Dragon Lotus Restaurant — Restaurant in Peachland

Overall, this place has high stars, despite a few poor reviews, so we checked it out. It was mid-week, and hwy 97 is still closed but there were a few tables with people. We were seated at a table, with nice looking menus, cloth napkins and decor that reminded me of a place I went to with family back in the 80's; not outdated, but had some unique Asian decor; a couple small murals, cool table designs, and brighter colours. Aside from the table of people in front of us, and cars out front, they're right across from OK lake so the view is fantastic!

We ordered a few dishes, water, and my son got a local beer 'Black Widow' (chosen solely for the artwork) which was a pleasant surprise given we're not big beer drinkers (I stole a couple sips but he finished it before I got any more). We're from the Lower Mainland, and while the menu had less options, it's certainly enough to pick from, with a few very entertaining descriptions on one of the last pages, and the prices compare to a couple spots we order from near home.

We ordered; Ginger beef; there was lots, had good flavour, texture was a good mix of the meat and somewhat crispy outside, not dry, and had some pieces of peppers and onions mixed in. BBQ pork Shanghai noodles; looked like a lot until my son had seconds, lol! The pieces of BBQ pork were bigger than I usually see and a good amount of it. Sweet and Sour pork, a fav of mine; I love it with pineapple and this dish didn't have any but also wasn't mentioned in the menu. I might have expected a bit more on the plate, however, the pieces were bigger than I'm used to and nicely done, not dry and the sauce was different, more of a tomato and honey taste I want to say, but really good. Breaded Chicken with Lemon; it was more than I expected, nicely cooked with a smaller dish of lemon sauce on the side. Perfectly cooked, not too thin, with a good meat to breading ratio, meaning more meat than breading.

The service was great! The lady serving us came over quickly to get our drink order, came back quickly and had to give us a few minutes with the menu. From the time we ordered to the time food was on the table was lightening fast! Likely because we were the last table that evening, and it wasn't too busy but still, very fast! She came back to check on us a couple times during our meal and seemed to know when we were about done, asking if we wanted the rest packed up, which she did for us. While we were eating, she chatted with a local couple near us for a bit, who wanted to come back so she let them know to call ahead first since they'll close soon, temporarily, to take their own vacations. Very courteous I thought, since I wouldn't want to drive there to find they're closed.

If we're back in the area and have a craving for Chinese food, we'll...

Authentic food prepared by Northern Chinese staff who speak the Mandarin dialect!

Almond chicken and black bean pepper prawns on sizzling hot plate; we also ordered a large wonton with BBQ pork.

Portion sizes were generous with a clean presentation; I found the wonton broth to be clear salty chicken stock rather than the more caramel colour seafood stock that is traditional.

Almond chicken was crispy with light batter, served atop fried vermicelli with crushed almonds; a side of lemon sauce was $2.50.

The black bean pepper prawns on sizzling hot plate was on a page for "dine-in only"; the two sauce choices were black bean sauce or black bean pepper sauce which adds a generous amount of freshly ground black and white peppercorns.

You can choose chicken, pork, beef, or prawns in either sauce, but they only do squid in black bean sauce.

The black bean pepper results in an amount of heat I would rate at 3 out of 5; definitely noticeable and it will creep up as you eat, but not unbearable and full of flavour...

The vegetables consist of orange & green peppers, string beans, snap peas, mushrooms, garlic and a generous amount of onion.

My date had a cola and I asked for tea which is available in two choices, green or the Chinese traditional jasmine which is brought to your table in the small teapot and tiny cup......

A pleasant surprise!!! So many years we have driven by this restaurant heading to our vacation destination. Never ever seeing a car or patron in the parking lot. We decided to google it and realized the hours were always after 4pm. We were always getting into our destination early afternoons. So we made a reservation and drove the 15-20 minutes to the restaurant. We walked in to find many customers and families enjoying their food and we noticed many awards outlining best Chinese food! Our group ordered many dishes including salt pepper squid Also the beef hot plate. One of our friends was asking for special gluten free options and the server kindly recommended several. When our food arrived hot and sizzling we loved the presentation and it looked incredible!!! The taste was even better!!! I had to write a review because I am dreaming of the salt n pepper squid and will make this an absolute stop every time we visit the Okanogan.

Service was amazing btw! She was adorable and knew the menu like the back of her hand. Portion sizes very generous. The four of us were full. We could not stop eating however cause it was so tasty! Server name Sophie or something cute like this. She represents your business very...