Pink Lotus Mullumbimby — Restaurant in Mullumbimby

We stopped by here for a special family birthday dinner again. We were seated outside & it was quite serene & peaceful with plants making us feel we were in a garden. Especially the moon arch. I was so happy they added a bar & we could order cocktails & wine from since we were last here. The cocktails were divine! Another reason to come back.

The dishes were all so big with generous amounts that I was so surprised to see. We had one waiter looking after our big group outside. The curries were filled with coconut goodness & lot’s of fresh toppings. The fried fish was very tasty eaten along with their special fish sauce & I recommend the salads too. The entrees were very generous as well. I was so happy that the service was really good especially for our big group.

I love the decor, the Beautiful chandler light right near the bar area, the little Vietnamese ornaments & the beautiful story about the owner of the business & her family. You don’t see that much in restaurants these days. It’s nice to know they are a small family run business & trying to make a life in the shire & bring tasty & affordable Vietnamese food to a small town such as Mullumbimby. It certainly is very rare & unique. Good on them.

We found all staff extra smiley & super friendly. I wonder if it’s the air or the great food they get to eat?

Each dish we tried was highly recommended as there was so much to choose from. None disappointed, except we only wanted to order more. So much choices for vegan, vegetarian, & gluten free which is not common for Vietnamese food. So it seems the owners here are catering very well to the needs of the community & their customers.

We all rolled out of there with the last serving of a few desserts. Best one was a Vietnamese tiramisu and was mopped up leaving nothing left to clean in the cup. It was with mascarpone, lady finger biscuits dipped in Vietnamese coffee, coconut and mint & rose - divine. Definitely a must try & save your tummy for. Loved seeing you again Pink Lotus Eatery - Mullumbimby. So excited you opened another in Brunswick Heads. Will check it out soon...

Where to begin......

I am a huge fan of beef pho, and immediately I was sold on that meal....

When my meal arrived, I couldn't believe the portion size, nearly a litre of broth, I couldn't wait to eat this dish....

My first sip of the broth, I was immediately disappointed... It lacked everything. It was literally a heavily watered-down version of what was.....

It had 5 thinly cut pieces of the most tasteless beef I've ever eaten. Each mouthful of this dish made me very disappointed, rice noodles, bean shoots, and beef with a garnishing of coriander... where was the Thai basil, where was the chilli??

It lacked so much authenticity, flavour, colour, and above all culture....

If you're going to describe this dish like this.... and I quote,

"Pho was and is today, my family's version of a Sunday roast, mum would make a large pot on Saturday night and on Sunday my family would gather to share this wonderful beef broth soup"

If you're going to speak highly of your mums beef pho broth, at least have the respect of cooking it correctly without any short cuts. For your mums sake.

This pho is far from wonderful, it literally tasted like the broth was made in 45minutes.

Usually when you eat at an Asian restaurant, you'll see Asian chefs in the kitchen that have dedicated their time to this cuisine and dialling in those flavours so it tastes just like if you were in Vietnam. Much to my surprise, there was an Indian bloke in the kitchen cooking these meals. Come on guys!!!

I'm sure he makes a mean vindaloo curry, but I can tell you now, he makes a disgusting beef pho.

Either get him the real recipe or let him go because that was not the taste of Vietnam I have grown to love.

I can safely say without a doubt that this is the 1st and last time I eat at this establishment. Embarrassing.

And one more thing, how old are those chopsticks? They had teeth marks on the...

Very disappointed with the quality and flavour of the food, again. Beef pho… measly 4 small slithers of beef, barely a couple of mouthfuls, shocking. No flavour at all and no seasoning whatsoever, broth tasted like water, almost flavourless, only thing I can taste is the tulsi basil…very,very bland.

Vegetable Stir fry rice was just awful , very bland, no seasoning whatsoever, just an unpleasant bitter lingering aftertaste….for $22, we struggled to even eat it. This is really very poor quality and disappointing food. That we just payed over $100 for in total.

For the 3rd time in recent months I have been left completely unsatisfied with the quality of the food, previous San Choy Bau with very small portions of meat, carelessly put together, just a mass of lettuce with no betel leaf and little more than a teaspoon of meat…plus a yellow curry that was much below standard.

I used to recommend this place to friends and guests, but now I can’t see us even eating here again, being left hungry and unsatisfied and paying over $100 for an experience that has become hit and miss.

Whoever is cooking the food tonight, 17th May 2024 should not be cooking if this is the food they are putting out. The chef can’t be tasting the food they are making and serving, there is a real lack of pride and respect in serving food like this and a complete disregard of the customer.

You guys need...