Lotus Palace

I’ve had Lotus Palace twice now, once for dine-​in and once for their takeout bento. I couldn’t help but feel a little cheated each time because everything looks so fresh and delicious that you would expect it to also taste good.
I think the biggest problem is that it just doesn’t taste like Vietnamese food. I used to carpool with a Viet coworker, and her family often invited me to stay for dinner. The flavors of authentic Vietnamese cooking range from light and well-​balanced to bold and strong, but whatever the dish Vietnamese food is always *flavorful*. Unfortunately, Lotus Palace isn’t.
I’m guessing it’s because they’ve tried to adjust the flavors for the Japanese palate and ended up toning everything down too much. The dine-​in teishoku was boring, while the green papaya salad (which is supposed to be bright and a bit spicy) just tasted like it was doused in sugar water.
So even though their takeout bento may look delicious and like a good deal as you stroll by from the metro, don’t let looks fool you!