Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: None
10 Reviews for Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant
Been there 3 to 4 times now. All I can say is I have waited for a long time for a true chinese vegetarian place to show up in the Fairfax neighborhood and this is really nice addition. You got to pay when you order - the seating is comfortable and the choices are plenty. They also have fresh fruit shakes which are worth trying as well. I went with Kung Pao chicken couple of times and Sweet and Sour chicken couple of times and liked it a lot. The veggie spring roll prices were a little bit steep (actually pretty steep) at 1.50 a piece. In general food was cheap though.
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This place is well hidden past a Lowes-anchored strip mall, but the food is worth seeking out.
The decor is a bit quirky and the atmosphere is very unassuming and casual. You order at the front and pay and they'll bring your food to your table. The menu covers a selection of quasi Asian vegan choices with some good fake-meat selections for your omnivorous friends.
We had the General Tso's, some kind of fried chicken app, something like a summer roll and a very odd sushi roll. Everything was great...solid texture and great portions, though I think they're playing it a bit safe with some of the flavors to satisfy a wide audience. I saw another four or five different entrees that I was also interested in trying, so I will certainly be making another trip back to sample more of the menu.
Everything I had was slightly superior to Sunflower in Falls Church, though I must say Sunflower has the edge in decor...Lotus is worth trying for any vegetarian or (like me) an omnivore interested in variety.
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Oh, I am in TOTAL VEGGIE HEAVEN! Today I got my very first take out lunch from Lotus and let me just say: Wow wow wow wow! Now, I am going to have to try everything here for sure!
I walked into Lotus around 1:50 pm and it was very quiet in regards to customers. I saw one lady eating her meal and another came in to place a to-go order. I ordered the lunch special which comes with a lunch sized entree, brown rice, and choice of either spring roll or soup. I opted for the Lotus Spicy and spring roll. I paid $8.32 and then sat in an empty booth and read e-mail on the Blackberry. Within 5-6 minutes, my food was already finished and ready to be carried out! Talk about awesome.
I excitedly got in my car and returned to my desk at the office and dug into the lovely brown recycled paper box filled with veggies, tofu, and peanuts, all coated in a brown sauce. The flavor was amazing. It was slightly spicy (not enough for me!) and the texture of the vegetables was perfect. They had that right amount of crunch that does not take away their precious flavor. There were two types of tofu in this dish. One type was soft and another was slightly coated and the texture itself reminded me of chicken. The coated tofu had a great flavor and oomph which gave a nice compliment to the whole theme of this dish. The spring roll was not greasy at all and was crispy delicious. The brown rice had a great blend of both soft and nutty grains. Many times, brown rice is overcooked and it can get mushy. This rice was far from that.
Here is where my experience really gets good. Upon the completion of my lunch, I did not feel bloated, full, or icky. The food itself was light and not even the least bit heavy/greasy! Frankly, I felt like doing cartwheels down the halls of the office but since I am in a professional environment and wearing a vintage dress to boot, that wouldn't have been a good idea. Oh well.
Lotus specializes in Asian-types of food but they also have veggie burgers, sandwiches, soups, and natural smoothies. I love Asian food, especially Chinese and Thai so this place is totally up my alley! I am so pleased there is a healthy, vegetarian (and super tasty!) option for lunch in the Chantilly area. When I go out to lunch with the office gang, it usually ends up being a trip to Moe's, Red Robin, Eggspectation, or Sweet Water. Now, I can sneak off to Lotus instead. Whoo-hoo!
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Yum, yum, and yum!! Lunch opens at 11:30, and it was a bit slow, but I'd expect it gets busier after the noon hour. We had spring rolls (fried crispy and super tasty. Fresh, not soggy, and just the perfect lunch temptation size). Entrees were the crescent lettuce wraps (vermicelli, vege-ham, celery, jicama, carrots, and sunflower seeds with lettuce cups) and the general tso's surprise ( a lunch special served w/ hot chili sauce and served with a side of steamed broccoli). Everything came with a serving of brown rice (they serve whole grain, too..bonus). Service was attentive and price was a-ok. The menu also has a great selection of fresh juices, smoothies, and desserts (didn't try any, but next time). MSG free, using only sea salt and vegetable oil. Not much for looks, and a bit hard to find. Past Lowe's on the right in a strip mall. Still, wonderful, fresh, and healthy reviews. From what I've read here, everyone is right on. Take the meat eaters and make believers out of them...they won't be disappointed.
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A healthy and vegetarian Chinese restaurant comes to Chantilly. The owner used to work at another restaurant in the area and wanted to make healthier food and also cook vegetarian, so this place creatively uses meat substitutes (think textured vegetable protein made to look and taste like beef, chicken, smoked pork, etc.) in traditional and different Asian dishes.
This is a welcome addition -- good and reasonably healthy chinese food with lots of interesting vegetables and soy-based meat substitutes, in addition to tofu. The food was good but the sauces could have been a bit bolder on the flavors, in my opinion. However, this is a minor complaint. The sauces allow the flavors of the veggies really come through. Since I have first eaten here, I decided to try a couple of more vegetarian Chinese places (not anywhere near Chantilly) -- this one is, by far, the best.
The owners are on-site and very attentive. The place is clean. The food tastes healthy and not at all greasy.
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AWESOME I had the general tsos tofu it was amazing good firm tofu not squishy kind like in the chinese takeouts...definitely go there!
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I've been here three times now. The Noodle Soup was wonderful, the egg roll is not greasy & spring rolls are very good, nice freshness, nice sauce. Just had the Inari. Probably the best I've ever had. Lightly sweet, ingredients are chopped fine which is key. Just enough wasabi and pickled ginger for all 4 pockets. The spices/ingredients are not overbearing and nothing was too salty (Finally!). The lemonade was good - a bit too sweet, but I had no problem slurping to the bottom of a RECYCLED Greenware cup!! Woohoo! Establishment is clean and pleasant. This area so badly needed a healthy option. If they keep consistency in the portions the same, the flavors perfectly meshed as they are now, keep the prices in range for various buggets, they should do very well.
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It's really nice to have a healthier Vegetarian option around here that's not just Indian food! I'm not a vegetarian myself, but my girlfriend is, and I do enjoy vegetarian food a lot. And Chinese is my favorite cuisine so this is a perfect union of the two!
So far we've tried the Egg Rolls, General Tso's Surprise, Vege-beef with snow peas, Mushroom Family, and Lotus Tofu and all have been great! The General Tso's Surprise has a little bit too much breading though. The Vege-beef tastes great! And the Mushroom Family was pretty awesome with all the mushroom flavors coming together in one sauce. Plus I love the pan-fried noodles that come with it.
The owners and employees are very friendly and we always chat for a little while when we come in. And now thru the end of June 2008 they offer 10% off for any orders over $15.00
I really hope this place stays open!
My daughter found this place after I gave her an ad from the local newspaper. She loves the food and has convinced several of her fellow students from George Mason University to join her on weekly trips to the restaurant.l!
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We've only been to Lotus once, but the food was quite good and we'll certainly be back when we're in the area.
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