Since it's listed as vegan-friendly on Urbanspoon, I've wanted to try Lotus Thai Cuisine for some time now. The problem was that I could never find it. Driving down J Street near the Downtown Plaza, I couldn't see it, so I just kept on driving. I must not have been the only person having trouble finding the restaurant, though, as there was a sign on the sidewalk the last time I drove by, pointing the way to the restaurant down the stairs in the Chinatown Mall.
The menu contains all the dishes one would expect to find in a Thai restaurant. As always, I asked whether they put fish sauce in their curries, and I was told that they do not. I love Thai curries, but I wanted to try something different this time, so I ordered the Spicy Fried Rice, consisting of wok-fried rice, choice of protein (I asked for tofu), onions, green beans, bell pepper, and sweet basil in a garlic chili sauce. I haven't eaten fried rice in a long time, since it almost always includes egg, so this was quite a treat!
I liked my lunch well enough to go back the next day, but this time, I wanted noodles. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao, or Drunken Noodles, which had pretty much the same ingredients as the Spicy Fried Rice, except that pan-fried flat rice noodles were substituted for the rice, and bean sprouts were added. It was such a deliciously satisfying meal!
It was a treat to visit this quiet little oasis in the middle of downtown. Afterwards, I stopped in at the gift shop across from the restaurant, Feng Shui, and browsed the nice selection of books, Asian gifts, and art. I'm already planning future visits to both the restaurant and the gift shop!
Lotus Thai Cuisine is located at 425 J Street, and their phone number is 916-448-5568. Their website address is http://www.eatlotus.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at this link. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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