If anyone's reading this and hasn't tried cafe orient before, what are you doing? I'll try to be as unbiased as possible since this has been my og go-to place with my family + the previous owner has basically watched me grow up at this point. But truly, the food here tastes as authentic as it can get in Ottawa and very comparable to the AMAZING food you'd find in Toronto/markham. It brings memories back from HK cha cha tengs (ifykyk). We usually come for lunch, but the photo attached is from their set dinner menu. If you come for lunch our go-to is usually the baked porkchop rice (classic), wonton soup, satay beef noodles, hot and sour soup, pad thai, and ofc their milk tea. The previous owner still works here from time-to-time helping out and the new owner that took over is also just as great. Just make sure to plan your trip here accordingly, as during rush hours, you may need to wait for an open table - but so worth it. read more

Cafe Orient - Set dinner for 3- comes with AMAZING soup, sweet & sour fish, veggies & ribs w/ unlimited rice if you're dining in! - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Round 2. Another quick meal at Cafe Orient. This time for breakfast! Preserved duck egg and shredded pork congee - Congee was flavoured well and had a watery thick consistency. Lots of duck eggs in the congee, but lacked shredded pork. Decent size, can get to share for 2 people. Would get the congee again, but with other toppings. Steamed sticky rice in lotus leaf - Undercooked, rice was not soft. filling was bland and lacked texture. Would not recommend. Seems like this place is a hit or miss with their items. read more

Cafe Orient - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Lai cha is inconsistent. Last time it was okay, but this time it was oversteeped, so much that I needed to add sugar (which I usually don't). The rice wrapped in lotus leaf was okay. The meat was ready, but didn't transfer over to the rice yet. The deep fried dumpling (ham siu gock) is very thick looking. It is a little dry. Wouldn't get again. The beef brisket noodle (with sh wonton) was good. The congee is a staple. Very good, lots of 1000 century egg. Old Chinese restaurant. Just need to ask for them to receive service. read more

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I have eaten here many times a huge Cantonese menu. If you know your way around chinese food you will be able to order what you like. Central and not expensive...reliable cooking. read more

Amazing and authentic! Road trip from Boston and crazed some good food and stumbled here and it was one of the best meals ever. Reminded me of being back in Hong Kong. Wish we were closer but definitely a must try read more

Finally got to try their dine-in last night, I've ordered from them quite a few times via UberEats in the past. Service was great! They offer authentic HK style dishes. Their evening set meals include a soup of your choice & unlimited rice if you pick 2 dishes from that menu. Would recommend! read more

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This may be the only 'cha chan teng' (Hong Kong style cafe) in Ottawa. Given that, one may expect the food to be subpar but that is not the case here. We enjoyed our meal, especially the fried rice and chow mein. Service is also friendly and prompt. One group at a table next to ours dropped their wallet on the floor before they left. The waitress noticed it while cleaning the table and quickly went outside to find the group. They came back into the restaurant and verified that it's their wallet. This was well handled and shows good restaurant integrity. Definitely come enjoy a meal here! read more

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Honestly a really cute, really tasty dim sum place. It's pretty small on the inside, so there's a limited number of seats but the service is quick and the food is amazing! There are other menu options other than dim sum, but I was really craving it to I got it. I loved each dish I got! They were really generous on the servings I found and the meat on the short ribs was the most meat I've ever gotten! It seemed like a home-y spot with a lot of regulars, who the workers would talk to a lot. Super cute :) I'd definitely recommend coming here if you wanted some amazing Chinese food and dim sum. The washroom was super clean as well !! read more

Cafe Orient - Dim sum dishes - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This is the most authentic cha chaan teng I've found in Ottawa so far. It might be the only one actually. They actually do a fried rice base for this classic menu item which is how it should be done. The tomato sauce strikes a good balance between ketchup and actual tomato flavour without being too sweet, and there are sizable chunks of marinated pork cutlet. The HK milk tea had a proper amount of dryness on the tongue accentuated with sweetness that wasn't overbearing. I liked speaking to the waitstaff in Cantonese and service levels are what you'd expect from a place like this. read more

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Food was mostly excellent. Only once we had a noodle dish that was way too salty. But we've been there several times as we've found the food delicious most of the time. In addition, some of the prices were comparable or better than other restaurants on Somerset. We've enjoyed fried dumplings, rice dish topped with ribs and chicken feet in black bean sauce, tofu soup, eggplant dishes and so on. read more

BF wanted to come here for dinner, he rarely craves Chinese food so I was surprised. He spoke highly of this restaurant so naturally I had high expectations. The place is small and it was very busy (good sign!). There was only 1 very big table available, the staff person sat us there even though there were just 2 of us. Once a smaller table was available, we were relocated. We ordered 3 dishes from the main menu, pepper beef, sweet & sour pork and shanghai noodles. Generally, I don't care for any of these dishes as they are too greasy and too sweet. I was happily surprised to find out that it wasn't the case! The shanghai noodles were slightly crispy, which added extra goodness to the dish. The pepper beef tasted of strong pepper flavour and the fried batter of the sweet & sour pork was amazing! We were also given a big bowl of steamed rice. Really great Chinese restaurant! The service was fast and the food really good. I would highly recommend it against others in the area. read more

Cafe Orient - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Being in Chinatown at noon on a Sunday, I decided to try this HK style cafe since I was curious about how it compared with the ones back home! It was still cold and rainy outside so noodle soup seemed like a good idea! Atmosphere: 3/5 This was a small restaurant with standard atmosphere; it was a little darker than expected but also because it was gloomy out. Originally, space was a bit tight as I was seated very close to the next table; however, I was able to move when another group left. The restaurant did appear busy despite the rotten weather outside, which was a good sign. Food: 3.5/5 I had the beef brisket and tendon vermicelli bowl. The beef brisket and tendon were both good; I like the vegetables in the bowl even though it was a small amount. Good overall Service: 3.5/5 Overall efficient; slightly more friendly than expected for an HK style restaurant, which is usually more fast paced. However there were only 2 staff working so they appeared busy Price: 3/5 Higher than I'm used to back home due to PST, but likely pretty standard for the amount and quality of food Overall: 3/5 Overall a satisfactory bowl of noodles as I stopped by Chinatown; I would be curious to try some of their other items as they seemed to have quite a large menu- including dim sum! read more

Cafe Orient - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Small, cozy restaurant. They have many styles of dishes, but try their baked casseroles (so cheesy!) and dimsum items. They close somewhat early so it is not a late night place. Their menu is quite expansive and everything is very fresh and tasty, I have not had bad dishes here, Also really like their milk tea, which is rich. read more

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I just love this place. The ribs, fried rice and every dish that I've tried was very good and the service very attentive and quite pleasant. Generous portions and parking nearby. I just wish that they offered extended hours on weekends. read more

I came here upon recommendation from a friend who went to Carleton. He dubbed it "OG Chinese food" so I definitely had to check it out. It definitely lives up to the "title"! The food was so tasty and the portions were great, I had plenty of leftovers for another meal or two. I got the mapo tofu, which is my go to dish and it was great! It wasn't spicy, but you could added your own with the chili oil upon request. I've gone back once more since and has become my go to for Chinese food! read more

Cafe Orient - Mapo tofu, black pepper chicken and egg drop corn soup (I think? It's been a while so I don't remember..) - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Been coming here for awhile now thought it was about time I posted a review! I came across this restaurant after many friends raved about their delicious foods and HK-style milk tea and invited me one night to have dinner there. Looking over their menu, they had so many delicious choices. One of my favourite food is Tofu and I have been looking all over the place for a restaurant in Ottawa that had a specific tofu dish. It is like an egg tofu in brown/oyster sauce with different kinds of mushrooms. Low and behold, they had it on the menu! During dinner time when you eat in at the restaurant, they have a special dinner menu where you can pick 3 or more dishes and it comes with rice and a soup to start. Once ordered, when the food came out, the portions were larger than expected for the price we paid. Whenever I have come here with friends, we have all always left feeling full and satisfied with the dishes we ordered. From that first experience until now, this restaurant will always be my go to Chinese restaurant. read more

Finally got to try this gem that we've been meaning to try (but haven't gotten around to until this weekend). Our group of 5 was supposed to go to dimsum at Hung Sum, but arriving late and knowing it would be packed, I volunteered Cafe Orient as our Plan B instead. Turns out it was a good Plan B, since a) we just beat the weekend lunch rush and got the last table; b) the food was quite fresh; and c) we finally have a place in Ottawa where we can get decent HK-style milk tea. Sweet! We ordered chicken fillet with lemon sauce on rice and pork chops with garlic sauce on rice between two people, and when it finally came, it was really fresh, and the portions were larger than we expected (for $8-$12/dish). The iced HK-style milk tea was not powdered (yay!) and they put the liquid sugar on the side for you to sweeten as you wish. This works for me, since I'm a little less of a sweet tooth than the rest of my party. The docked star was for our very surly server, who really looked like she wanted to kill herself every time she came to our table. I mean, our group is used to subpar service in Asian restaurants (in fact, we're not even complaining about how long the food took since it was so fresh when we got it on our table), but it was a little unsettling having someone so unhappy serve us. Otherwise, really great find, and a good value-for-money restaurant. I'll personally be back to try the congee and Yin Yang (hk-style milk tea w coffee). read more

we ordered steamed chicken feet in black bean sauce, iced HK style milk tea, stir fried rice with pineapple, shrimp won ton soup, and steamed golden creamy buns. highly recommend: steamed golden creamy buns, not very sweet (egg yellow contained). steamed chicken feet in black bean sauce. sounds horrible, but really delicious. shrimp won ton soup, the quantity and quality are both good. price was reasonable with qualified service. read more

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Visiting from Toronto and it's the first restaurant chose to have lunch, worst experience ever. We sat down and wrote down our order on a piece of paper. The servers took our orders. From here on we waited and waited and waited. At about the 20 minute mark, my gf asked one of the ladies, if our order was coming? The lady instead of saying what any normal server would say "I'll check for you" she's goes and challenges us by saying "you placed the order and we out it in for you, you have to line up". Meanwhile, another table of 3 that came after us had got their food already. We waited some more. At the 35 minute mark, I asked a different server, we waited over 30 mins, can you please check on our order? Again, she challenges by saying "you did not wait 30 mins we were keeping track" basically, calling us a liar. At this point, we had enough, we told them to cancel the order and we stormed out. I usually don't rant. And I apologize. read more

I ordered BBQ pork wonton soup but not good. My mates ordered chiken and shrimps and that was good. read more

Cafe Orient - BBQ pork won ton soup - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I used to come here with friends during my university days and recently brought my family here. I brought two groups of my family here two days in a row because it was still as delicious and very reasonably priced that it didn't hurt the wallet to treat a group of 8 adults. The food was very good both times. Service was okay...but I didn't expect much to be honest. The space in the restaurant is tight for a large group for the food is worth it. Will revisit and recommend it highly. read more

Although this is not a big place, the food is always good and the servers are very friendly. They have a good variety to choose from - dim sum, congee, rice, noodles and different Chinese dishes. I love their Hong Kong style milk tea and mixed HK tea with coffee. It's a must for me every time I come here. read more

I am surprise no one has written a review of this restaurant. It is pack most Friday to Sunday nights, frequent by Chinese and residents of the area a like. The restaurant has a no frills decor, there are bunnies on the table cloth. The food is reminiscent of the Hong Kong style cuisine I grew up eating in Vancouver. I recommend coming for there dinner menu, order 2+ dishes from their menu get the rice and soup included. The dishes range from $10-13 per plate, so we usually have dinner for 2 for about $25 before tax and tip. The food is good and they have never disappoint. We love the head on shrimp with salt and pepper and the mince pork and green beans, both a little spicy. The restaurant closes at 9pm so get there early, once we showed up at 8:55 the owner was nice enough to stay open for my wife and I. read more

Cheap, lots of options of quality food! It's my go to Chinese restaurant in Ottawa! I love their chicken corn soup, shrimp dumping, beef shu mai, Chinese brocolli, beef with enoki and a cold hk milk tea! read more

I have been to this place for many times when I lived in Ottawa. Came for a late lunch today since I was in town. The menu and pricing remain relatively th same, the staff was okay in par with most asian places, but I have to say... the food was only satisfactory. But I have to say in Ottawa this would likely be the only place to have hong kong style cafe food. read more

Located at the corner of Somerset and Booth in the west end of Chinatown, Cafe Orient specializes in cuisine from Hong Kong. It is usually packed on Friday to Sunday nights with a lot of regulars. As mentioned in the other review, the decor is pretty much no frills and resembles a diner. As far as food goes, it is more or less the type Hong Kong style food that I have grown accustomed to. It is not near the quality of what I can get in Toronto but it is still pretty good in its own right. The prices aren't anything to write home about and is about on par with similar restaurants along the stretch on Somerset. What sets them apart is the expansive menu ranging from standard fare from the wok to dim sum. If you are in a group, I recommend the dinner menu where you can pick 2+ dishes from a set menu. This special comes with a large communal bowl of rice and your choice of soup. read more

Yummmmmm! Congee, turnip cakes (my favourite!) and a nice selection of vegetarian food! The staff are so nice there and are happy to accomodate dietary needs. Even the toilet seats even are self cleaning! Debit and cash only, but such a great hidden gem. read more

So I'm from Vancouver and used to going out with family to have things like beef brisket and wonton noodle in soup, fried turnip cake and various dimsum. I have been coming to Cafe Orient since I moved here 4 years ago and this is closest to what I relish eating back home. Their congee with century egg and lean pork is delish and almost as good as my own home-made congee. The 3 meat chow mein noodles are well fried in the wok with sufficient heat. Don't expect much from the decor, but I am pleased with the food here. read more

Cafe Orient - Comfort food on this cool day! - Dim Sum Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

One of the best Chinese food in Ottawa. I've been going here for years and years. They are always consistent. Must try the congee with deep fried bread, and their Hong Kong style milk tea. read more

Ottawa is definitely not the best place to try out some authentic Chinese food, but I have to say Cafe Orient's quality is pretty good and consistent. Love their congee, beef flank noodles, hk style French toast are some of the items on the menu that would satisfy my cravings for authentic Chinese food. This place definitely worth a try! read more

Hidden Gem. Crispy noodle is the best! I always order the crispy noodle with shrimp and black bean sauce, not on the menu, but they always make it without a fuss. I have brought many people here and no one has left anything but satisfied! The best. read more

When I am homesick, I come here. A good HK style cafe that's been here forever and ran by the same owners.

I would not have gone in to this place had I been walking in front of it. But because of Yelp we just had the most amazing meal! The flavours were amazing, the service was excellent (the server helped us decide and led us through the menu). Tender sweet beef, spicy chicken, sticky rice, savoury Dim Sum.... Don't judge a book by its cover, we would have missed out! read more

A while ago, I took a few Cantonese friends that were exchange students here in Ottawa to go here, and they enjoyed themselves very much. Although this restaurant unfortunately does not accept credit cards (then again, not many restaurants in Ottawa's Chinatown do anyway), the prices here are very reasonable (actually, they're pretty cheap; their portions are considerable, and if decide to get a dim sum as well as a main dish - which ranges from $10-$15 after tax - you will get very stuffed). The many times I've come here, it's always made my day. Whenever my friends and family visit, I always take them here at least once during their trip. I highly recommend Cafe Orient to locals and tourists alike! read more