Lotus Pond Vietnamese Cuisine

"I've been wanting to try this place for a while because of the high ratings and good reviews. I was surprised to find the prices are pretty much the same as Ba Bar's (Ba Bar's only around 50 cents more usually). We ordered the fried spring rolls, crispy garlic butter chicken wings, and lemongrass beef vermicelli. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't taste any fish sauce with the fried spring rolls or vermicelli. I even got another round of fish sauce for the vermicelli, but still couldn't taste any fishiness. I could smell some fishy smell wafting through the restaurant, though, before my food arrived. The fried spring rolls at Ba Bar are slightly over $1 more because they come with vermicelli. The menu says the wings would be in savory garlic butter, but the garlic (burnt pieces) was just spread on top and fell off because they had nothing to stick to. I felt the wings were too dry compared to the description, and I had to keep drenching them in the sweet and sour sauce. I could only taste garlic when I ate the garlic pieces that were sprinkled around. The lemongrass beef vermicelli was the most disappointing because I expected the beef to be in lemongrass sauce. I could barely taste the lemongrass and already couldn't taste any fish sauce. I'm used to the meats being cooked in lemongrass sauce wherever I've ordered lemongrass vermicelli before. The beef was also chewy, but that usually happens whenever I order beef. Another thing I noticed was when people ordered pho, the bean sprouts provided were only a handful - way less than I'm used to seeing. Perhaps people could ask for more, though, and this way it prevents people wasting them."

"The vermicelli noodles were wonderful, but the pad thai had nothing special, the stew was very delicious but it was also very common, the food is very good, the dishes are beautiful but I was missing something that might impress me, the place is very good But nothing from the other world"

"Quick service and authentic food in North Seattle. Broth is clean and sides are well matched. Good for large and small groups. Will come back to eat again."

"Really good Vietnamese food and definitely one of the best we've had in the north end. Food is well prepared and delicious. Everything tasted fresh and well seasoned during our visit. My mom enjoyed her duck and bamboo shoot noodles and thought it was one of the best she's had. My Hai Nam chicken and rice was very tasty, I personally would've like to have a bowl of broth with it but again that's my preference. We also liked the mango and shrimp salad and it was refreshing on a warm summer day. The Vietnamese iced coffee was also good but a touch too sweet for me. The staff are nice and friendly. Prices are good and we felt fair especially for the quality of food. The area isn't the best but this place is definitely a gem!"

"I just had the best ribs (garlic ginger spareribs over rice with egg) I have ever eaten in my life, off their specials menu. Their papaya salad was fresh and crunchy, and their grilled sliced boneless pork with vermicelli was seasoned with fresh vegetables and heated perfectly. As I was exiting, I told the owners that I will not be going to any other Vietnamese restaurants in the near future. Amazing. Delicious. Full of flavor. The ribs were perfectly smothered in one of the best sauces I have ever had."