Where do I start? On Friday we stopped in for lunch around 12:30. We were greeted nicely and bought waters with lemon as we asked. I ordered won ton soup, shrimp with vegetables and fried rice. My gluten free friend brought a new bottle of gf soy sauce. She ordered rice noodles with vegetables and added tofu. She chose not to have soup and asked for her won ton to be packed to go. The waiter whose English wasn't so good very nicely took the bottle with him to the kitchen so her food would be prepared with it. I noted the fork at my place was not clean and moved it aside. Next he brings me a soup plate with broth and 2 big doughy won ton. Neither the broth not the won ton were more than tepid. The won ton was not to my liking. I took one bite and pushed my bowl aside. Next the entrees neither were more than barely warm! My shrimp were a bit smaller than quarter sized, broccoli was nice and the rice too, but the sauce had absolutely no flavor. No flavor and cold. The rice noodle dish was fine but flavorless and lacked the vegetables she ordered. Usually she would tell the server that she can have garlic and ginger, but she didn't. And the food was not hot at all. The place was busy with just the one waiter. He very nicely brought the won ton soup to go for her when he brought the check. He also wrapped all the leftovers to go. We did not complain because everything deserved a complaint. We had also lost interest. This experience did not get only 1 star, because of the waiter who was the only one in the busy restaurant. He was doing his best, but the kitchen needs to do its best. We tipped him nicely, and deposited the take home won ton in the trash can down the sidewalk away from the restaurant. read more

As always a trusted place for good food. This is on my automatic visit list either weekly or byweekly. Love the food, the people and the ambiance. Easy parking too. read more

Good food but service could be better. The loudness of people talking was somewhat bothersome. read more

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I would come back here FOR SURE. The cumin lamb chops were recommended by our server which did not disappoint. Honestly probably some of the best lamb chops I've had - cooked to perfection. The black pepper filet mignon was also amazing. Not pictured is the peking duck which was AMAZING. Their hits are out of the park! The lo mein was good but nothing great and the crab rangoons were definitely a miss. Takeout from here would probably hit the spot too. The restraunt had a homey feel, perfect for some comfort chinese food. read more

Lotus Garden - Cumin Lamb Chops - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

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TLDR: great Chinese spot in the area Every time I come to Lotus I wonder why I don't dine there more. The noodles are always a good choice. This is definitely one of the more authentic Chinese spots in the area. Solid prices and good portions too. I try to come by when I'm in the area. read more

Great food! Take out a few times a month and always consistent. Modifications are easy too.

Quick service, fun and adventurous food, if you dare... amazing kung po chicken, crab rangoon, scallion pancakes, free refills! Vey good... tofu and broccoli, amazing tofu , spicy... good moo shu pork and pork fried dumplings. Ice cold bathrooms, but that's fine. Many Chinese people eTing in the restaurant, both casual and event! read more

Middle of the road review based on my experience. Restaurant is filled with Asian customers so it's a good sign. Of the dishes we ordered the best was the braised beef ho fun soup. The brisket was tender and flavorful. General Taos chicken was good, not overly breaded as with other places on the average side were their stir fried rice noodles. Shrimp with rice noodles and Singapore rice noodles were just average. read more

Lotus Garden - Soup noodle braised beef - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

My relationship with this restaurant spans over two decades. Lotus Garden is not beautiful - it has outdated decor and the lights in the dining room are dim, not for ambiance - but it is a staple in the Plainsboro community. Sitting here now, as I wait for my family to arrive, other parties come through the front door and the owners welcome them in with familiarity. Everyone comes here. The menu includes your typical American Chinese fare - the General Tso's is excellent every time. They have plenty of lunch specials. But most come here for authentic dishes. My mother nudges me "What's that? What are they eating?" at everyone else's spreads. You can't come here and order just one thing. Today, we ordered our favorites - seafood pan fried noodle, whole fried chicken, General Tso's (excellent again, no surprise). We also ordered a new favorite, crispy spicy pork chops. Crispy onions and peppers top tender and fried pork pieces that are lick-your-fingers salty. There's plenty of parking in the strip mall complex. I think any negative reviews are expecting more from this place, but Lotus Garden has been a constant in my life and I think it's just great the way it is. read more

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I grew up on Lotus Garden take-out and that was nearly 40 years ago. I have not been here in years. After seeing some of the recent negative reviews, I was a bit nervous to go back, since I have just fond memories of the restaurant and their food. I'm happy to report that my experience with the food and service was solid! I was here for lunch with a friend. The lunch prices are definitely at a higher price point as with most restaurants. I ordered the Chicken with Broccoli and my friend got the Shrimp Chow Mein. Both entrees came with soup (Wonton and Hot and Sour). We both enjoyed our meals and didn't have any complaints. read more

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I had mixed vegetables in garlic sauce and paid a couple of dollars extra to have fried tofu included in this dish. This was served with rice and hot tea. Cold water was also provided. A fortune cookie was for dessert. Delicious entrée. Service was timely but wait staff could be a bit more pleasant. Atmosphere was okay. Lots of windows toward the front of the restaurant. read more

Well I'm sorry but I have to disagree with my yelp friend Edward in regards to his review of Lotus Garden. My family and I just had dinner here tonight in celebration of Chinese mid autumn festival. The food was overall pretty good and besides one dish (soy sauce poached chicken), we only ordered from the menu choices. Every item had a Chinese and an English translation except for dessert, which was strictly in English (because well obviously us Americans know how to indulge). The highlight of the meal was probably the spicy black pepper steak. It was slightly too sweet but otherwise the flavor was great - rich stir fried black pepper taste with hints of doubanjang and stir fried onions in a sizzling plate. The beef with broccoli was standard Chinese American fare. Fresh and tasty but also a bit too sweet. Soy sauce and rose wine flavored poached chicken was awesome. Super tender meat and great flavor. Yes it wasn't on the menu but this is very common dish for Chinese food from many different regions (Cantonese, Taiwanese or Shanghainese) - analogous to asking for a side of linguini with red sauce at an Italian joint. Therefore I don't think it's fair to bash the restaurant on this. It came with tasty green sauce (ginger and scallion). The fried chicken appetizer was a let down. Somewhat dry and a little bland. The Taiwanese pork chops were a hit. Tasty and fresh, packed with Taiwanese style bbq flavor - i could taste cumin, soy sauce and a mild sugar sweetness. I believe that the restaurant's owners hail from Taiwan being that the food here has a certain Taiwanese flair, though they offer Cantonese dishes too. We had ample leftovers and ended up paying $30 per person. Not a bad value. read more

Good price, really tasty food with generous portions. This is the best meal in this trip. They give free appetizer of pickled radish and seaweed and dessert soup. read more

One of the best and most authentic Chinese spots in central NJ. I've never had a bad meal here and order from here every year for Thanksgiving. Whether it is a quick weeknight meal or a large gathering weekend dim sum, this place offers quick and no-frills service with incredible dishes. My favorites are the Taiwanese style pork chops, Szechuan diced spicy chicken, and the salt and pepper squid. I also believe this place is BYOB so what is not to love about not getting ripped off for alcohol? read more

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Amazing, delicious, and lovely!!! We had a group dinner here for 16 people and the team could not have made us feel more welcome and appreciated!! The food was absolutely delicious, the service was impeccable and we had the most marvelous time. And get this- we asked if we could bring a cake in and they not only said of course, but they also helped us get it ready and brought us plates, forks, and a knife. We love this restaurant and I highly recommend it for dinner or a special party. We will def be back for more celebrations and delicious food!!! read more

Feeling like some Chinese and but too lazy to drive all the way to Edison or Hamilton we figured it was time to revisit Lotus Garden...It had indeed been awhile as we were frequent diners there back BC....{before Covid}. Walking up I was gratified to see they were doing well as all the window tables were occupied with happy Chinese diners diving into some interesting dishes... Good sigh Right? Checking out the half full front dining room with happy patrons we were finally greeted by a rather hurried gentleman who led us immediately to the half lit, deserted side dining room and dropped 2 English menus and 2 pairs of knives and forks...Bad sign Right? Now here's the thing...Both myself and my wife is 1/4 Chinese {even though I may not look it} and spent most of our lives dining on Chinese food all over the world with chopsticks. So as soon as a restaurant presume we can only dine with silverware I know we're getting the "Lo Fan" {old rice... what Chinese call White folk} menu...More bad signs Right? Sure as shit... the sticky English menues was populated with the same old Beef and Broccoli, Roast Pork lo mein and the insipid General Tso's chicken....with only a small section of so called "Authentic" dishes...Getting worse Right? Time to go.... we left but not before I took another look at what was on the tables of all those happy Chinese diners..... none of which was on our menu. Look... the first wife was from a NYC Chinese restaurant family so I know there is a "Secret" menu just for chinese diners but tossing us into a dark, deserted dining room,not giving us the benifit of the doubt of chopsticks and a real menu while all attention is focused on Chinese diners in the bright ,airy front parlor just chaps my ass and quite frankly insults me...Bad Bad sign! Drove to Scezhuan House in Hamilton and enjoyed another excellent meal with not a Knife and Fork in sight....Good Sigh Right?...Good sigh. In conclusion....to dine well at Lotus Garden you had better look the part and speak Mandarin. read more

Here's a revised version of your review, aimed at being more poignant: --- "After spending $64 on an utterly ordinary meal, the audacity of the establishment came to light when I requested fresh mustard. To my astonishment, I was informed by who I believe was the owner, that this would cost an additional 50 cents each. In a moment of clarity, I declined the mustard and vowed never to patronize this establishment again. It's unconscionable to nickel-and-dime customers in such a manner. They lost a loyal patron, and I lost nothing but the mediocrity of their food." read more

Very tasty lamb chop. Water spinach was very oily. Rice was good. We've come here for years. The waiters are nice and fast. The authentic chinese food is on the back of the menu, but it is a bit more pricey. The restaraunt is big, not many people. It's a good place for the area. read more

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Food excellent owner is very nice they have a whole "genuine Asian cuisine offering" we stuck with American/Asian choices but if your adventurous go for it read more

Went to Lotus Garden today with good expectation, but unfortunately reality was disappointing. Service: The staff was extremely judgmental that one of the people in our group cannot use chopsticks and called him out on it in a very dismissive way. Surprised the waiter actually did that publicly and in the tone that he did so. Food: Ordered the food and it was not great, over salted and unevenly cooked. We ordered a vegetable dish and found plastic wrapping in the dish...Brought this up to the waiter and he was dismissive. Normally, you would expect the restaurant to either remake it or provide a substantial discount. This left a sour taste in our mouth and we rather just asked the price to be taken off. However, the restaurant only took a few dollars off... Overall: The service was inconsistent and lacking based on what I have read in other reviews. The food is not has great as I had hoped. And lastly the outward judgment by the waiter was unacceptable. read more

delicious, great service, came out fast and piping hot, got many dishes, the seafood delight was very fresh! clean environment. Thank you! read more

Lotus Garden gets a bad rep from the Chinese American community in Plainsboro/Princeton. Having gone there a few nights ago, I was pleasantly surprised on how good and delicious the food was. Went with family and had a party of four at 6pm on Sunday night. Restaurant wasn't too busy that night so we were immediately seated. PROS: Highlights were definitely the steamed sea bass! You can immediately tell that fish was steamed with love - very saucy, aromatic, meat was moist, was seasoned to perfection, and had a great balance of sweetness from the fish sauce and saltiness from the soy sauce on top of all the aromatics such as scallions, ginger, and cilantro. Highly recommend anyone to order that dish. The 香干肉丝 (tofu with pork strips) was incredibly delicious as well! great ratio between tofu and pork, and had great flavor to it as well. Other highlights were the garlic spinach which was sauteed to perfection and the dungeness crab special for the night - the crabs were freshly caught as the server brought one of them out for us to see and were of very high quality - lots of meat and yolk coming from these dungeness crabs. Food was very authentic and flavorful! Server and the owner greeted us at the front and were very friendly and professional. Service was quite fast as we got our first dish within 10 minutes of ordering. CONS: 夫妻肺片 (Spicy beef tripe and tendons) was slighly underwhelming and dry. It's usually prepared in a bath of chili oil, but we were surprised on how dry and chewy the meat was. In terms of pricing we were in for a rude awakening. Total bill excl. tip amounted to ~$100 for four. The restaurant was surprisingly expensive for somewhere in suburban New Jersey. I feel like the prices for similar items could even compare for authentic Chinese restaurants in NYC. OVERALL: Very pleasantly surprised with the overall quality and tastiness of the food at Lotus Garden. Would come back again, although there will be a few items I would avoid ordering. read more

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We visited this place by recommendations. Yes, few recommendations, lol. I went few times including lunch and dinner although the uploaded pictures looks like dinner only. The food tastes better than three stars restaurant. The price for dinner is a little bit high, while the lunch menu is more reasonable priced. To me, it is a good spot for quick lunch overall. read more

Lotus Garden - Ins: silvia.journey - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

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I order take out once a week at least. Food is good every single time. Every dish is tasty. Please try fried apple and ice-cream. Not a dessert you will find anywhere else and delicious beyond description. read more

Lotus Garden - Fried apples - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

Please note that pictures below are NOT what you will get. I separated the meat, red peppers and peanuts from the zucchini and celery and the vegetables were over half by volume of the entire meal. Couple of other things here - first their Kung Po Chicken is made with dark meat and not white meat. Texture was not initially what I expected but since the menu only says "chicken", I guess I have to adjust my expectations. This meal was $14.95. Second thing was I asked for it to be Spicy/hot and it was mild with no heat at all unless I ate the whole peppers in there. They could easily do a much better job with this meal but choose to cut corners at each step. I am happy to pay $14-$18 for a meal but use the best ingredients and don't put in a lot of cheap filler ingredients. Use sweet red pepper and maybe sno peas. Give it flavor not filler. Not worth the money. I will not be back. read more

Lotus Garden - All the celery and zucchini that is in an order of Kung Po Chicken that I separated before eating. - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

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I decided to try lotus garden after a friend recommended it and ended up really enjoying it! Been here twice now. Despite the negative reviews, I think if you order the right things you'll have a great meal. Here's what my boyfriend and I ordered: (picture attached) Left: spicy popcorn chicken~good appetizer, but just a little too dry and salty Middle: Eggplant hong Kong style ($16.95)~so good!! I'd honestly say it's worth coming to this restaurant just for this dish. Who doesn't love deep fried balls of shrimp pork and eggplant? I wish more places had this. Also make sure to reheat in toaster oven or oven (if you have any left) Right: shredded pork with bean curd~loved it! It's like a dish my grandma makes. Had to stop myself from eating too much so we would have enough for leftovers Last time we got lettuce wraps and they were great too. Inspired us to start making them at home! Also the tea they have is great!! read more

Lotus Garden - Food - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

It has been awhile but this place has fallen off a cliff. The service while always indifferent has at least been palatable. Now, it's just downright rude. Yeah, yeah, yeah, inflation's a drag but where's the other half of my crispy chicken - my entree is now an appetizer. It's time to downsize my patronage to zero. read more

Came here for the first time in years (prob since my last review). Was a bit surprised by the portion of the lunch. It seemed very small (we got chow fun and garlic chicken). Though they did come with a side of rice and soup I don't recall the portions being so small. Garlic chicken was fine, chow fun was a bit bland. Hot and sour soup was delicious though! read more

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Egg dip soup is strangely slimy. Sesame chicken was undercooked (purple) and had pieces of bone in it. Waitress slammed food on the table and nearly splashed hot tea on my face. I guess that's why lunch was only $11 Easily the worst Chinese restaurant I've ever been to. Spend your money elsewhere read more

Taiwanese style place that's popular with my Chinese friends and several older Chinese people I know. Only the items from the "authentic dishes" section and the specials board by the entrance are worth ordering. I've only been twice but so far I've liked the vegetables more than the meat dishes. 3.5/5. Prices are slightly high but still reasonable, usually ~$25-30 per person. The meal comes with complimentary white rice, fried snacks (when I went for lunch), a pickled radish and seaweed appetizer, and dessert (sago soup with taro). Bitter melon with black bean paste ($14.95) - good; a little oily and sauce heavy and not very bitter. It's not on the menu (bitter melon with chicken is listed) so you have to ask for it, but I would get this again. Water spinach/kong xin cai ($13.95) - really great. Feels fresh and not overcooked at all, though slightly oily. (Side note: the nearby Asian Food Markets also sells water spinach - maybe they get it from the same source?) Pea shoots/dou miao ($16.95) - not listed on the menu and not great. Super oily and salty; I felt super thirsty and uncomfortable for the rest of the day after eating this. Other places in the area do this dish better. Lamb casserole ($17.95) - it's ok but the lamb is not good - gamey and there isn't a lot of it. I liked the bean curd strips (they were really sweet though) and bok choy though. Basil chicken/three cup chicken/san bei ji ($13.95) - pretty good. Really generous with the garlic and ginger. The sauce was really aromatic but a little thick and pretty sweet, and some of the larger pieces of chicken were kind of dry but the smaller pieces were good. I liked this a lot more than the lamb. Braised lion's head (pork meatballs, $15.95) - average; could be softer and the outsides were sort of dry. Steamed whole fish (striped bass was $27.95) - average; meat isn't super tender. I thought the service was fine, though it might be more difficult if you come without a Chinese speaker in your group. The restaurant itself is clean, spacious, and well-lit (and the dishes that the casserole and san bei ji came on were really cute). They take at most two credit cards per table, Visa and MasterCard only. read more

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Have I really never reviewed this place yet? I've been coming to this establishment for over 10+ years, and I will be coming for as long as I can. I've put all my friends on to this place because of the food that this place puts out, and all of them have left with full bellies, and wonderful memories. If there is one Chinese spot you must visit in the Central New Jersey area, it is this one. Here's what you do, only look at the last 3 pages. Noodles and Rice, and Authentic dishes. You won't go wrong with a Taiwanese style pork chop, fried calamari, fish fillet casserole, spicy popcorn chicken, house fried rice with XO sauce or any whole chicken dish. I cannot rate this restaurant highly enough. Any person who is of culinary taste will enjoy the food here. Skip the American-Chinese food everywhere else, Princeton, Hamilton, or wherever else. Come here, sit down, and indulge your tastebuds in some authentic dishes. read more

I've been coming here for at least 15 years. My go to dishes to order are Pork Chops, Taiwanese popcorn chicken, and the Salted fish fried rice. This restaurant serves authentic food rather than your basic Chinese takeout place. read more

Very good service, and extremely good food! They also gave us complimentary tasting vegetables and post-meal dessert soup (甜汤) that I didn't expect! Definitely will come again! read more

The service here is not always great and there hasn't been an update to the dining area for at least the last 25 years but I don't go for the service or aesthetic. I go because they have consistently great tasting food. As a vegetarian I've asked for things not offered on the menu and they've always obliged. So many places have come and gone over the years so I'm thrilled I can always come back here for some nostalgia and really good comfort food. read more

This review has nothing to do with the food. It has everything to do with the treatment I received on my last visit. Their website lists the hours as 11:30 am to 10:00 pm. The other night I arrived at 9:05 pm and was abruptly informed that they closed at 9:00. Their door was open, so I assumed that I could get a to go order. I have been a loyal customer for over thirty years, sometimes going there twice a week. The owner acted as if she had never seen me before. This might sound extreme, but they will not see me again. We have a new Asian fusion restaurant in Plainsboro and I will now become their new customer. Adios, Lotus Garden. read more

45 minutes to our order and our food is not served yet. Only 2 servers that functions as runners as well. What has come into this place?

Best Chinese food we've found in the area. Hot & Sour Soup, Lo Mein, and Egg Roll we're excellent. Chicken with Orange and Sesame Chicken were fresh, served hot, and delicious. Service was excellent and restaurant was clean with a lovely atmosphere. I highly recommend! read more

The food is decent here, but two times we have ordered takeout and they had made my husband's chicken and vegetables without sauce. I cannot fathom how they failed to put sauce in their food. The chicken was stark-white instead of a light brownish; not sure how the chef didn't notice - maybe he was rushing?? You can imagine how bad Chinese food (or any food) would take without sauce. Aside from that, it's just regular smegular Chinese food, nothing special. Lunch specials are super tiny and just about the exact same price as after lunchtime ends. read more

Tucked in the strip so easy to miss but so very good. The best vegetable lo mein I've had in a long time the mushrooms were so fresh. The chicken dishes we got were super crispy. read more

Lotus Garden - Vegetable lomein - Chinese Near Me - Plainsboro, New Jersey

I have been to the Lotus Garden many times and I love it. I like it because the people are nice, it has fast service, and they have the BEST Chinese food ever! read more