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photo credit: Nate Watters
Lotus Pond Vietnamese Cuisine
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Lotus Pond’s menu is longer than a Star Wars prologue sequence. Before you flip through the pages, curious about where to start, know that the Vietnamese lineup has so many hits that you’re in good hands no matter what you order. That makes this North Seattle spot on Aurora Avenue the perfect place for an excellent, casual meal to liven up a random Tuesday.
There’s something to satisfy any craving on the 15-section menu, which makes Lotus Pond akin to a diner full of Vietnamese classics instead of pancakes and grilled cheese. The spam bánh mì is a comforting sandwich while orange-tinted lemongrass grilled chicken over jasmine rice has the power to improve a garbage fire of a day. Want wontons in hot broth, tapioca dumplings, escargot-studded sausage, or cured pork belly shoved in a split bao with pickled vegetables? They’re all going to be delicious. And much like a diner, you could also just pile in a booth to snack on fries with gravy alongside a round of Cokes. Only here, the gravy is phở-spiced, and is so rich and tasty that we would gladly slurp it like soup.
While it sounds like these dishes would be best enjoyed while you curl up on the sofa, takeout from Lotus Pond has been hit or miss for us—all the more reason to stay a while and eat here. The space is pretty bare bones, with a few tables and booths, but the place is generally calm without feeling like a total ghost town. Even though there’s a ton of good stuff on the menu to sift through, the servers are super helpful with narrowing things down, should you be torn between salt and pepper tofu or lemongrass tofu. (Go with the latter.)
If you're feeling indecisive on any given weeknight, you have plenty of restaurants you could turn to. But for one with parking, that’s usually easy to get into, and full of comforting Vietnamese classics, Lotus Pond is waiting for you.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Nate Watters
Khoai Tây Chiên / Phở Fries
photo credit: Nate Watters
Chả Nem Rán / Fried Imperial Rolls
Bánh Bao Kệp Ba Rọi / Pork Belly Bao Buns
Đậu Hủ Rang Muối Tiêu / Crispy Salt & Pepper Tofu
Bánh Bột Lọc / Vietnamese Clear Shrimp & Pork Dumpling
photo credit: Nate Watters
Bò Nướng Sả / Grilled Lemongrass Beef Skewers
photo credit: Nate Watters
Bánh Mì Spam & Trứng Chiên / Spam & Fried Egg Bánh Mì
Cơm Gà Nướng Sả / Lemongrass Chicken Rice Plate
photo credit: Nate Watters
Mì Hoàng Thánh Xá Xíu / Wonton & BBQ Pork Egg Noodle Soup