• 3
• Decent for what it is

We visited Lotus a couple of years ago and weren't impressed, but unless a restaurant is terrible, I always give it a second chance. After all, I could have just ordered the one bad dish on the menu. Well, I will not be giving Lotus a third chance. Here's a recap of my experience: 1.) The server was rude and made me feel unwelcome. I needed a moment to look over the menu before ordering, and she didn't like that. 2.) The menu is primarily TVP/soy, which isn't bad for everyone, but aside from the salads, someone gluten-free wouldn't have many options. 3.) I started with the veg chicken nuggets. They were... well... veg chicken nuggets, served with ketchup. Nothing fancy, but they aren't intended to be. 4.) I also got the avocado sushi roll. It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't as good as the sushi from pretty much any other sushi place. But this ISN'T a sushi place, so I didn't expect it to be excellent. I think what bothered me was that it used brown rice, and their brown rice tastes like cardboard. 4.) My entree was the General Tso's chik'n dish, which is served as fried soy balls covered in sauce and garnished with a little bit of undercooked broccoli. It was fine-- something I'd expect from a little Chinese takeout joint. The brown rice was unpleasant and the broccoli was undercooked, so I just ate the soy balls. Some veggies would've been nice. 5.) My husband ordered the Manchurian Palate. It was soy balls, some peppers, and a side of brown rice. The flavor was very basilly (and basil is listed as an ingredient), so if you love basil, you may love this. But if you only think basil is okay, then you might find this dish kind of perfumey tasting. Overall, if you're looking for a place that serves cheap Chinese-style food (at a not-so-cheap price), go here. If you want to have a nice dinner out with your spouse, you're going to have to get closer to D.C.