Lotus Thai House — Restaurant in Parma

It was a Friday. I arrived at work and was greeted with problems from agents before I could clock in. Heck, before I could put down my bag. I clocked in and got to work on several problems that could have easily been solved by the leader that was already there but claimed ignorance. A claim all too easy to believe. Email brought no relief – the reports I submitted were missing information that wasn’t requested. I picked away at the essential duties of the day, and soon four hours had passed. I had had enough for one week, so I took the rest of the day off. It was 5pm. I knew I couldn’t get on 480 due to the daily demolition derby, so I took Rockside/Snow Road. I was hungry and I thought, “I haven’t been to Lotus Thai House in a while.” I always enjoy take out, so I made the turn on Broadview. Lots of cars in the lot, and a lot of full tables, which is always a good sign. There was no rush from the young gentleman who took my order. He offered a glass of water while I waited. Young man do not underestimate how impressive your actions were. I should have ordered a Bobba to go because they are always refreshing and delicious. My order was up quickly and was piping hot when I arrived home. I had an order of chicken pot stickers, fried. They were crispy on the outside, tender, savory, and juicy on the inside. An absolute treat to wake up the taste buds and jump start the digestive system. I was in the mood to try something new, so I ordered the Chicken Panang Curry, heat level six. Did I mention the spice scale? They can adjust the spice heat of your meal on a scale from one to ten. Genius. I’m slowly working my way up the scale. The curry was delicious, fresh tasting with a hint of lime citrus. The vegetables were tender with out being mushy. The chicken was tender and juicy. The sauce had a nice kick to it without covering up the flavors of the dish. I will order it again. Maybe not the next visit because there are so many other dishes to try, but I definitely recommend. If you’re looking at the menu and can’t decide, go with the Panang Curry. Compliments to the chef, your dish was the highlight...

Where's the passion for this family business?

The restaurant needs a heavy renovation. I think that was the first thing that turned my expectations low for this little restaurant. Lots of plastic plants in glasses full of water. The server/ host/ cook was really young which is concerning because appeared to be running the entire restaurant. The other staff members were underdressed with oil stained clothes, tee shirts with other business logos, and hoodies; they didn't do much to the looks of it. I'm not expecting prim and proper, just a professional appearance. The men's room has a toilet that has a leaking flange; which leaked soiled water on the floor. The food. Oy. The three way fried pork was awful. The fried pork on top was over fried pork jerky crisps, mixed in was some foul preserved pork, and the final fried iteration of pork was passably edible. The carrot flower garnish was probably the only vegetable cut in house. Nothing was fresh. I don't know how this establishment is rated 4 stars, unless I came in on a really bad night.

Helpful suggestions to the staff:

Print new menus without white out. Go modern, less graphics, thin lines that draw the eye, and consider reducing your menu. Clean menus mean a lot and show care. Get rid of the plastic water flowers. The water is a cute idea, but tacky with plastic plants. Give the guest something fresh. Orchids are elegant and easy to take care of. 3.Way too dark. Bright lights would help the dark wood and bright paint pop with out heavy Reno. Touch up the paint around the new AC units. 4.Your bathrooms are as important as your reception area. Keep them maintained. 5.Staffing is an issue. Keep ideal bodies out of the dining room and get screen printed shirts or enforce...

Last weekend we ordered takeout from here for the first time. We were both pleased with everything we ordered. So I just placed our second order tonight and am waiting to leave to pick it up. The other half ordered the 3 way pork fried rice again as he liked it so much. We also ordered some different dishes this time. I had the beef pho last week which was good, but I did think the broth was overly salty from others I've had before. But I will try it again. Tonight I am trying the vegetarian pho. This Pho was good with a tasty broth, tofu, veggies and the traditional accompanying add in's. This will be on my "get again" list! We had ordered Shumai which we thought may be similar to pot stickers. That isn't the case though. They were tasty but smaller and a different shape then pot stickers. I'm glad we had them. We also had another rice dish with vegetables and chose not to get any protein in it. This was very good too and I really like the flavor of the rice. The price was the same without the protein but to be fair I hadn't asked if it would cost less. I really liked the Lad Na and will get that again soon. The dishes have a lot of veggies in them which I do enjoy. This is a nice change from some fried options at other Asian restaurants. We are very happy to have Lotus Thai House so close to us now. It's a great addition to our neighborhood. Be sure to...