Orient Express

LOCATION
At the western end of the Crown Complex, just beside the entrance to the Crown Metropol Hotel.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Those familiar with the sushi train style of eating will love the newest addition to Crown’s food hub. Orient Express brings an extra level to the dining experience – literally – adding an enclosed upper deck to offer not just sushi but also a variety of hot Asian dishes. This modern looking, energetic restaurant isn’t content to keep the food within the confines of Japan either. Alongside the traditional sushi, sashimi, nigiri and maki, diners will find not only hot Japanese dishes such as teriyaki chicken and tempura prawns but also steamed Cantonese dumplings and Thai-style curries and stir-fries. Desserts are light and mostly fruit based, such as lychee salad and mango pudding.

The concept is simple. Just grab a seat and as many of the colour coded dishes as you like – all dishes are priced according to colour. There’s a selection of Japanese, Chinese and Thai beers as well as Japanese plum wine and sake – try the sparkling pink sake that is exclusive to Orient Express. A smart nook in one corner also caters to take-away food – a scaled-down version of the selection of items on the train. However most of the fun lies in selecting you dinner as it comes steaming down the line.

Angela Costanzo

DETAILS
All aboard the Orient Express, bound direct for delicious town. The futuristic train “line” that snakes its way through the restaurant obviously dictates that you sit beside the rails – this is where all the action can be found - but there is also table seating and a printed menu available on request.

FOOD & BEVERAGE
Orient Express is equipped to serve diners the full range of Japanese meals. Start with hand-rolled nigiri and maki rolls, plus the freshest sushi and sashimi prepared behind the open counter by skilled chefs. Move onto seafood dishes such as salt and pepper squid and tempura prawns. Vegetarian options like mochi rice cakes and vegetable fried rice are also available, and each plate up for grabs is colour-coded to signify its price for wallet-conscious diners.