Ariane from the previous post also asked:
have you ever tried the blossoming lotus? heard it is amazing…
The Blossoming Lotus restaurant is indeed excellent, it was selected as the best restaurant on Kauai in 2006 by the Honolulu Advertiser newspaper. They serve “vegan world fusion” which means you’ll discover new foods and flavors that mainstream restaurants never bother to explore. My vegetarian wife loves to go there because she knows she can order anything off the menu without having to ask or worry about meat products. And I know they use fresh, local and often organic ingredients because I’ve seen the staff do their shopping at Kapaa’s Wednesday afternoon farmer’s market.
At almost $20 per entree, it is pricier than most Kapaa restaurants but on par with the resorts and not overpriced like some trendy restaurants in other cities. I wouldn’t call their food “amazing” because superlatives give people overly-high expectations, and then they blame the reviewer when they are unjustifiably disappointed. But their food is delicious, and we have always enjoyed whatever we order. As a matter of fact, we liked their food so much that we had the Blossoming Lotus cater the hot dishes and the cake for our wedding reception. We also bought their cookbook, which not only contains recipes for most of their menu items, but also beautiful pictures of the cultures from which they draw their culinary inspiration.
Last year, the Blossoming Lotus moved into a larger space on the ground floor of the “Dragon Building” at the stoplight in downtown Kapaa, across from the ABC convenience store. In their old location is the Lotus Root, a juice bar serving their vegan pastries, smoothies, and a great selection of teas. I find it to be more expensive than standard coffee house fare, but everything is the same quality as their restaurant.
Browsing on their website, I see they have opened a café in Portland. It looks like they have a less fancy and cheaper menu, a format I wish they’d offer somewhere here on Kauai.
Pledge: I have not received nor intend to receive any compensation from the businesses I mention. I have no connection to the Blossoming Lotus restaurant or its staff, other than being a satisfied customer.