Lotus Restaurant — Restaurant in Richmond

Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant Cambie Plaza 4131 No. 5 Road, Richmond, BC V6X 2T9

Overview

Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant offers a straightforward and casual dining experience in the heart of Cambie Plaza. Known for its classic Vietnamese offerings, the restaurant provides a variety of dishes that highlight fresh ingredients and traditional flavors.

Food

Salad Roll

The salad roll was a delightful appetizer. Wrapped in delicate, fresh rice paper, the combination of pork, shrimp, vermicelli noodles, lettuce, and bean sprouts delivered a refreshing medley of textures. The accompanying creamy peanut sauce was a standout, adding a savory and nutty depth that elevated the dish. It’s a simple yet well-executed starter that sets a positive tone for the meal. Rating: 8/10

Grilled Pork Chop with Pork and Poached Egg

This dish was the highlight of the meal. The pork chop was beautifully marinated in a fragrant lemongrass sauce, giving it a tender, juicy texture and a bold, citrus-infused flavor. Paired with a perfectly poached egg and fresh salad, the dish was well-balanced and satisfying. The addition of fish sauce on the side provided a tangy complement that tied all the elements together harmoniously. Rating: 8/10

House Special Pho Noodles

The House Special Pho came with thinly sliced cuts of beef, garnished with green onions, white onions, and cilantro, served in a clear beef broth. While the broth was clean and light, it lacked the depth and complexity typically associated with traditional pho. The flavors could have been enhanced with richer seasoning or a more aromatic spice profile. Rating: 6/10

Service

The service was adequate, though not particularly memorable. Staff were efficient and polite, but there was a noticeable lack of warmth or attentiveness that could elevate the dining experience. While the basics were handled well, a more welcoming approach would make a significant difference. Rating: 6/10

Ambiance

The restaurant features a clean and well-kept interior with a simple and modest design. While the space is inviting, the dim lighting made it feel a bit darker than ideal, slightly detracting from the overall atmosphere. However, the cleanliness and organization were appreciated. Rating: 7/10

Price

The pricing is fair and reasonable, particularly given the portion sizes and quality of the dishes. Lotus offers good value for those seeking affordable yet satisfying Vietnamese cuisine.

Verdict

Lotus Vietnamese Restaurant delivers a reliable dining experience with its fresh ingredients and well-prepared dishes. While the Salad Roll and Grilled Pork Chop stood out for their flavor and execution, the House Special Pho fell short of expectations. The ambiance is clean and pleasant, and the pricing makes it a practical choice for a casual meal. With room for improvement in service and certain dishes, Lotus remains a solid option for Vietnamese cuisine. I look forward to returning to explore more...

I ordered the #8 Pho chin nac personally and tried the meat with the available: pepper, salt, hoisin, sriracha and chili oil (the last of which was requested by the other people dining with me and is not at the table by default) The meat was really tender and i personally think it paired best with the hoisin, chili oil and pepper. It didn’t really need any salt and the sriracha masked the flavor the meat a bit too much since it was a mellow flavor overall. The noodles were very tender with just a bit of bite, al dente for rice noodles essentially, perfectly cooked noodles. The broth was very mellow and smooth in flavor/ texture.

The others dining with me got a #15 Pho chin nac, nam, gah, sach and gave a very similar response for the noodles and broth, all of their meats were fairly tender and cooked nicely however they did feel like the soup got cold way too fast, so it seems like our soups did not arrive to our table as hot as they should have.

They also ordered a #S11 Banh mi dac biet which came with a vietnamese ham instead the typical pork, they said it was pretty good but they would have preferred the more typical banh mi.

The staff were a bit hard to get the attention of and did forget to bring us chili oil the first time we asked. overall easy to talk to but did feel like they weren’t that available sometimes.

The atmosphere was clean, spacious and modern but felt a bit empty and didn’t have anything that popped out to make this feel any different from the many other Pho places i’ve been to visually/ atmosphere wise.

Overall 4 because of the food which is the focal point of any restaurant experience at the...

We came here from Coquitlam after a friend took us here. The interior was very pretty and was very cozy.

Until we met the staff. The first greeting they said to us wasn't even a "hi" or a "welcome" but a lady warning us "we close at 10pm". We got here at 8:40pm.

The menu was full of interesting items and exotic choices. When we got the food, it was so salty. Especially the soup and the marinated pork. I'm not surprised since they offer so many drinks you can buy if you're thirsty.

My mom and I woke up at 4am. I was chugging water because there was too much sodium in the soup and meat. She felt sick, and we almost considered calling the doctor.

The staff were the ones who ruined my appetite. True we came a bit late, but that doesn't give them the right to treat us rudely.

The lady who greeted us and our server, a grumpy looking boy with glasses was the tipping point that ruined our stay. He never smiled, and was very rude to us. We were even kicked out the restaurant before it was even closing time.

I know we extended our stay very close to the time, and they must've been tired (it was a Sunday), but being in the customer service means you serve the customers. Being in the industry myself, I would've fired those two if I were the manager.

Tl;dr: food is ok. Customer...