What’s it like to travel through Malaysia’s Jungle Railway on Eastern & Oriental Express, Belmond’s luxury train

Another great place to do this is in the Observation Car, which sits at the tail of the Eastern & Oriental Express. A kind of grand finale to the train’s 15 carriages, it has seating that runs down the centre and is surrounded on three sides by windowless openings. The combination of brass railings, dark wood panels, gradients of green tropical foliage whooshing past and a mild, at times pandan-scented breeze, create what can only be described as a cinematic moment.

Connected to the Bar Car, it’s where passengers slowly come together in those golden hours between afternoon and evening—martinis, old fashioneds and champagne in hand.

As the view shifts from a fiery tropical sunset to a starry night sky, we move to the Piano Bar—the social nucleus of the Eastern & Oriental Express—where live music, canapés and cocktails flow. Conveniently situated next to the dining cars, it’s a literal hop to and from dinner.

“It’s like you’re stepping into a movie, losing all concept of time and reality, from when you step on board to when you dress up for dinner, dining in these incredible restaurant cars where you’re served amazing food and drinks by some very passionate individuals,” says Belmond’s vice president of trains and cruises, Gary Franklin. “The look on people’s faces is something I’ll never tire of.”

One such passionate individual is Vito Galleta, a waiter who has worked on Belmond’s fleet of trains for over 17 years. He was plucked from the prestigious Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to oversee the relaunch of its Asian sibling. Galleta has seen the likes of football stars Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, and celebrities including Pharrell Wiliams and Kate Moss, come on board Belmond’s luxury sleeper trains. Just last winter, Jay-Z and Beyoncé took the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express to Bordeaux to celebrate the former’s birthday.

“Ah, and John Travolta!” he recalls in a sudden burst of excitement. “I wasn’t on the train at the time, but it was just before Pulp Fiction [came out]. The staff said he was doing the dance—the twist—on the train. No one knew what he was doing at the time or why, but that became one of the most famous scenes in that movie.”

“I love the excitement of a new departure, meeting interesting people … it’s always different,” says Eipeldauer. ”I compare it to a chemical reaction — these different elements coming together. Sometimes it’s a party, sometimes it’s a more soulful journey. You start this journey together and you finish it together, which creates meaningful, emotional bonds.”

Galleta, Eipeldauer and I are sitting in Adisorn—the lighter and brighter of Eastern & Oriental Express’ two dining cars. It boasts pistachio-green textiles that pay tribute to the region’s tea plantations, while the other dining car Malaya features deeper hues of maroon and a carpet inspired by traditional Malay batik. Both are fitted with tables set with white linen, crystal glassware and purple orchids in silver vases.

It is in these dining cars that guests get to enjoy a menu curated by acclaimed Taiwanese chef André Chiang, who says he “didn’t want to take away from the moment” of dining on board the Eastern & Oriental Express. “Most of the time, in my restaurants, the goal is for guests to focus on the dishes—the technique, the sensations,” says Chiang, who currently helms his two-Michelin-starred restaurant Raw in Taipei. “Here, we took a little step back so the whole thing will weave into the experience rather than overpower it.”

Regardless, the food is phenomenal—a combination of simple dishes done well and familiar comfort foods that have been given the André Chiang treatment.

A niçoise salad—which I initially felt unenthusiastic about until it arrived—was beautifully plated, with potatoes doused in a champagne vinaigrette, kimchi for bite and heat, and thick slices of ever-so-slightly seared tuna that melted in your mouth like premium otoro.

Keeping in line with the Eastern & Oriental Express’ element of nostalgia, classic Chinese and Malay dishes are woven into the menu. Curry puffs sit beside finger sandwiches on the afternoon tea tower; a saucy, sizzling clay pot of marinated pork belly served with rice evokes childhood memories in a Ratatouille-like moment; and a nine-pepper jus beef cheek, braised for 16 hours, leaves the dining car in a hush.

“To me, the magic of the Eastern & Oriental Express is that you’re never quite sure where you are,” Chiang muses. “So I used spices to create a sense of place. In every single dish, we used different spices that highlight the regions that the train travels through—whether it’s the nine pepper beef cheek, sichuan peppers in a salad, cloves and cinnamon with fruit, or the cardamom and chocolate ganache.”

Chiang’s personal favourite from the menu is a laksa bouillabaise. “The Eastern & Oriental Express has a distinctly European design, but we are in the heart of Southeast Asia,” he says. “So I tried to think of one dish that would make sense in both worlds, and we found that connection with this dish. The bouillabaisse is like the laksa of France, and the laksa is like the bouillabaisse of Southeast Asia.”

Every day—like clockwork—as guests finished their desserts, Chiang quietly took a seat at the table closest to the kitchen. It was a moment of solitude for the chef, as one waiter poured him a glass of champagne and another served him the dishes of the day, which he’d eat with a kind of joyous concentration.

There was even one evening where he joined an impromptu post-dinner karaoke session in the Piano Car, singing a popular Mandarin song from the days of his childhood.

“I see this all the time. People can be very serious when they [first] come on board. But after meeting and spending time together, everyone is hugging. You don’t get this in a hotel,” says Galleta. “For so many, the idea of travelling on the Eastern & Oriental Express is a fantasy, a dream. So the journey becomes a celebration of that dream coming true.”

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