Lotus (Isle of Dogs)

• The paints are peeling and the place looks a bit antiquated
• We went there for Chinese New Year lunch with a largish group as a compromise
• As Royal China was completely booked
• Prawn dishes and spring rolls were worth talking about
• It is closer to Crossharbour but I would suggest getting off at South Quay station if you are not familiar with the locality as you can easily spot the place from platform itself
• I had the Cantonese duck for takeaway and I'm sorry to say that it was one of the worst duck's I've had
• It's the cheap 'n' cheerful eats that serve up the best foods the hawkers stalls of Singapore
• So near and yet so totally different is a charming neighbourhood of calm and relaxation
• The char siu pau (BBQ Pork Buns) are utterly fantastic
• The dumplings come in paper thin wrappings with succulent juicy fillings and the stir fried vegetables are just the right side of garlicky
• The hot Chinese tea is filled up constantly and even as our plates empty
• What I like about Lotus is that it provides good tasting dim sum at reasonable prices
• Their custard tarts are made fresh on premises
• Prawn cheung fun is one of my favourites I must learn how to make that sauce
• The usual bill for around 4 people is usually £
• The fact that the restaurant is set on a boat on the water just adds to the charm of the restaurant
• The portions were generous and we both left feeling absolutely stuffed
• The restaraunt is on a gorgeous Chinese style boat with the stunning backdrop of canary wharf to view
• Every thing was reasonably priced
• Coming from the station you can clearly tell by the design that this is a Chinese restaurant and the fact that it is floating on the water makes Lotus (Isle of Dogs) stand our for me
• I also get the image of a lotus flower floating gently on the water which links in nice with the image and name of the restaurant
• I actually went with a group made up of 7 Chinese people and my English self
• There was a little anxiety with this as I would obviously not have the knowledge of the style of cuisine or even how to use chopsticks in the right way
• Hopping over this obstacle I got stuck in to whatever was recommended by my colleagues as they had the knowledge of the food
• I am not a huge fan of Chinese food but overall the selection was very nice and gave my tongue a different taste to what it normally has
• Yes it may sound disgusting and not appealing but I was surprised at the texture and the flavour itself
• The staff are very polite and don't laugh when you request a knife and fork (something I was very grateful of)
• We actually thought was surprising
• The view is incredible that's if you're given a window seat of which my boyfriend and I were politely given when we entered
• The starters was a bit of a mess with the spring rolls
• In truth this is a poor relation offering below par food to lots of people at a time
• The themed mock Chinese decor is more of an attraction than the food
• Keep the Chilli Oil and the Soy Sauce handy as you are going to need them to down the sterile food
• The 'Yi Ban' restaurant in the nearby Royal Docks is a much better bet and offers a more sophisticated waterside fine dining experience
• A loved one celebrated their birthday and it was one of the yummiest affairs to date
• If you read my other blog Mini Adventures you will know that Lotus (Isle of Dogs) is a regular for myself and my family
• Good yum cha place just off canary wharf with each patron given a sheet to choose what they want
• Servings are quite small though but good quality and doesn't taste like there is a lot of MSG
• Even though it is an outstanding looking boat in the middle of all the concrete and glass towers
• I guess in all fairness there are times when I deserve it
• The Lotus Floating Restaurant is one of the popular Chinese restaurant in London
• Nearest station is Crossharbour which is less than 5 minutes walk
• Xiao long bao was good as was the cheung fun
• In an area with few decent local restaurants this is one to visit

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