Authentic Korean. Can be fiery spicy! We are entering the whirlwind closing phase of our trip to Ithaca NY! Where we live, there are many authentic Korean restaurants, and we wanted a little taste of The Lotus to offer our experienced amateur opinions. We shared the pajun "pancake" with seafood. It was a generous and varied mix of tender white fish chunks and al-dente shredded veggies such as scallions, deef-pan-fried in a lightly-crisped light wheat dough. We'd say it was prepared with care, and deliciously savory. We did not go with any of their sometimes-fiery dishes this time. We'll say the prices are not low, but somehow, Ithaca has given us yet another delightfully authentic international treat. read more

The bulgogi was absolutely amazing. We had ordered more food to bring back home. The owner is super sweet and the service is lovely. The ambiance was really nice. Would return! read more

The Lotus - Korean Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Good choice if you're craving Asian in Ithaca. The interior is nice and clean. Service is attentive. The kalbi was very tasty. The banchan was mediocre. I enjoyed the cheesy tteboki and the seafood soup is decent too. read more

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I'm not sure why there are so many high reviews? Maybe we didn't order the right things... Me and my friend came here for dinner on a Saturday evening for dinner around 6:00pm. We didn't have a reservation and everywhere was packed. Thankfully, we were able to snag a table here. We ordered the bulgogi burger, spicy tuna, and ubboki. The burger was... interesting. Definitely creative but poorly executed. There used to be a burger place in Atlanta that served Asian-fusion burgers and they were incredible but unfortunately closed during Covid. I was hoping this dish would be reminiscent of theirs but did not meet my expectations. The actual meat had a thick layer of fat that covered the whole bottom side of the meat. The bread was soggy and the American cheese did not pair well with the sweet bulgogi sauce. I think a swiss or more mild cheese would've paired better. The spicy tuna was not how it was advertised. The photo was rather dark but seemed to depict a dish closer to ahi tuna? The tuna was not raw but tasted like canned tuna and had a garlicky aftertaste. Not horrible, just not expected and a strange combination of flavors that did not work in harmony. They attempted to pair this tuna "dip" if you will with garlic bread. The slightly spicy fishy flavor did not meld well with the garlic bread at all. A truly confusing dish. The noodles were fine. Nothing phenomenal. I would probably just stick to ordering tteoboki instead of the ubboki though. Service was not very good, the waiters were rather rude and not very attentive. Banchan was not good either. Overall, I really wanted to love this restaurant, but will not be returning and would not recommend. read more

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We were strolling around in the Commons to find a place to eat for dinner, and we settled on the Lotus. At first, the ambience seemed okay -- we were welcomed by a nice lady & we sat down, and ordered our food. From the get-go, the service was terrible: our dishes kept piling up and the servers wouldn't clear it, and after we were requested to make a good Google review for a free dessert, the ambiance shifted to be frigid and awkward. The service worsened significantly, as we kept requesting to order a separate dessert aside from the complimentary one, but they ignored our order. Furthermore, the servers became snappy and simply the quality of service was terrible afterward. The food was okay; there is much better food in the area. The owner also ignores many other complaints about service: I hope the restaurant and its service truly improves in the future as it has lots of potential. read more

Absolutely lovely restaurant. In my party we tried the ramen with chicken, the bibimbap, and the yakisoba. All were very good, highly recommend! The small palate cleanser sampler was a nice unexpected touch. The service was thoughtful and attentive. I would have dressed up a bit more to fit in with Saturday night dates but we had been driving all day and weren't prepared. Regardless, the staff was wonderful to us. They have a small but varied beer selection including local beers on tap. I wish I had had room to try the fried chicken it looked amazing! Next time. read more

The Lotus - Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Traditional Korean food with a slight American twist - their ambiance is Westernized and they've got wine and beer selections in addition to Korean alcohols (soju and Makgeolli). I personally loved their Ddok bae gi bulgogi (K7) and Dubu-Kimchi Bokkeum (E2). Both were flavorful and filling. All of our entrees came with a bowl of rice, and of course, banchan appetizers. Prices were quite good for the food quality and portions. Would happily return when in the area, although there were quite a few flying insects indoors, which was a slight annoyance. Also wish I knew about their lunch menu, since I definitely would've tried some of their lunch-specific bowls. read more

The Lotus - E2. Dubu-kimchi Bokkeum - Korean Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I wanted to give it a 3.5, but couldn't. I got the dubu-kimchi bokkeum, this was one of the only places open on 4th of july. The food was good, had kimchi, pork, rice cakes, the sauce was not that spicy. Had a interesting fermented flavor. The service was eh, they gave one of the people in the group the wrong order and didn't come around that often. Summary: Wasn't bad. Good for around here. read more

The Lotus - E2. Dubu-kimchi Bokkeum - Korean Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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The menu offers a great fusion of Korean food, Japanese sushi and tempura, and Chinese rice dishes. Our soba noodles were delicious in a broth with chicken! That chicken was a bit dry. Our vegetable wantons were nicely steamed. The server was so helpful and explained everything we asked about. Atmosphere is warm and welcoming. read more

I went to 'The Lotus', a Korean restaurant in Ithaca, today. The atmosphere was nice, and the service from the waiters was good. I had the Bulgogi and Jae Yuk Bokeum, and they were very delicious. I will have to try other menu items next time. read more

The Korean fried chicken so delicious!!! So crunchy on the outside and so moist inside. The flavor was fantastic too. The ceviche was refreshing and I like the added textures in this dish. The army stew was okay, I've had better. The broth needed more depth. They were so busy the night we dined and you can tell the wait staff was stretched thin, but regardless, they were kind and worked as fast as they could! read more

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The experience was very good, the service was quick and attentive and the food was amazing, besides the photo we also ordered the spicy garlic soy fried chicken and it was delicious. Definitely recommend and would eat here again. read more

The Lotus - Rabokki & Fried Dumplings - Korean Near Me - Ithaca, New York

The first time I went here about a year ago, there was nothing to write home about. HOWEVER, I recently went again and the food was great! The fried chicken and short rib soup combo is pretty tasty and even writing this review has my mouth watering. read more

Solid food, friendly and efficient service, pleasant enough ambiance (and yay for that strong a/c on a hot summer day). They also have outdoor seating for the braver folks, but we sat inside, no regrets. We enjoyed the fried chicken (all wings - they will let you split sauce types, 50-50, which is nice), the bulgogi, the seafood pajun (it's packed with surimi, but the portion size is great and the flavor/texture is pretty good), the tofu/pork bokkeum, the veg stir fry (which was mostly onions - this is one dish that I would skip in the future), and the cold buckwheat noodles. Overall: a nice option for Korean food in Ithaca. read more

I was rooting for this place. We ordered several items and one positive thing was that they were served quickly. Most of the dishes were very bad. A sashimi bowl had fish that was icey (like it hadn't thawed completely) and had terrible flavor and texture. The shrimp tempura were incredibly mushy, and I got the feeling that they had been frozen too and just fried to order. A scallion pancake was so doughy and heavy that we couldn't really eat it. The fried chicken was fine. The waitress was stern and did not make any effort to be welcoming or polite. None of us felt we would go back. read more

Actually, the food is pretty good here. It's semi close to actual food that you receive in a small Korean bar in the motherland. Considering the fact that it's open late and it's not all that expensive. It's a pretty good choice. What was funny was I spoke Korean to the waitress who was K . read more

Full of people, chose the bar. Had a tremendous time with the fried chicken, shrimp tempura and the Udon noodles. Tasty ! read more

The Lotus - Boneless Chicken, Udon Noodles - Korean Near Me - Ithaca, New York

Korean is my favorite food but this place just sucks. The meat is tough, the banchan is flavorless and everything is too expensive and small. read more

First time here and we will definitely be back. Fast friendly service by all staff, clean comfortable ambiance with good music and lighting The photos of the food will speak for themselves, the hubby and I wanted to try a bit of everything. The winner for us was the Jap chat, so much that we ordered another one to go for lunch tomorrow with the leftovers. I really appreciated the free appetizer, yummy and healthy. The fried wontons were meh, if a different sauce was paired with them I think I would have liked more. The chicken salad was really good, it said it was going to have romaine but came out with mixed greens. (Not our favorite) however everything was fresh, crisp and the chicken was delish. Overall, definitely happy this new restaurant is here in Ithaca and we will be regular customers:) read more

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Our family loves eating here. My husband tried and loved every dish in the Soups and Stews category. I personally love their Galbi and Bulgogi. The owner and staff are so friendly. Dining at the Lotus is like eating a home cooked meal at your best friend's house even if the restaurant is quite spacious and can accommodate many people. read more

Great atmosphere and good food. Fried chicken is so crispy and tender. Service has some room for improvement though.

Came here a few times with my mom, and we both really enjoyed. The bulgogi is really good, and so are the noodle dishes. Some of the dishes are a tad expensive but defiantly good! When I went it wasn't very busy, so our food came out quick and the server wasn't overbearing. The ambiance is really nice, dark but not moody, so the restaurant feels high end. Overall I'd defiantly recommend, but it didn't blow my mind. read more

Korean tapas are a great idea food was great and staff friendly. Awesome kimichi quesadilla and soju. Great vibe. One of few places in ithaca open late on a weekday. Next time I visit Ithaca I will be back. read more

Food was delicious!! Waitress happy to explain what was in the dish and if it was spicy or not!

Food was great and they're playing some bangers in here. We tried honey garlic wings, pork belly, tteok-bokki, beef yakisoba, and peach soju . My man and I had a lovely date in here on a snowy day! Would recommend! read more

Food and service are excellent! Did take away from this place recently and I'm so thrilled to live near very highly quality Korean food. The banchan is great, flavor is well prepared, flavorful and juicy. Cheese balls were out of this world! Wish they gave me more rice, but not a big deal at all. read more

We took our son and his girlfriend there for dinner. Not only was the food amazing. The staff was very kind and amazing as well.

Delicious food, great fusion of Korean and Mexican for the nachos. Chicken wings are also great. read more

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Foods were amazing. Spicy foods were just as spicy as I experienced in Korea. Also the taste were awesome. Service were great. They were all kind and caring. read more

Just went to lotus for lunch on visiting Cornell university We were actually going to a famous soup dumplings place in ithica commons (a casual eatery) but it was closed June/July for summer hols I guess so we walked around and came across this place Had beef dumplings for starters recommended Bibimbap And a savory beef soup with rice cakes and dumplings - delicious Biggest surprise, meal for 2 with starter and tax and tip for $47 :-))) Ithica is a nice place and Cornell has some amazing views -if my daughter chooses this place we will definitely go back to this read more

The service was good, we asked for recommendations and got what our server's favorite were and they were all fantastic. Highly recommend the wings we got 2 sauces and I loved the honey garlic sauce, seriously dreamy. Best tempura in town and delicious fried vegetable dumplings. The table shared everything and the food came out one after another, perfect timing made it so enjoyable. The building itself has a lot of potential, cool lights and the plates and cups were cool but the place could use more art work or accents colors. read more

So the food was actually pretty good but the service was not good at all. Took between 25-30 minutes just to take our order. The restaurant was not busy at all. When we got our food they brought the completely wrong thing. They also never refilled our waters and the waiter was no where to be seen the entire time. Never checked on us. The service was horrible but the food was good. read more

Awful service, especially by the shorter woman. The food was quite good but the service was simply just not up to par, with multiple mistakes in the order and a generally bad and unprofessional attitude. read more

The wings are the star dish. Other dishes lacked some flavor in my opinion. Good ambiance, service was great and very accommodating.

As a Korean, I would have to say this wasn't the best but this is based on the 3 entrees my family ordered. Service was fine and pleasant but the table was still wet as we sat down and had that smell of being wiped with a musty towel rather than something sanitary. We ordered the nacho appetizer that comes with some bulgolgi beef but it was like a plate of melted cheese with a few specks of meat and barely any chips in it. My wife ordered an udon soup. Broth was watery, lacked flavor and depth and veggies were regular broccoli instead of a more Asian vegetable like bok choy or Chinese broccoli. My son ordered the pork belly, almost the most expensive dish on the menu, so was expecting something delicious. What he got was a few slices of pork belly barely seared and on top of a ton of raw sliced onions. came with a side of spring onion salad and white rice. The pork belly had no seasoning, which would be ok if served with dipping sauces. if you order pork belly at a Korean bbq place, you typically have 3-4 sauces. spicy Gochujang sauce, soy sauce, vinegar w salt and/or sesame oil with salt. Since pork belly has no seasoning unlike bacon, it makes it a blank canvas/vehicle for a restaurant to really show off its ability to elevate it. Didn't happen here. I finally had to ask for some sesame oil and some salt. Lastly, I ordered the Bibimbap with beef. This was probably the closest and better dish of our choices. The only negative I would say is the beef used. It was the same type of thin sliced beef used for the nachos. Not much flavor and not much meat. Many places serve it using seasoned ground beef w a touch of sesame oil. Not that you can't use this type of meat, but it should be seasoned authenticity for this type of dish. If you don't eat Korean food but in a blue moon then you won't have a comparison point of view and most of this would be fine. Except the amount of cheese to chip ratio, bland pork belly and bland broth. read more

The salmon steak is delicious. My husband had a spicy dish which was also good & spicy. Worth the money we will return‼

The food was absolutely amazing, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the service was impeccable. Absolutely amazing experience! Highly recommend! read more