I think this is one of the best places in town. Â It has an extensive menu (Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and Korean) and the food is consistently tasty and fresh. Â I really like the veggie maki and the Chinese tofu dishes. Â Appetizers like crab rangoon and spring/egg rolls are great, too. Â
Dine in is nothing special, but that's why I like it. Â The focus is on the food and the company. Â Service is quick and friendly.
If you prefer delivery, you can order online. Â I love this! Â
My only complaint is that the in-house menu and take-out menu are not the same, which can be confusing, especially when the person taking the calls isn't familiar with the dishes or menu. Â I've had this experience twice, once causing me to get something that was REALLY not what I wanted. Â So, heads up!
We love the servers there! Miso soup, spider roll, salmon, salt & pepper shrimp are all good. Wish they didn't steam the edamames in salt water but I'm sure they would avoid it if I asked. We are not big sashimi fans, so I can't comment on that. It's definitely one of our favourite places though. The staff is friendly and personable. Sometimes we are the only customers, and sometimes the place is crowded! Either way the food & service are good.
Review Source:Sushi. Just order the sushi. Best in town... and that crown has traveled my friend to a few different places over the past few years but as of the late summer of 2012 my vote goes to Orient Gourmet.
Their specialty rolls are top notch. The Love Roll is always a winner (though don't order it with your married coworker to split... people look at you funny :-)
"But what if I don't like sushi?" uh. no comment.
I haven't been here in a few months, as I graduated from ISU and no longer live in BloNo. However, while in school I went to every sushi restaurant in the area at least once. Orient Gourmet was by far my favorite! Especially when I realized they delivered (huge plus.)
I dined in probably 3 or 4 times, and had it delivered too many times to count. The prices are great; I usually ordered a seaweed salad and 2-3 different rolls, all for $20-$25 dollars. While it's not Chicago sushi, it's pretty darn close! In my opinion, Orient Gourmet is the best tasting, best priced sushi in BloNo.
Too pricy there ! We had Thai roll (2) for $3.50 thiny one and 8 pc calamari for $6.50 no taste at all!  Drink cup is too small and  feel like everything there is small and too expensive! We had Korean order kalbi $15.50 small order too, taste is ok! But I think I won't go back there either my friend!
Review Source:Bibimbop! Â It's a popular Korean dish - sort of like a breakfast skillet - consisting of rice on the bottom, your choice of meat and assorted veggies arranged artfully on the top with a fried egg. Â It comes with a little side of kimchi and chili paste (Korean's version of ketchup) that you use to season it up to your liking.
I spent two weeks in Korea and had bibimbop there several times. Â The dish here at Orient Gourmet is very similar with my experiences in Korea. Â It might be fun to get it in the lava hot stone bowl but that costs a few bucks extra and I was feeling cheap that day. Â The stone bowl treatment usually fries some of the rice into a nice crust on the bottom which is pretty tasty.
I can't wait to try some of the other Korean items on their menu.
This place is really good. I STRONGLY recommend the lunch special. We go their frequently for dinner and it's a bit pricey for a poor college student, but if you go during their lunch special the sushi near half price and soup and salad is included. It is very much worth the money during the day, just a bit pricey at night. Seems like we always get the same server, who is pleasant, not overtly friendly but you're there to eat right? It's good food. I'd recommend the Chinese and Japanese options on the menu as the Thai options aren't as good in my experience.
Review Source:Good meals should not be rushed, and Orient Gourmet will serve you a good sushi meal if that's what you're looking for. Â If you haven't eaten all day after having slept in on Saturday, go for the all-you-can-eat sushi and pace yourself and you'll get your money's worth.
I'm almost always happy with Orient Gourmet since it's small and the last place in town that doesn't have a teppanyaki section.
Service was a little brusque last time I went (on a Saturday afternoon), I think they were eager to turn tables in anticipation of a lunch rush that never came. Â
I haven't had the (recently added) Thai or Korean selections, but then again if I want good Thai food, I go to a *Thai* restaurant.
After hearing so many friends and acquaintances recommend Orient Gourmet, I figured I'd give them a shot. Â I'd heard that they had an all-you-can-eat sushi dinner and that the sushi was pretty good - yeah, I'm there. Â Unfortunately, I was really disappointed.
First, the food. Â I of course had the sushi dinner, which included soup, salad, tempura appetizer, and sushi for $22, which I thought was a pretty good price. Â The soup and salad were standard and the vegetable tempura was good. Â The sushi offered in the all-you-can-eat menu was just so-so. Â Nothing fantastic or out of this world. Â I categorize it as sushi you would eat just to satisfy a craving. Â I also wasn't allowed to take home the rest of my tempura appetizer, of which I left the majority on the plate. Â I could understand not being able to take home leftover sushi, but why couldn't I take home the rest of my app?
My friend had the Pad Thai which was awful. Â No flavor and the noodles were barely cooked. Â
Second, the prices. Â Like I mentioned, I felt the sushi dinner was fairly priced. Â Flipping through the menu, however, the prices seemed unusually high. Â Many entrees were in the $15 range and specialty sushi rolls hovered around the same price point. Â Maybe if the food was outstanding, I could justify the price, but no.
Lastly, the service. Â One waitress was covering all the tables which meant we didn't receive her full attention. Â At one point we were talking to her and maybe said something that indicated we weren't ready to order and she just walked away. Â It was rather odd. Â We had to yell over to a busboy who was sitting down that we needed our check.
An overall disappointing experience considering I've heard good things in the past.
This is probably the best Chinese restaurant in town, although we initially went there for their Korean fare. Over the past few weeks, we have tried about 7-8 different dishes (Chinese, Korean, Thai) and have never been disappointed with the food. Big portions; reasonably priced. However, make sure to ONLY do takeout from here because the service isn't all that great when you're dining in, esp. when they're busy. I asked for a fresh glass of water because mine had something floating on the surface and the owner lady glared at me and said "you already have water." Anyway, as I said, not the best place for service, so get takeout or delivery and enjoy the awesome food.
Review Source:I usually only give reviews on yelp when something is unusually good or bad. I have been looking for a good Chinese restaurant in Bloomington for a while and was sadly disappointed until I happened to give Orient Gourmet a chance last night. I ordered the hot and sour soup, Thai spring rolls, pad Thai and Singapore rice noodles. The large soup had a little bit too much corn starch for my tastes but otherwise was excellent. Â It had a very well-balanced flavor with traditional ingredients and just the right amount of heat. I had the large portion and ate all of it. I opened up the pad Thai and as soon as I started eating it I knew this was something special. The noodles, chicken and egg were cooked perfectly and the balance of flavors was superb. This chef has talent. I opened up the Singapore noodles and again I was very happy with it. Everything was done perfectly. I most definitely will be coming back.
Review Source:I fly to Bloomington every week and visit this little asian restaurant right next to TJMAXX. Â It's convenient, fast, has good service and tastes pretty good for chinese food in Bloomington. Â The Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese may not be super authentic but it's nice that you can actually combine all of these asian cuisines into one meal. Â I recommend getting the vietnamese asian salad with jicama sprinkled with crushed peanuts over vinagrette. Â It's pretty fresh and healthy. Â Combine that with a ginger and scallion sea bass fillet or salt and pepper shrimp. Â If you aren't into spicy food, ask them to make the salt and pepper shrimp mild. Â Then top your dinner off with a mocchi ice cream dessert. Â They're probably not the best mocchis you've ever had but at least you can get them in Bloomington. The owner of this restaurant is from Queens, NY so I think that makes it a little bit more authentic chinese than the other ones around here.
Review Source:This is my first time eating from Orient Gourmet. Â I had my husband pick up take out from here because I've been wanting Korean food and, with their new additions, wanted to check it out. Â I ordered the Hwedupbob, the Korean version of Chirashi. Â It came with Miso soup and three banchans (sides) of a pickled radish, sprouts, and kimchi. Â The kimchi was not fresh and well in the fermentation phase. Â Some people like that type of kimchi. Â Me, not so much. Â I don't think it was freshly made...more like from a jar. Â
The portion of the Hwedupbob was okay. Â It wasn't impressive like I've seen in Chicago. Â The fish portions were somewhat disappointing...including the octopus? Â I've NEVER been served Hwedupbob with octopus included as the "sushi" in my life, ever! Â I think they used it as filler to make up for lack of fish? Â I am not a fan of octopus. Â The rice was not Korean sticky rice. Â It was a dense/hard white rice...more like Jasmine rice but par cooked. Â The kochujang (red chili paste) could use some work. Â I make better kochujang than what they gave me and should have made up a small batch instead of using theirs. Â Live and learn. Â Not to mention the freshness of the fish...um, this is not fresh fish, people. Â It is frozen sushi grade found in some supermarkets. Â It didn't have a fishy smell or taste, but definitely was NOT fresh. Â
It took care of my Korean cravings...mostly because I was full, not because it was delish. Â
To say they're slightly pricey is an understatement. Â It was $16.50 for my meal; pick up. Â I pay a few dollars less than that in Chicago for bigger portions and fresher fish. The next time I get a Korean craving, I think I'll pass on this place and just head over to the grocery store to make it myself. Â
Their online ordering works! Â Saves you a phone call.
This is one of the best kept secrets in Bloomington-Normal. They have traditonally offered a combination of Chinese and Japanese dishes but recently have added a modest number of Korean and Thai items to their menu. I have never been dissapointed with anything I've eaten here. Some of my favorites are Kung Pao dishes, curry chicken, and General's chicken. The food is fresh and very tasty. They also offer a variety of sushi, including a number of specialty rolls. Overall the prices here are more than the average Asian restaurant, but the food is also considerably better, in my opinion. Give them a try.
Review Source:I used to give this place five stars hands down. Â I don't know if they got new owners or what happened, but I visited them last weekend for the first time in a few months and the sushi tasted terrible. Â
The sashimi tasted fishy (not fresh as it used to), and the soft shell crab roll I got tasted as if I was eating a wooden stick wrapped in plain rice. Â The avocado in my rolls were hard and not ripe at all, and the cucumbers were mushy. Â Not to mention when I picked up my order I was greeted by a less than enthusiastic waiter who gave me an evil stare when I asked for extra soy sauce. Â
This used to be my favorite place in the midwest for sushi; great prices, great food, and friendly service, with waiters and waitresses who knew you when you walked in the door. Â Now, not so much. Â I am sad to say that I will never be making my way back here again.
This place used to be a fave, but now it has deteriorated in quality. Â Since the opening of Fuji, their sushi is uninspiring, way overpriced, and the service is questionable. Â
I absolutely HATE the discrepancy between the menu and the sushi sheets. Â Different rolls, way different prices, seriously? Sync it up please! Â And I have to fight the wait staff for the sheet? Â I don't go do dinner to get annoyed.
The specialty rolls are now ridiculously priced. Â $15+, really? Â Not even in Chicago...just saying.
We normally go to Fuji where the taste and presentation is awesome, but we got nostalgic. Â Won't do that again, silly us.
I've had Orient Gourmet before, and it was great. Â The last visit wasn't so great though. Â We went at night and the prices were unreal. Â Way to much money! Â I think we got 4 pieces of Nigiri and one roll, with drinks and a very small serving of ice cream. Â The bill was over $40.00 and we left hungry.
Review Source:The sushi here is decent, but spectacularly lacking in variety. Â They have the bare bones minimum in terms of selection. Â A few creative "house rolls" would be nice, but all you get is the ho-hum California Roll, Philly Roll, Dragon roll, etc. Â
The service is pretty decent, and the only thing I have ever got here other than sushi is the spring rolls, which are fine and priced right. Â I'd still rather go to Hayashi any day, but it's not a place to avoid.
Yes, it is slightly overpriced, but it's well worth it. Most restaurants in blono are overpriced, at least Orient Gourmet can back it up with good food.
Very vegetarian friendly, I love the general's tofu.
Best  chinese in town, and the japanese dinners (especially the salmon teriyaki) are very good too.
Sushi is good, but not spectacular.
I would say that this restaurant has a lot to offer. Â Their sushi (according to my husband) is pretty good. Â I like their Kung Pao chicken. Â If you order edamame, you have to specify that you would like it hot. Â I am a fan of their ginger dressing. Â My only real issue here has ever been service speed. Â I would not go to Orient Gourmet if I didn't have a little extra time to kill.
Review Source:It's nice to have a high-quality Asian food restaurant in town, but it's very expensive for what it is.
My wife and I are big fans of Asian foods, and we still come here occasionally, but I tend to avoid it. Â I can get a much better meal at Bangkok Thai for the same or cheaper, and similar Chinese food at any number of restaurants in town which would be just as enjoyable.
Now that the lovely Akemi Ya is closed, Orient Gourmet is one of the few places in Blo-No where I can get Japanese food and sushi. Â Again, it's good and well-made, but overpriced for the portions.
If you're looking for a cheap lunch, this is a place to consider. The lunch special is pretty much what you would expect from a Chinese food lunch special: hot & spicy or egg-drop soup; choice of 6 different main entrees (including the popular General Tso's chicken); an egg roll; choice of white or fried rice. The total comes to about $5.25. They'll get you on drinks and dinners where the prices are much higher. I made the mistake of going on a Saturday and paying about twice as much for what I had for lunch during the week.
Orient Gourmet also has some sushi options although they are pretty limited. They do have some bento box lunch specials as well, but I haven't explored these very much.
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