I know I recently added a post on the Lotus Cafe, but I wanted to do another since I actually sat down and had a meal - not just took some mediocre pics.
Anyway, for anyone who previously visited while the restaurant operated as My-Le, or perhaps Kim Than, and liked it - then you'll like Lotus too. In my humble opinion few things of substance have really changed. Yes, the front room is going through a transformation with a full bar on its way in hopes of creating a lounge scene. How this will happen really escapes me. But we'll see. In the main dining area, a large TV screen has been added to the back wall, but other than that, things are very similar. Yes, there are some new tables, a new paint job, and some newly-hung artwork (I'm being generous with the term artwork), but all in all this is the same place we all knew and loved.
In addition to similar decor, the service and food quality are on par with the old days. This has its pros and cons. I'll start with the pros - the food. At least one my first visit, the quality had improved from the last days of My-Le. In 2007, I felt the quality and consistency of the dishes at My-Le had gone downhill. Lotus appears to be taking a step in the right direction. The two vermicelli dishes my partner and I had were very good. And the summer rolls we started on were as good as the old days. However, the menu lacked a vegetarian version of the crispy spring rolls. This should be rectified fast! Summer rolls in warmer weather is fine, but on cooler days you gotta have the crispy ones!
On the con side, the service was very similar to years past. There is no way to satisfy all the customers on busy nights with one or two servers (and more often that not it was one server). Granted, the night we dined at Lotus was slow, but still, one server for the whole place - fogedaboutit. If the dining room gets packed and folks fill the outside tables, get ready to wait. And when the front of the house gets behind, so does the back of the house. My hope is that when Lotus establishes itself and begins to draw a consistent crowd it will be staffed accordingly.
Also, if folks didn't notice, Lotus received a nice review in DCist earlier in the week. So get out there and throw them some business. When it cools off, the outside patio is great. What's better than whiling away the evening and watching metro and CSX trains fly on by.
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3 comments:
Is that big screen tv on in the dining room, with sound? That's the last thing I want in a restaurant?
Well I had dinner outside tonight - but did check out the TV in the dining rm and it was off. I can't say it's off all the time since I walked by last Fri nt and from the outside I could see a picture. But at least for tonight - no TV. And the dinner was fab! An appetizer, some beers, 2 entrees - $40 with tip. You can't beat that.
Inteeresting read
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