French-Vietnamese Restaurant Orienta Opens in Connecticut
Ready for business! Orienta, a French-Vietnamese restaurant in Greenwich, Connecticut, opened its doors earlier this month after a series of delays due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic postponed its initial debut.
The eatery is restaurateur Antoine Blech‘s latest hotspot. Blech also co-owns Le Penguin and Le Fat Poodle, which are also located in Greenwich. Orienta is a bit of a family affair for the businessman, as his son, Adrien Blech, is the new restaurant’s executive head chef. Adrien trained alongside chef Eric Ripert over four years, cooked in Paris under chef Gabriel Grapin, and worked at Guy Savoy in Las Vegas and Soho House in Los Angeles before returning to Connecticut.
Orienta was initially set to open in late March when the health crisis hit and shuttered restaurants throughout the Constitution State.
According to a press release shared with Us Weekly, instead of closing the eatery before it even had a chance to open, the Blech family decided to open for takeout only earlier this year. In the first months of operation, the clan, including Antoine’s wife Suzanne and Adrien’s wife Kate, worked with a small team to offer a small menu of French-Vietnamese specialties to the community.
“We never dreamed we would open a restaurant with takeout-only. Aside from all the difficulties, it gave us the opportunity to test the menu and get guest feedback in those first weeks,” Antoine said. “It’s wonderful now to be able to finally open the doors and welcome everyone to our new restaurant!”
The first iteration of Orienta opened on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in 1995. It was Antoine’s first venture and was inspired by his experience working as a maitre’d at Le Colonial.
The current, expanded menu features flavorful dishes such as lobster shooters — bite-size tempura fried lobster with mango relish topped with red curry coconut sauce — Saigon caramelized chicken, a grilled half chicken served over pea shoot salad and more. Desserts include a Key lime tart, Mandarin orange chocolate mousse, ginger crème brûlée and coconut tapioca pudding, along with an array of homemade sorbets.
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Antoine and his wife worked with local designer Lynn Morgan to bring the lush jungle ambiance to life. The interior boasts red velvet banquettes, coral tinted jungle wallpaper, a vibrant green bar, oak shutters and more.
Orienta is now open for contactless takeout from 4:30 P.M. Tuesday to Sunday and it will soon allow lunch deliveries as well. Additionally, outdoor dining and in-restaurant dining is also open with proper safety guidelines in place. For more information, click here.
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