I have been going to Grand Oriental since I was a kid living in West Chester. This restaurant is a gem to me for the Asian- American cuisine and presence in Cincinnati. The service here is outstanding. The owners are typically found in the restaurant on the service floor engaging with customers, helping the wait staff, bussing, cleaning, or just generally managing. They always have their sleeves rolled up because they aren't afraid to do what needs to be done-- although there isn't a lot that the wait staff can't handle. The waiters and waitresses are all very attentive and accommodating. If you feel uncomfortable because there may be a language barrier and your waiter or waitress cannot understand you, or you cannot understand your waitress, just speak slowly and clearly, as I have never had an experience here in which the wait staff wanted anything but to make sure your dining experience is anything short of five-star. Cuisine here is excellent and authentic, each dish is usually a large portion and served to the table in typical Asian tradition so each diner may serve themselves or one of the party serves the rest from the shared plates/ soups. The menu features Sichuan, Canton, and Mongolian as well as other Asian culinary influences and is organized into poultry, beef, pork, seafood, fish and vegetarian as well as appetizers, desserts, soups and noodles. The dishes are very hearty and flavorful, served very hot and fresh and there is an amazing selection with many opportunities for customization. My favorite feature of this restaurant is the Dim Sum served on Saturdays and Sundays. I have traveled to San Fransisco and Los Angeles and was surprisingly disappointed by the quality there, as the Dim Sum served at Grand Oriental is a much cleaner, relaxing, friendly affair than the crowded, disorganized, fast-paced Dim Sum I had in SF or LA. The Dim Sum selections include crispy fried taro, Char Siu Bao (barbecue pork bun steamed or baked), egg custard tartlets, Chinese sticky rice, jellyfish, soup balls, potstickers, shrimp cakes, sesame balls, and a plethora of others. It's evident int the quality of the food that the Dim Sum is all hand made and all fresh as it doesn't have the freezer taste and the quality of meats and dough used for each h'ors d'oeurvre. the Dim Sum served here also have a great accompaniment of your choice of oolong, jasmine, and maybe green tea, although i always order oolong. Many patrons at Grand Oriental are not just one-time guests but recurring visitors. I have been coming here since I was six or seven and at age twenty-four I take every opportunity to bring new and old friends who enjoy Asian fare to this restaurant to experience the Dim Sum and the wonderful architecture, décor, service, and most of all the food. Once you come here you will most likely be...
Read moreThis is possibly the coolest place, definitely the most unique and authentic Chinese food for miles. You must be willing to try new things and really go in hungry. On Saturday and Sundays they serve Dim Sum, I maybe explaining it wrong but I've only been a few times with non-asian friends. The resteraunt looks like the typical upscale chinese resteraunt, they even will offer you menus , but skip the menus and try all the delites the staff have on their carts that seem to never end, rolling up to your table loaded with tiny stacable little metal tins, that contain 3 or 4 delicicies of each iteam, which make it great for sharing and trying lots of new things. I love these little shrimp puffs and sesame balls. They have great dumplings and so many other things that i am not sure what they are but everything was great. My daughter and her boyfriend are very adventurous and love the chicken feet, yes chicken feet. It took me 2 visits before I would try it and even then i made my friend cut the meat off the toes ( I was not ready to nibble on toes yet) but the meat, what little there was of it was fantastic and tender in a delicious sauce. My dinning companions go through a whole serving each, they love them. They serve truly delicious chinese food that people drive 3 - 5 hours for. Each time I have gone my group have been some of the only non-asian clients.(which I am told is a good sign for how good and authentically chinese the food is) I have ordered off the menu as well and recomend the crepes that are filled up with delicious chicken and veggies in a great sauce. Though I still suggest going off menu and try new things, i am...
Read moreBefore I begin with the food, the architecture and interior of the building is absolutely beautiful. The outside is very unassuming, but when you take a step inside, it’s a wonderful nod to Chinese culture and infrastructure. It’s made for communal eating with friends or family, but even as a pair of two, my partner and I were comfortable. We came in during a slow hour, but the owner of the restaurant was very accommodating and very attentive. He made sure that we knew exactly how each dish was intended to be eaten and insisted that if we didn’t find anything appetizing, then we could try something else. He is very confident in his food, and it is well warranted. We had the mini, steamed pork buns; delicious with the black vinegar provided. We then chose the dim sum menu (listed on the bottom right of the main menu) and were amazed with the diversity of choices. We ordered the BBQ Pork, Shrimp Balls, Steamed Shrimp Dumplings, Flowing Egg Custard Buns, Baked BBQ Pork Buns, Scallion Pancakes, Beef Fun Rolls, and the Beef Tripe, all of which were delicious, the only one we didn’t find as appealing was the beef tripe, but it was a brand new cut of meat to us, so that’s no fault on their end. Even still, the server was extremely generous and took it off our check, even though we insisted to pay for it. Overall, it was an amazing experience and we will be coming again. They also have a cute cart, with all of their dim sum options, they bring around the restaurant during the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, which we will be coming...
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