I lived in London for close to a year. For the first six of those months, I lived in the hotels at the Gatwick International Airport (3 months at Sofitel Gatwick and 3 months at Hilton Gatwick -- afterwards, I moved to a corporate apartment in London). After a long day's work, I looked forward to dining at the Gatwick Oriental Restaurant. It was by far my favorite Asian restaurant in London. By the way, because I lived in the hotel, there was not many choices, it was this Oriental restaurant, room service ~ which could run to 50 bucks a pop or more, La Brassier restaurant, or terminal fast food. Hmmm, Gatwick Oriental it is!!
The restaurant is located in the Sofitel hotel. The Sofitel is a really nice hotel. Of note, it is preferred that you make a reservation for dinner. Since I was living in the hotel for several months, at first, I periodically made reservations. After eating here so much, the wait staff knew my name. And, before you knew it, I did not even bother to book a table. They saw me and they went out of their way to get me a table. Trust me, I must have eaten here close to over 60 times during my stay. LOL....
As you walk in, you find that the restaurant has a very calming effect. The lights are dimmed and each table has a candle. Personally, I thought it was a bit dark, but it was cool. The tables were evenly spaced out and it is very easy to walk through and navigate. You "had" space between tables. Because I was on business, this was nice. I had my own table and I could bring work down without being bothered.
Service... excellent, excellent, excellent. They did a great job of getting you the waters, filling your glass up, and making you feel welcome. Like I said, they knew me by name after my 10th visit ... so, after that, I think they saved me a table... :)
Meal... well, everything is so good here... here is what I would recommend:
Appetizers (order one of the following soups):
-- Order the corn soup -- it is soo good. warm and good texture
-- Order the wonton soup -- It has a nice balance of warmth and perfection. Given that it is always cold in England, it settles your palate.
-- Order the Hot and Spicy -- I am not a spicy person; however, this was very good too
Entree -- many times, because the quantity was a bit small, I would order 2 entrees. Trust me, it is all about quality here:
-- My favorite dish is the Duck Wrap (you can order a quarter -- usually a thigh -- or a half of a duck -- for larger groups) -- note: I usually order the quarter. The duck is cooked perfectly. When serve, they provide you with multiple fajita type blankets. You wrap the duck in these blankets with cucumber and green onions. It is dipped in Hoisin sauce. This was soo good.
-- In addition, I normally ordered these clam in black bean sauce. Oh my, these clams are like 6-8 inches long... not your typical clams in the states. It is saturated in black bean sauce and some other spice. It is a bit sandy, but it tastes sooo soo good.
-- Another dish that I like is their Pad Thai - Shrimp. This is a good change-up
-- Mongolian beef is another excellent dish of theirs...
-- As for veggies, I love their Bok Choy dish as well.
Dessert
-- My favorite is the coconut Creme Boulee. Of all the places that I have eaten, this restaurant has the perfect Creme Boulee. The sugar top is perfectly sealed in a dark crust. And, the coconut boulee is cool -- right temperature
I usually have a glass of red wine or a diet coke.
For one person, because it is in England and at the Sofitel, the meal cost about $80-90.
However, this is definitely worth the price! After 2 years, I still miss this 5 star rated restaurant a lot! If my wife and I decide to return for the 2012 London Olympics, we will try to have dinner here again. read more