Lotus Garden

When I read Paul's review I did my dance of joy in my living room. I called my good friend who introduced me to Lotus when I first moved to London and we decided to celebrate our joint birthday at our favorite restaurant. It was good to see our old friend Hubert. And the restaurant that we love is back! We didn't even need to look at the menu...we started with the best dumplings in town (with fried crispy green beans). The amazing sweet corn chicken soup. And our favorite mains chicken w/black bean sauce and chicken w/green peppers. But most of all it was good to see our favorite owner.

This is the best Chinese retaurant in London.
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spicedawg
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, January 19, 2007

Good news for seekers after Hubert. The man is back! With a long story to tell best left to him to recount.

Food, service, value for money as good as ever, and the dark clouds that hung over Kenway Road have at long last disappeared.

(St Hubert is the patron saint of hunters, btw!)
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Paul Redfern
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Because I have reviewed this restaurant previously and given it fantastic reviews I feel it is my moral obligation to write another one. I was saddened to read the previous reviewers message regarding Hubert's leaving Lotus Garden. This explains everything. For the past couple of months when my wife and I have gone there we've been told that Hubert was in China but going to return in a few weeks. The new manager is a miserable grump. He runs it in the same style as a lot of the Chinatown restaurants but his clientele is (or should I say was) completely different. Is the food the same? Yes. But does it come to you in time and with a smile - NO. The food at Lotus was always great but it was the atmosphere and feeling of "home" that couldn't be beat. I'm trying to track Hubert down as well. And if he is gone so am I.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 6
Friday, April 28, 2006

Sadly Hubert has left and the welcoming atmosphere with him. It's all a bit mysterious, since there seemed to be a handover period, with both Hubert and the new and not very friendly (soon-to-be new)manager working in tandem. For about a month after his last sighting we would drop in asking where was Hubert, to be fobbed off with excuses such as 'he's on holiday', 'he was in earlier'. Last night they finally came clean and admitted he'd left, but wouldn't say where.

Confusingly, the former 'China Kitchen' restaurant at 37 Kenway Road has been re-named the 'Original' Lotus Garden. When we enquired in there as to the change of name, they explained that the new owners of the 'Original' Lotus Garden were also the owners of the orginal Lotus Garden (if you see what I mean), which explained why the menu was the same in both places, but sadly also confirmed that Hubert was no longer on the scene.

It's a real shame, we've been regulars over the last 8 years, and took everyone there, but now there's no friendly welcome, no chocolates 'for Arnold' (our cat - only Hubert would remember something like that). If anyone out there knows what's happened to Hubert, please let us know!
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Paul Redfern
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 6
Saturday, April 15, 2006

Greetings from Canada! On my very first visit to London, my sweetie took me to Lotus Garden, where he used to go with his parents when he was much younger. We had wonderful service and I loved the crispy duck which I had for the first time. A very lovely experience all around. I highly recommend this restaurant.
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Cathy D. Reeves
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, December 14, 2005