Lotus Restaurant, Phuket, Thailand
What's a trip to Phuket without at least 1 visit to our favourite seafood restaurant, Lotus? Lotus has come a long way since we first were introduced to this fabulous open-air beach restaurant back in 2007. Yes, we can totally lay claim that we were here before everyone else. Before the busloads of tourists and before the fame. It's now a lot more commercialized and popular, which brings with it the good with the bad.
The good is that the restaurant's now pretty chic, with soft candlelight illuminating the softwood furniture, and a glass-enclosured private dining area (for those who are averse to the humidity and heat but still want to enjoy the seaview), but the downside's that the food's consequently toned down in terms of spiciness. The kickass potency of the food is no longer. However, you can ask for the food to be extra spicy (like we did). They'll happily oblige.
Ultimately, you can't go wrong if you stick to the seafood dishes here, it's remained consistently fresh and delicious through the fame. A little pricey compared to seafood restaurants in Phuket town, but still ridiculously cheap by Singapore's standards. I suppose you're paying extra for the slightly nicer digs and fine dining-esqe plating of dishes, Lotus is definitely more upmarket than the usual raggety seafood restaurants!
The Spicy Mixed Fruit Salad with Deep Fried Shrimp (THB160) was unbelievably spicy. The heat totally stunned me! The shrimp was delicious, moist and plump, with the barest of seasoning using roasted sesame seeds because the fruit salad was so potent! Still, if you can get past the spiciness, the fruits were delicious. Sweet, ripe and juicy. Also, I have to say that the presentation of the food here is really quite classy and pretty.
The Shrimp Cake (THB195) served with tartar sauce and plum sauce, looked more at home on a menu of a fine-dining restaurant. This was exquisitely plated, and the taste was correspondingly yummy. Juicy and flavourful, this was very good. We went back for seconds of this. Caveat: still can't beat Trisara's version though.
We love love LOVE Lotus' seafood. They're super duper fresh and always cooked to perfection. As a matter of preference, we love Lotus' cooking style. The Deep fried Grouper (THB576) with lots of aromatic fried garlic is my personal favourite. I absolutely have to have this whenever I'm in Lotus.
The Steamed Fish with Lime (THB598) was also very well done, very fresh and moist, with very delicate stock and seasoning. If you ask nicely, you can get the addictive stock base refilled.
The Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup (THB170) with shitake mushrooms, young bamboo shoots and vinegar, is a Chinese-styled thick soup that I also love here. Generously packed with ingredients, this 1-person portion is delicate, mild and utterly delicious. A cautionary word though: there may be bits of shell in the crabmeat but at least it's fresh and sweet.
The BBQ Lobster (THB2240) with garlic and butter served with lime and chilli sauce, is the Hubs' personal favourite. Because I'm not as huge a fan of the crustacean as he is, he got this all to himself. Sweet, succulent, bouncy meat, rubbed with garlic juice and brushed with butter, this was so simple and so amazingly good.
The Fried Pork with garlic and black pepper (THB180) is probably unique to Thai cuisine as well and rarely found outside Thailand, I can't seem to find this anywhere in the Thai restaurants in Singapore. I love this as well. Pork slices are fried, not to a dry crisp, managing to remain slightly chewy, then tossed with lots of fried garlic pieces. I've just realized that I totally love anything with fried garlic. It just makes everything more delish!
If you pop by the restaurant before sunset, you get to watch the sun going down. It's brilliant.
The outdoor patio is only great after the sun has gone down, otherwise, be prepared to sweat through your meal.
Live seafood swimming in tanks are caught only after order so you can be sure that the food's gonna be super fresh.
Lotus Restaurant
31/13 Moo. 4 Srisuntorn Rd., Cherngtalay,
Thalang, Phuket, Thailand 83110
Tel: +66 (0) 76362625-6 (Reservation)
E-mail: info@lotusphuket.com
Open daily from 11:00am to 11:30pm
Website: www.lotusphuket.com
The good is that the restaurant's now pretty chic, with soft candlelight illuminating the softwood furniture, and a glass-enclosured private dining area (for those who are averse to the humidity and heat but still want to enjoy the seaview), but the downside's that the food's consequently toned down in terms of spiciness. The kickass potency of the food is no longer. However, you can ask for the food to be extra spicy (like we did). They'll happily oblige.
Ultimately, you can't go wrong if you stick to the seafood dishes here, it's remained consistently fresh and delicious through the fame. A little pricey compared to seafood restaurants in Phuket town, but still ridiculously cheap by Singapore's standards. I suppose you're paying extra for the slightly nicer digs and fine dining-esqe plating of dishes, Lotus is definitely more upmarket than the usual raggety seafood restaurants!
The Spicy Mixed Fruit Salad with Deep Fried Shrimp (THB160) was unbelievably spicy. The heat totally stunned me! The shrimp was delicious, moist and plump, with the barest of seasoning using roasted sesame seeds because the fruit salad was so potent! Still, if you can get past the spiciness, the fruits were delicious. Sweet, ripe and juicy. Also, I have to say that the presentation of the food here is really quite classy and pretty.
The Shrimp Cake (THB195) served with tartar sauce and plum sauce, looked more at home on a menu of a fine-dining restaurant. This was exquisitely plated, and the taste was correspondingly yummy. Juicy and flavourful, this was very good. We went back for seconds of this. Caveat: still can't beat Trisara's version though.
We love love LOVE Lotus' seafood. They're super duper fresh and always cooked to perfection. As a matter of preference, we love Lotus' cooking style. The Deep fried Grouper (THB576) with lots of aromatic fried garlic is my personal favourite. I absolutely have to have this whenever I'm in Lotus.
The Steamed Fish with Lime (THB598) was also very well done, very fresh and moist, with very delicate stock and seasoning. If you ask nicely, you can get the addictive stock base refilled.
The Fish Maw and Crabmeat Soup (THB170) with shitake mushrooms, young bamboo shoots and vinegar, is a Chinese-styled thick soup that I also love here. Generously packed with ingredients, this 1-person portion is delicate, mild and utterly delicious. A cautionary word though: there may be bits of shell in the crabmeat but at least it's fresh and sweet.
The BBQ Lobster (THB2240) with garlic and butter served with lime and chilli sauce, is the Hubs' personal favourite. Because I'm not as huge a fan of the crustacean as he is, he got this all to himself. Sweet, succulent, bouncy meat, rubbed with garlic juice and brushed with butter, this was so simple and so amazingly good.
The Fried Pork with garlic and black pepper (THB180) is probably unique to Thai cuisine as well and rarely found outside Thailand, I can't seem to find this anywhere in the Thai restaurants in Singapore. I love this as well. Pork slices are fried, not to a dry crisp, managing to remain slightly chewy, then tossed with lots of fried garlic pieces. I've just realized that I totally love anything with fried garlic. It just makes everything more delish!
If you pop by the restaurant before sunset, you get to watch the sun going down. It's brilliant.
The outdoor patio is only great after the sun has gone down, otherwise, be prepared to sweat through your meal.
Live seafood swimming in tanks are caught only after order so you can be sure that the food's gonna be super fresh.
Lotus Restaurant
31/13 Moo. 4 Srisuntorn Rd., Cherngtalay,
Thalang, Phuket, Thailand 83110
Tel: +66 (0) 76362625-6 (Reservation)
E-mail: info@lotusphuket.com
Open daily from 11:00am to 11:30pm
Website: www.lotusphuket.com
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