With Chinese food available just about everywhere you go, some people are a bit hesitant about paying a premium for something they can get cheaper elsewhere. There are very few fine dining Chinese restaurants in Adelaide, with Concubine being the only other that comes to mind. Located on Pirie Street, From Orient is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the busy cafe strips, and fortunately for them, away from their cheaper competitors.

The presentation of this place is simply immaculate. Floor to ceiling birdcages are cleverly used to divide sections of the room, while the comfortable leather seating and white table cloths add a touch of elegance. The colour coordination of dark browns is prominent throughout and there is plenty of natural light flowing through the corner block dual frontage. With over 100 seats set over 2 levels, this venue is cleverly designed, well laid out and does nothing but impress.

For dinner, I ordered the Kung Pao Chicken. The dishes were ready after a 15 minute wait and were beautifully presented. The chicken was tender, succulent and perfectly cooked. Chicken thigh fillets were used, which is great because they are more flavoursome than breast meat, however, they need to be prepared properly. To prevent that sensation of biting on rubbery plastic, the cartilage needs to be removed from the meat. This wasn’t the case last night and there were a few less than delicious morsels in my dish. Other than that, it was very executed. The white wine and soy sauce gave this dish plenty of depth, and the peanuts added a lovely crunchy texture. It was only spicy if you ate any of the chilli, but I’m always up for a bit of excitement in my meal. I was surprised however to find ginger in my dish.

My friend had the Master Stock Duck. She was content with her dish and had no complaints.

The staff here were simply warm and welcoming. The service was just excellent. The placing of cloth napkins on our laps, the constant refilling of drinks throughout the night, the clearing of plates as we finished, to the opening of the door as we left, it was basically faultless. The atmosphere was intimate and relaxed, while the pricing is a bit more expensive than what you would normally pay.

Fine dining Chinese food certainly has it’s place. If you’re up for a complete dining experience, this is certainly a place to visit. The night wasn’t completely flawless but the experience and atmosphere were simply amazing. This place has won numerous awards and there’s a reason for that. I wouldn’t have any hesitation returning to this place.

WHERE: 125-127 Pirie St, Adelaide