Lotus - Fine-Dining Quality Vegetarian Fare at Affordable Prices
By Justine Lopez
Not to be confused with upstairs neighbor Lotus Thai, Lotus is yet another welcome addition to the new China World Mall’s seemingly endless collection of places to eat and drink. Tucked away in the farthest corner of the fourth floor, this tranquil little restaurant serves up what we argue is some of Beijing’s most quality Chinese vegetarian fare.
Think fine dining presentations, decent portions and surprisingly reasonable prices – especially compared to some of the capital’s more well-known vegetarian restaurants like King’s Joy.
At Lotus, dishes range from pricey mushroom-based concoctions (RMB80-165) to more wallet-friendly options which run the gamut from thick, spicy noodles (RMB32) to almost-convincing renditions of spare ribs (RMB56).
The real standouts were the soft tofu topped with spinach and mushrooms and placed in a rich pumpkin sauce (RMB28), the sautéed “crab roe” crafted from creamy corn, potato and croutons (RMB42), and the chrysanthemum-shaped tofu and mushroom broth soup (RMB28).
The spring garden salad topped with Multi-Grain Cheerios (RMB42) was the only miss.
The use of Cheerios threw us for a loop (no pun intended), but we will say that the ginger dressing was some of the best we’ve had.
Cereal salad aside, we were impressed with everything on Lotus's menu. This place is an excellent choice for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
4th Floor China World Mall, Chaoyang 朝阳区国贸商城北区四层
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