About 6 months ago I was driving by and decided to give Lotus one more try. And not surprisingly the ownership had changed yet again, and the existing menu did not look very gourmet. Plastic covered, very basic, sort of in line with the neighborhood.\r
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But I got into a discussion about my tastes in Chinese food with the one and only waiter, who introduced me to the owner (who it turns out is a master Hong Kong style chef specializing in Cantonese variations of seafood). Well lo and behold, it turns out all of my very favorite dishes WERE available... even if they weren't on the menu. He (i.e. the owner/chef) would make them for me EXACTLY AS I WANTED THEM PREPARED.\r
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Well I now can say that I'm a new ""regular"" there, which saves me a long 40-mile trip out to Hong Kong Palace in Rowland Heights just to get the Cantonese-style seafood dishes I crave. The wonton soup is excellent, and the steamed dumplings are superb (swimming in my own handmade dipping sauce with hot chili oil, shredded ginger, soy sauce, and lots of clear vinegar).\r
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Their menu covers all the well known Chinese cooking styles but I recommend any number of the Cantonese seafood specialties, Hong Kong style: shrimp in pepper salt (cooked and served in the shell, and I have them remove the heads for me), honey walnut shrimp, moo goo gai pan (chicken in a white sauce with mushrooms and vegetables), sauteed lobster, sauteed scallops and bean sprouts, shrimp fried rice prepared without soy sauce so that it is light in color and taste rather than brown and salty, sauteed baby bok choy, sauteed fresh crab or fresh clams with ginger and scallions, etc. etc.\r
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You might like non-Cantonese, but I'm a Cantonese lover so I can't comment on anything else. They've just closed for 1-3 months (I'm guessing) to remodel extensively. He's adding a sushi bar, cocktail lounge, and is planning on expanding the menu to go well beyond just Chinese.\r
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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