladies' room. When I finished my business and walked past the counter, with smile on my face, I joked to María, "Ya soy una mujer," which brought a giggle out of her. Oriental Express Copyright(c) 2020 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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