We stumbled across this hidden gem looking for a restaurant that is not an overpriced tourist trap - the closer the restaurant to the beach, the higher the prices and the lower the quality.
Enter "Restaurant Oriental". An online review of a patron mentioning that his Chinese wife considers this the best Chinese restaurant in Salou tipped the scale and we went there. 5 minutes from the beach on foot you can easily miss this gem, because the furniture is not particularly inviting. The Chinese waitress was friendly, probably a family business.
We were handed three menu: great choices, something for everyone! Many dim sum dishes, Chinese bread (rarely found in a restaurant here), fantastic starters, seafood - chicken - duck - pork - veal - beef dishes, different sides, all very reasonably priced, including beverage prices. And I get why the Chinese reviewer liked this place: you get to order sides separately, so you end up with a table full of food for everyone to share - just like in China.
But the main point: the food is delicious! Everything we tried was amazing. I'd give the restaurant 5 stars if the place didn't look like a beach bar. And a full dinner consisting of two entrees, Chinese bread, spring roll, shrimp chips and two beverages were under €30. A steal considering two simple takeout Peperoni pizzas cost more than that here.
Try the sizzling hot plates and try the Chinese bread. But also try the spring rolls and dim sum, and ... I think I want to go again tomorrow... read more