Lotus Garden reviews
Everything on this page is a real review left by a real diner on Tripadvisor. Nothing is edited for flattery, and the criticism is here alongside the praise.
- Service
- 4.0
- Value
- 3.8
- Food
- 3.6
- Atmosphere
- 3.4
- 3.9
Tripadvisor figures and the ratings breakdown were read from the restaurant's Tripadvisor listing; the Google rating was read from Google Maps. Both change as new reviews arrive.
What people order
Tripadvisor counts how often each dish is named across all 289 reviews.
- Spring Roll 22
- Hot & Sour Soup 14
- Wonton Soup 8
- Shrimp 8
- Kung Pao Chicken 5
- Kung Pao Beef 2
Beyond the counted list, the dishes reviewers name by hand most often are the yellow and panang curries, the cashew chicken, the spicy garlic seabass and the drunken noodles.
What they said
Excerpts, in date order, newest first. Each links back to the full review.
It's ok but convenient
“We were excited to have Chinese for dinner. Pot stickers and egg rolls were fabulous. Had chicken cashew, no flavor. The others had other dishes and they said it was delish.”
Great Food
“Amazing food. I live on Kauai but I am from the NYC area. Spring rolls, Egg Foo Yong, Kalua, all excellent. Have also had the curries and other dishes. They never disappoint. Great service too.”
Great Food
“A great little restaurant in Princeville. Service is helpful, welcoming and friendly. Prices are fair and lots of food. Highly recommended stop in this area.”
Good food
“Three generations and all enjoyed the food. Won ton soup, the won tons were well stuffed. Yellow curry, veggies were fresh and flavorful. Serving size was just the right amount. My grand wants to go back today.”
Quick and plenty of food
“Not a huge menu but a nice variety and quick service. Had the cashew chicken and glad I asked for extra spice as it still wasn't as spicy as we normally like. Casual walk up order with outside seating.”
Yummy Thai food, big fans
“We went here 3 times and love it. We ordered Penang Curry, Yellow Curry, Drunken Noodles, and Pad Thai. All of them were delicious. So we keep coming back.”
Best Yellow Curry Ever
“The Yellow Curry was delicious. We also enjoyed the Gyoza, Won Ton Soup and Shrimp Fried Rice. But the star was the Shrimp Curry.”
Very good Thai take-out
“We had really good take out Thai food from this restaurant on three different occasions during our recent trip to Kauai. The curries, we had yellow and panang, were delicious. Prices are very reasonable for the Princeville area.”
Great Thai food, fair prices
“Orders are made at the counter window and you receive a beeper to notify you when your order is ready. Service was friendly and fast, prices were fair. We had the Cashew Chicken and the Spicy Garlic Seabass, both were really good.”
Good Thai
“Yummy food. Recommend the pot stickers and the curries. Quick service and reasonable prices by Kauai standards.”
Not that great
“Small portions, hardly any meat in the garlic chicken dish. Pretty much all vegetables. Also had the pork chow mein and it was not that great.”
Where are the veggies?
“Flavorful but few vegetables in almost a soup broth. That is the red and yellow curry. Still hungry.”
The criticism, plainly
Roughly one review in six is negative. The same four complaints come up again and again, and three of them are avoidable if you know about them before you order.
It arrives milder than you asked
By far the most common complaint, and the easiest to fix. Multiple reviewers report asking for spicy and getting mild. Say your heat level out loud at the window, and be specific.
It is counter service
Paper plates, plastic forks, no table service, shared tables. Several low ratings are really about that rather than the food. If you want a restaurant experience, this is not one.
The Kaua'i shrimp comes head-on
Shell on, heads and tails attached. This surprises people and the board does not warn you. Now you know.
Vegetable ratio varies
A handful of reviewers found the curries thin on vegetables or the stir fries light on meat. Portion consistency is the most repeated food criticism.