I used to use this take-away because I lived so near that they could walk the meal round to me. Why didn't I just go and pick it up myself? Who knows? These days I'm a fan of Ruby Garden in Hall Green, but I've searched for the menu in my kitchen cupboard and done extensive searching on the internet for half an hour but they are shy in putting their phone number up there for some reason, and I don't fancy the impersonal nature of ordering take-away food on-line...
I can remember the phone number for New Lotus as it contains my lucky number, (43), and the year of The Indian Mutiny (1857).
I order Char Sui (Roast pork) curry and Jeni has chicken satay, and we have the obligatory fried rice and prawn crackers too. When the food arrives I'm missing Ruby Garden already. The price is the same but the portions are half the size at New Lotus. And the prawn crackers...
My uncle always used to ask at Chinese restaurants 'Are the prawn crackers fresh?', which used to irritate my dad. 'Of course they're fresh!' my dad would mutter to me under his breath, 'Who wouldn't serve fresh prawn crackers?' Well, it seems New Lotus have taken that tack on this occasion. They are not only cold but also stale. 'The ones in a bag from a supermarket are better than these!' Jeni cries. I'm hungry though and while I chuckle I'm using them as little more than cutlery to scoop up the curry and rice with, rather than for their (non-existent) taste. Though it is enough to put a dent in my faith in my once-favourite Chinese take-away. read more