Lotus Cafe

We have been to this restaurant a few times and we generally like the food. Although it used to be better, like what many other reviews say, we do feel the taste is going down. I am not sure if this is due to the pandemic or the labor shortage. The service quality is now getting really discouraging. Yesterday, we order a dish that is usually spicy in the Chinese cuisine and it came out sweet and not spicy at all. We then asked the gentleman who was serving our table whether this should be spicy or they may have missed out the spicy sauce. He literally said this is how this restaurant cooks this dish and left without even further communication, which seems rude. We were surprised by his attitude and asked him again. He started to get irritated and repeated the same thing and ask: what do you want? This is shocking to me. We are OK with the dish cooked in a different as we understand that there are many genres within the Chinese cuisine. However, the way the waiter talked to customers was not professional. When we walked out we talked to the manager about it, he jumped out and started to argue again, saying the reason he did this was because he thought we criticized the dish. I don’t get it ~ Anyway, personally I would not recommend this restaurant any more and would probably not come back.

Amazingly speedy to go order but the first two ingredients in the dish were two types of tofu and this barely has two bites of tofu. I wanted protein and would not have ordered this if I knew it would only be vegetables instead of the same as written. It’s like ordering chicken and broccoli but only getting brócolli. Tasty but disappointed

We ordered from here for the first time and I wanted a noodle, but wanted to try something different… I ordered Chow Mein, which was fried noodles EVERYWHERE I looked. I received a soup-like dish with hard noodles in a plastic bag that said, “chow mein,” which I would think were for our soup. Anyway, when I called about it I was told that’s the way it comes and next time order Lo Mein. I did say I looked it up and thought it was supposed to be fried noodles, but was not going to argue. I was not offered anything else so I did not ask. Not the best customer service and most importantly, their Chow Mein is SOUP without noodles?!! …more like, NO Mein, lol. I gave two stars because my Husband ate it and said it was good… I definitely did not want it as I was expecting fried noodles of some sort.

Used to be a great restaurant (used to mainly do takeout). Very disappointed to eat here and realize everything has changed inside. I’m not talking decor, I mean the food and staff. I have experienced this twice with really good Chinese food places. Where exterior is the same yet everything inside changes and the food is also different. At least change the name of the place.

I would have to honestly state that this place has been a verifiable "hit or miss" since I began patronizing it since the 1990s. During this time and till date, I have only been here less than 10 times or so. Every time I am here I need to be cognizant of the fact that this place has to be one of the consistently top-ranked places for poor customer service. The food can be good at times and an insult to other sitdown Chinese restaurants, irrespective of the regional cooking and ambiance of the place. I haven't been here in a little over a year or so and they have updated the decor to be a tad more "modern". It has been done halfheartedly where they are still caught between the cusp of the 90s style and the 2010's simple and modern take. The service by the staff was unbecoming and rude, also indifference to the act of service and genuine gratitude and hospitality to the customer seemed like a foreign concept. They seemed like characters out of the TV show the "The Walking Dead " and the movie "Get Out". As soon as I walked in I was addressed by one of the Chinese lady staff members in an annoyed, frowning and almost upset like manner. It was the same with another staff lady who was sitting and having a meal while looking at me in an unfriendly manner, almost in a prejudicial and discriminatory manner. The waiters also seemed annoyed and exasperated at the thought of having to service me and none smiled or even attempted to at least "fake it". One of the ladies saw the obvious displeasure in my demeanor and may have overheard my interaction with one of the waiters who attended to me. She came to my table to greet me and chat with me so as to do a better job at public relations. She said that she was the owner of the restaurant. The food was totally mediocre on this visit. The grilled beef on skewers was the only saving grace and worthy highlight of this dinner. The calamari was good, but not distinctive with its flavor. The pork and shrimp noodle soup was dismal and not even worthy to qualify to even be mentioned. It was a "hack" job. NO flavor at all. It didn't seem it was even salted adequately. Asians are known for their soups and noodle based soups and this one was one of the worst ever tasted. The broth was thick and unflavorful. Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese and the Thai are known for their masterful and artful skills in the soups and noodles category, but this dish tasted as it was on a mission to dismantle and reverse that perception cultivated by these respective cultures over thousands of years. I advise that the management drastically improve the service and interaction given by the staff to the customers and patrons first. If there is no one qualified to train them then bring in an outside source to train the team. Put a "smile" on everyone's faces. At least pretend to give a smile if they can't do it genuinely. Please also place emphasis on the quality, freshness and presentation of the dishes as well. Consistency is key.

August 31, 2019 Tried a new dish, Braised pork belly with aged mustard green. Super delicious to wrapped in steamed buns. Thanksgiving of 2018 Lotus Cafe is closed today! We tried to call many times, no one pick up. Definitely make reservations for group party. Dishes are amazingly tasty. Very authentic Chinese cuisines, not a China town food. The fastest service restaurant ever. 2018, 09,2nd. Newly renovated store from and restroom.