I had heard whisperings about a new vegetarian restaurant called Lotus in Chantilly, and I convinced my mom and my aunt to go there with me the day before I left. I had heard that the owner used to work at Sunflower, the famous veggie landmark, so it seemed worth a try. (You can read my write-up of Sunflower here) My aunt is very cautious about trying new foods, so I appreciate both her and my mom for humoring me. Lotus' menu is pretty large, and clearly distinguishes vegan and vegetarian dishes from one another. I was disappointed that there were no vegan desserts, but that didn't prove to be a problem as the three of us stuffed ourselves on our lunch dishes!

We started with an order of summer rolls which turned out to be my favorite. A crisp combination of tofu and veggies wrapped in a soft rice paper wrapper, and dipped in a sweet and sour peanut-y sauce definitely satisfied my cravings.

My aunt went for the house salad, a combination of field greens topped with carrots, apples, sunflower seeds, crispy soy nuts, and a delicious house dressing.

My mom ordered the Manchurian palate, hoping for a spicy dish, which she got! Spicy seitan chicken nuggets, along with crisp red and green peppers in a nice sauce came atop a bed of steamed cauliflower, along with a side of brown rice. I loved the emphasis on healthy ingredients at Lotus, where steamed veggies and brown rice were plentiful.

I ordered the tempeh sandwich, which the menu said came with cheese. When I asked them to not include the cheese, the server very kindly told me that the sandwich also had mayo, and asked whether I would also like to omit that, which I of course did. I love the little luxuries of veg restaurants, where they are mindful of the ingredients and the potential preferences of their customers to such a degree. My double-decker sandwich was awesome even without cheese and mayo- the tempeh bacon had a perfectly smoky flavor and crisp texture, and the tofu and veggies brought it all together. My aunt got to try tempeh for the first time by sampling my sandwich, and she loved it. The order also came with a small side salad.

Overall, Lotus Vegetarian was a good restaurant, but it definitely does not reach the levels of flavor that I experienced at Sunflower. It is awesome to see a restaurant of its kind in the neighborhood, though, and I would definitely go back for more healthy fare. Next time, I'm going to have to try one of their intriguing smoothies.

Lotus Vegetarian is located at 13872 Metrotech Dr, Chantilly, VA, 20151. Their phone number is (703) 378-6888.

Reviewed by Bazu

Bazu's website, Where's the Revolution?, can be found at http://wherestherevolution.blogspot.com.

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