Unbeatable prices (11 dollars for a 3-item combo with rice, a small soup, and a milk tea?), helpful service, and a great spot to fill up - and I mean fill up! My wife and I came through here recently because we heard from a local that this was the spot to go to try authentic take-away dishes over in San Gabriel. We were in the area and gave it a try. The place is really unassuming and is definitely a family labor of love. No frills, but tons to try, and many are the types of dishes you don't see in typical American-style Chinese food. There are probably 25-30 food options, all laid out cafeteria-style. There aren't any labels to tell you what everything is, but they're happy to help you along the way. I got some ribs, a chicken dish, and some noodles, along with rice and some soup. The ribs were great - good flavor, the sauce was sweet and savory and the meat was tender. The chicken had a little spice to it and worked really well with the white rice on the side. There were about 8 tables or so in there, and they did a good job of bussing them quickly. Loved the deal. Make sure to bring cash though - it's an all cash joint. We'll be back! read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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I drive past this spot every day and one day I got curious and decided to check it out. It's one of those places with pre cooked Chinese dishes where you pick 1 to 4 items and it comes with rice, soup, and a milk tea. They have around 20 to 25 items to choose from, but a lot of them seem pretty similar in style. I ended up getting Chinese chives, vermicelli, pork wrapped in tofu skin, and some kind of pork chop. The food was a bit on the salty side and pretty greasy overall. The free milk tea was watered down and sweet, but hey, free is free. The lady working there was nice though and gave generous portions. Overall it was just okay for me. The price is definitely good, I paid under $15 for a 4 item combo which is a solid deal for the amount of food. But with the saltiness and greasiness, I don't really see myself coming back. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - So much food for the price - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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The combo meals here are great value for Chinese fast food, on par with the legendary Kang Kang Food Court. But to be honest none of the items look visually appealing or appetizing -- thickly battered fried chicken, wilted greens, buckets of heavily-sauced chicken, pork and tofu items that don't scream "Get Me!". For that you need to go to Kang Kang, Combo A (Echo Park), ABC Deli (Chinatown), or Wok Experience (Lomita). Taste-wise it's not bad. Just don't be put off by first sight. Clean, bright, spacious dining room. read more

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I've been coming here since I was a kid, and the quality and quantity has always been consistent. For $11, you get 3 items heaped to the brim, rice, a soup, and a milk tea. These prices are pretty unheard of these days! If you want classic and good Chinese cooking, I'd definitely recommend trying here. Service goes quickly, but the workers can be a little rushed and blunt because they're trying to move the line along. Also, bring cash because it's cash only! read more

Oriental Express Cafe - 3 item combo (fried fish, stir fried cabbage, and tofu with pickled radish) - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Authentic take-out prepared Chinese food. Giant servings. Efficient service. Free milk tea with each order. I stop by here whenever I am in the area. read more

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Foods are not bad. Service ok . Price is cheap. portion big. When I dont feel like doing the cooking alway stop by to pick up some to go

Epitome of quick economy dining. All food is precooked for selection to make 1,2,3 or 4 item combos. Meals come with rice, soup and a milk tea. The restaurant is no frills and seems to cater to regulars in the neighborhoods and subcontractors. Small parking lot out front and seating available for dining. Many meat entree options. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - 3 item combos - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

My kid wanted Panda Express. I brought her here instead. :) Oriental Express serves up home style cooked food. Steamed table line-up choose your entrees and sides. Regional dishes from Shanghai and Taiwanese fare. Am no expert, but that was what was described to me by the sweet staff young lady. The food here is delicious and affordable. A combo plus hot soup and free milk tea was something like $11! Cheap eats!! A steal. Service is so friendly and welcoming. -CASH ONLY read more

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If you're looking for a bang for your buck that is cheap and authentic this is the spot to go to. Food may not be the best quality but if you're in a hurry and also like selection, This spot is to go to. You cannot beat a drink, soup and combo plate for about 10 bucks. People here are very nice and helpful. There is not many people here since many people just bring it home but they have a ton of seats to sit at. I would recommend. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Got the three item combo which, after tax, came out to $11. It comes with rice but I didn't take it. Soup and milk tea. I'm stuffed, and that's with taking just a couple of sips of the tea. I got the curry chicken, chicken and zucchini, and glass noodles. Good sized portions for each. I thought maybe they would heavy up on the potatoes for the curry but it was actually more chicken. The taste of the food was fine. The soup actually had more taste than that place in Arcadia. And the milk tea was fine. But you aren't coming here to thrill your taste buds. This is a solid place for feeding yourself quickly at a price that brings you back to the good old days. read more

I ordered 3 item combo so rice comes separately. They also have soup and milk tea provided. The milk tea is not the best but when will I ever say no to free/included stuff? I would definitely not order the mapo tofu again, the sauce is not as expected and they used the firmer tofu rather than soft tofu. The chicken and bean sprout was good though! I want to try their fried pork chops and other dishes now! Can't wait to go back. It was cash only and it was $11 for my 3 item combo! Affordable pricing, big portion! read more

Oriental Express Cafe - 3 item combo - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Chinese item combo plates are my undisputed guilty pleasure. I've found a few favorites in various cities i've frequented, and after living in SGV my entire life, i've finally found my favorite close to home. I've had this place in my bookmarks since COVID but recently stumbled across it again when driving past it and my mom inquired about what type of restaurant it is. Being as my family loves deals, I excitedly told her about the insane value of their food and how homemade and fresh it looks. The very next day we ordered a few 4-item combo plates to share and try a multitude of their entrees. Each plate comes with rice (or noodles for an up charge), an iced milk tea, and a soup - this is an incredible steal for $12. Can confirm Asian-parent approved! The rice and noodles are both cooked well. But moving onto the entrees - flavor was there in all the dishes without being too much.. not too salty and not too greasy.. iykyk. There's a really comforting home cooked taste and feel to the dishes. We got the meatballs, steamed pork egg loaf, salt pepper fish fillets, pork chop, fried chicken, gizzard, and stir fried liver. While I genuinely liked all of them, the fried fish fillets/fried chicken/pork chop were my favorites of the day. My family will definitely be back :) read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

A lot of choice quick good customer service taste too. They must have a good chef to prepare And very reasonable price For sure I go back this place read more

I went to this place after watching some You Tube bloggers raving about this place and looking at Yelp their rating is pretty high too. I went Friday like 6pm and got 2 three itme combo -on one combo I had the 3 cup chicken, ribs and fried fish - we ate the other combo Friday night and had the one with the 3 cup chicken for today -Saturday lunch -and boy what a surprise - the 3 cup chicken smelled so bad ( i had refrigerated the combo right after dinner om Friday night ) -it's not edible and it smelled so bad, I had to throw them out So disappointed with them -I am all for supporting small businesses but this is not good. read more

I've been coming here for years and their food is always delicious. The portions are generous and there is always leftovers for another meal. Its a nice little hidden shop to buy a lunch for here or to-go. The combos come with rice, a milk tea, and a soup. I highly recommend their curry chicken and seaweed, but everything they offer is just as good. A heads up, you pay in cash. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Interior of the shop - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

I don't know how this place keeps running. Very good food for HUGE portions at extremely cheap prices. Cheaper and way more authentic to Chinese home cooking than Panda Express. Reminds me of 大食堂-style public cafeterias that are common in Mainland China. 10/10 affordable and amazing. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - 2-entre combo meal. Soup + (watered down) milk tea included - TOTAL $8.50. So cheap. - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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My favorite no frills Chinese take out -- and the first meal I get when I go home! This place is so nostalgic and the food hasn't changed at all. An amazing variety and for pretty affordable prices. Love the seaweed salad, tofu skin meatballs, bamboo shoots and salted cabbage read more

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Fast easy no frills , lots of meat/ veggie selections! Run down, outdated decor, small parking, friendly patient service (sometimes). Good quality Chinese fast food. read more

:: Food :: I ordered the 3-item combo that comes with rice, soup, and a milk tea ($9.50) and everything was just okay. I found them via Thrillist in one of their YouTube videos. Food was decent, but I did not really like the drink, it was super diluted and kind of bland. :: Service :: The customer service was okay as well. :: Parking :: There's only a row of 7-8 parking in front of the store and there's street parking on the side. :: Tip :: Be prepared to pay with cash. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Milk tea, soup (w/seaweed and egg), rice, 3-item: egg+minced meat, braised pork, pickled seaweed ($9.50) - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

I was craving some traditional Chinese food that was quick and had many choices. My coworker actually told me about this place because he grow up in San Gabriel and said that it's the best bang for your buck. I decided to give it a try and when I went on Yelp, I was surprised that there weren't many reviews and the most recent one was 4 months to 1 year ago. Considering all this, I wonder if anything changed from what he had experience to what is is now. I came by for lunch on Monday and saw 4 people eating inside and there was two customers in front of me. As I was ordering two more customers arrived behind me so I guess you can say this place is pretty known. I did notice most customers were construction workers of some sort so it must attract workers who are nearby. I ordered the 3 item box rice. I got the eggplant, tofu and chicken. It came with a separate box of white rice, a small soup, and a milk tea. All this was $7.95 (FYI cash only). The eggplant, tofu, and chicken all had a similar taste to it, a little spicy but not exactly the spice you may be expecting. I think their secret to keeping prices low and having a variety of dishes is that the base sauce is probably the same in many dishes. The soup had zero flavor, it was like water and had nothing in it. But I can't really complain because it was free. The milk tea was average. No boba in it. The only sad part was that the workers didn't really know English and spoke in mandarin. Plus, the food that was presented didn't have any labels as to what they were. I asked if a specific item was pork and the worker just looked at me and tried to explain in mandarin but I didn't understand. If you have any allergies I would probably suggest you don't try this place unless you speak mandarin or else it would be very difficult for you to figure out what is what. Overall, I enjoyed my dishes especially since I miss my family's traditional home cooked meals. However, don't expect this place to be like Panda Express though with the western orange chicken and whatnot. I can't say it was the best food I've ever had, but it was descent for the price and taste and I'd probably stop by again. read more

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(FOOD) The food is very taiwanese centric meaning most things will taste either bland or just salted savory. However, I am fine with this as I don't expect much from a local mom and pop shop. For 9.50 on the DOT they will give you a 3 item combo with white rice + soup + a watered down Quickly's milk tea which is the best way I can describe it. Not at all a bad deal to be honest. They give a lot most times and I usually eat it for lunch and dinner if I'm lazy which is most days. The flavor profile is definitely geared towards an older generation of Chinese. I usually get the breaded chicken breast which they make extra crispy, a random cooked veggie option which varies by day, and the sliced potatoes with a very mild szechuan spice. (SERVICE) It's okay. You're supposed to leave your trash on the table which is an unspoken rule. I prefer a trash can but I'm sure they don't have one for their own reasons. (PLACE) They seriously need to upgrade the interior but knowing Chinese people this will never happen. It would require an idealistic younger business owner to truly revamp the place. Some new flooring and paint would really help. (VERDICT) It's definitely not the tastiest selection of food but for 9.50 I am not complaining especially with the amount they give. read more

The food was okay and the free milk tea that comes with it was eh so I dumped it - I had to go to Bon Appetea after to get me a boba milk tea. No pun intended but not my cup of tea. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Looks good! But doesn't taste as good as it looks. - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Great service for getting some very delicious Chinese Foods to choose from!! The Chinese Foods for the takeout comes with the rice, the soup, and the boba milk tea too!! I definitely will come back and order more of the Chinese Foods for the takeout over there again when I'm in San Gabriel, California! Five stars is exactly my total rating! Thank you all so much for everything!!! read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Really Delicious Chinese Foods!! - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

I was born near and grew up in SGV and moved to another part of SoCal when I was 5. I am now almost 26, so I'm pretty sure we have been eating at this restaurant for nearly 23 years. Throughout the years, the quality of their food and the customer service has never floundered. Their food is amazing, cheap, and always leaves us satisfied. And to anyone who's on the edge - my parents are extremely, extremely frugal, and I am a picky eater, so if we all give this place the stamp of approval, you know it's worth the bang for your buck. Though we have not lived in or near SGV for years, we still go to the area occasionally to shop at Hawaii Supermarket. And on our way out from grocery shopping, we'll always get 3 bento boxes from this cafe so we don't have to cook dinner LOL. I highly recommend the meatballs, fried noodles, and fried chicken, as well as the fried salmon. Selection varies day by day, but it is always top-notch. The owner and the chefs are always so friendly and efficient. I was thinking of getting a part-time job at a cafe or restaurant myself, and I can only hope that I'd be as efficient and amazing as they are at their jobs! read more

One of... I mean the best Chinese Fast food I have ever eaten in 20 years. Though it is fast food, doesn't mean fast quality. Very super reasonable price, tons of variety. I love that make use of all parts of an animal/vegetable and no waste. Everything I had there us delicious. Don't expect too much of the boba or soup though. But that makes no difference to me, love this place. If you ever in the area, want quick, greatly priced, authentic, tasty Chinese food, come to Oriental Express cafe!! read more

this has been a childhood family spot for as long as i can remember.. the food still tastes the same and the quantities/portion are still amazing, especially in this economy. for $10, you can get rice + 3 sides, a boba drink, and a soup. unbeatable!! read more

So I was looking for a cheap dinner and stumbled upon this place. First off wow! The infinite amount of selections to choose from? Think Panda Express but way cheaper! Secondly they have a deal that you can pretty much bunch the same items together but it needs to be 3 of the 4 items (I got confused and thought it was either 3 or 4) Now for the food reviews, I literally have no idea what most of these are but I am only going off of what I think it is. Curry chicken- 10/10 this reminded me of when my mom used to make it when I was a kid and it just threw me back into nostalgia for a hot minute (I kept wanting more of this dish) Kung pao chicken? - based off the ingredients and taste this wasn't too bad, had great taste - only bad thing I can say was the zucchini was over cooked but that's part of the fast food service. I definitely would get this again Braised tofu and egg - the curry chicken sauce was good with this lol, flavor wise is okay but because the curry and Kung pao chicken were overpowering it didn't seem like it had much flavor Fried chicken and broccoli - grouping these together because they just seemed standard (and I only got these because I know my son would eat them Spicy chicken and spicy tofu - the chicken was definitely another favorite, definitely had a kick to it. It kinda had similar flavors to Kung pao. The spicy tofu was okay, not as much flavor as everything. Overall I definitely recommend this place if you're on a budget! The combos all come with rice soup and a drink and it only cost me about $28. read more

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Chinese fast food. Same type of food as Rolling Wok but better. Very generous with the portions.

The main older lady that owns/runs the place (for Jason) has lost her mind. Over the last 20 years she went from okay but mildly mental to having frequent paranoid delusions. She barely remembers her longtime customers. She used to LOVE when I'd come in. All smiles and making jokes. I'd ask for some juice from the dried tofu tea egg pan so she'd call me "extra sauce" every time I'd come in. When the Mexican kid in the back were working and would crack eggs so fast the eggshells would get into the scramble I still went. She let them go because of the Rona. Through Covid I still came but less because they wouldn't make their best dish the scrambled tomato egg. She even encouraged me to make it when they couldn't. Today she acted like she had Alzheimers staring coldly at me. I always order lots not the two items cheapskates that come in. It's heartbreaking to see her verbally attack me in front of others. You can see the history of her mental breakdown and decline in these reviews when she lashes out randomly at people. She held up the line with this foolishness and kept acting like a child instead of serving people in line. I know Chinese but speak funny so I don't and she thought I didn't and lied about calling the younger worker girl to haze and mistreat me. And lied about coming back pretending she forgot something. Maybe they got røbbed recently so she's this way but then why would she act like this? I even gifted her a 12 pack of orange soda once because it was Christmas and she could bless others but it looks like she was ungrateful. The meatloaf is gross. They put so much flour in it that it tastes like nothing. The curry chicken is made up of these tiny discount chicken scraps and so bony that it could pierce your throat if you're not careful. Every time I eat there if it's spicy or whatever I'll get diarrhea. The food is super bland. The fried food tastes like it's been sitting out for hours. Barely crispy. Dull looking like they soaked it in cold oil. It's basically a canteen type place meant to feed the poor and can't be choosers. Very sad about what she did. Kindness doesn't cost anything. But embarrassing a customer just because they can't speak Chinese well is uncalled for. I supported this place for so long. No more. There's a similar place on Valley and of you want American Chinese the place on rosemead next to the new supermarket and super actually has comfort food chow mein and fried rice. read more

Have been here a few times now for their family combo. It is a steal!!! 3 big box and 3 small box pulse rice, soup and drink for under $30. They fill up the boxes quite a bit too. I like to get their fried fish, meat ball, chicken and pork chop. It tastes like taiwanese style home cooked meal. They have similar dishes everyday, but a LOT of selection. No where around can beat this price and quality. read more

I've been eating here for over a decade now. It is my go to meal if I want something fast, cheap, and filling. The portion size is always good and I always default to the same dishes (The stir fried potatoes, cabbage, tomato egg). This restaurant holds a dear place in my heart since I grew up eating this place. If you want a fast tasty meal, I would highly recommend this place. You''ll get a free soup and milk tea that comes with your meal, but the main value lies in their generous portion and comforting dishes. read more

I came here for the cheap and tasty foods here. There's a whole bunch of hot food ready to be scooped into a combo for you. I got the 4 item combo. So you just tell the nice ladies which ones you want. The 1st 3 items go in a large styrofoam box and the 4th item goes into a lil one. The rice and soup is in a separate container. And omg it even comes with a milk tea. I'm was shocked that all this only cost $10.50 which included tax. Like seriously what a bargain considering inflation and food costs now. So I'm happy to come to this lil mom and pop shop. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - 4 item combo with a milk tea - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Great place for fast homestyle cooking. A set comes with boba milk tea and soup. The soup is a bit salty but still good. The boba milk tea is better if you get it in the morning, no mushy balls. The portions are pretty big, you can definitely share with someone. I love how there are so many choices so if you want something more salty/spicy or something on the bland side, they have it! If I'm ever in the area and need good cheap asian food, I'll head here first. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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This is my go to place when I'm craving for some decent & authentic Chinese food. No Panda Express. Three item combo, white rice & milk tea, all for $8.95. Tons of selections for you to choose from. Let's see if Panda Express can fill the food all the way up to the lid, which I highly doubt. Say no to Panda Express & come here. You will not regret it. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - 3 item combo, rice & milk tea, all for $8.95. What a deal. Panda Express, take notes. - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Lots of choices for combination plates. Quick service and pleasant. Gave us some free food since we were enjoying it. Old school place. Solid food. read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

It feels really odd giving a raving review for fast casual restaurant, but I will unabashedly admit in a heartbeat this is by far my favourite over-the-counter joint in SGV! I know, I know... I still feel dirty walking out here with a full stomach, but sometimes down-to-earth comfort food is all I need to end a long day. It still blows my mind this cash-only place still hasn't changed for nearly the past two decades! Every day, the buzzing kitchen dishes out nearly 32 food items on the countertop. It's amazing how an affordable price of $6 can get you 3 items of your choice in varying complexity and flavours. As fast take-out, the quality of the food here can only reach so little of one's expectation. Yet, the portions are incredibly generous, and the sauces are slathered in enough oil to soak your rice in for a sweet glaze! There are too many items to describe, so check out my photos for a peek at the counter. Your combo is paired with a complimentary soup of the day, and a boba milk tea that you'll probably shrug away with some complaints. There hasn't been a trash can here for ages, so I routinely leave my left-overs on the table as others do for cleanup by the staff. There are many tables to sit down for a quick meal, but parking in the private lot can be hard to find. Luckily there's usually plenty of street parking and additional parking in the back. Food: 4/5 Service: 2.5/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Environment: 3.5/5 read more

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Has been my go-to Chinese fast food since I was a kid! My usual includes: -Meatballs, Deep Fried Tofu with Egg, fried Chicken wings/drums, mapo tofu, seaweed salad! - I also really like their fried noodles (you can exchange the rice that it comes with for the noodles with an extra charge!) I love that this place comes as a set (most places in Asia do this as well)! It comes with a boba milk tea (sometimes it doesn't have boba) which is not exceptional but I love it because it reminds me of my childhood! And they change up their daily soups so ask what it is! (Their seaweed tofu and egg drop soup are decent but I don't like their cabbage soup) Their prices changed over the years but whatever it is now, it is worth it because of how much food you get!! service is great and I never had an issue there! This is the authentic "panda express"! Haha read more

Absolutely delicious, so cheap, and straight up authentic chinese food for cheaper than what it would take to buy half the ingredients nowadays. Did i mention authentic. read more

This place is located in the plaza so there is shared parking space with other business. This was my first time here so I'd give it a try! The place doesn't seem appealing but these places what makes me feel like home! My mandarin isn't great so it was a plus that the asian lady who helped me understood my English! There are so much options to choose! I see that there are more meat then veggie options. I ordered 2 items which came out to be 5.16 w/o tax. It is so worth it because it include a bowl of soup and a boba drink!!! Where can you find a place that offers a combo meal for 5$ and some change! The more items you choose the more expensive it will be, but up to 4 items is around 7$ which is not bad at all. The broccoli is amazing here, there is so much flavor and you can really taste the garlic which I love! I order the pork meatballs and it's not bad, I thought it was going to be salty but it wasn't! I would come back definitely and try other options. Overall this place is perfect for a simple and nostalgia childhood meal! read more

Oriental Express Cafe - Dec 2019 menu! - Chinese Near Me - San Gabriel, California

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The food here is good and cheap. 3 items + soup + boba for $6.50! You're never going to beat that deal anywhere. This place has a very good selection of about 15 items I think. I usually get the fried chicken, chicken curry, and one new item to try out. I took 1 star off because I wish they had better veggie items or at least some more meat items with veggies. They have bittermelon (by itself), some kind of green straw veggies, and mushroom chicken. Plus there's some kind of meatloaf with egg thing on the right that wasn't good at all. The fried chicken is terrific though, very crunchy. The boba here is just ok, but it's free and nowhere else gives you a free boba, so you can't complain about it. I'm a pretty big guy but the 3 item combo is enough for 2 meals for me. That's a big win. This place is a great one and Im going to come here more often. read more

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