Reviews of Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant (Catering)

J ATD

Our kids love this place, ages 6-13, and my wife and I love it too. The faux chicken balls are super. Have been about 4-5 times and always very happy with our meal and cheerful service. Great for vegans like us too.

Geraldine H.

Got the lemon pineapple combo. spring roll was very crispy and tasty. Won ton soup also nice. Main dish was the weak point. Steamed veggies did not look or taste very fresh. Sauce was insufficient for rice and a bit bland.

Adam Benyamini-Lamb

Delicious food. I have been in Victoria for 3 months and have eaten there 3 times. Any carnivore will be content with the deliciousness! Staff was very friendly.

John Hancock

Excellent food and service!

Audrey Pomeroy

Best restaurant in Victoria, nowhere even comes close.

Tiger Daisy

Two words: Ginger B

Spencer Goldade

Absolutely love this place for its lunch buffet. It is by weight but I always feel like I'm getting a great deal with the available options. The mock lemon chicken is also amazing, we were turned off by the description but 100% changed our minds after trying it. Very good experience with the staff thus far, we were helped during the busiest hours of the day to make a complex order in an extremely efficient manner. **note: I've never seen the lemon chicken as a buffet option.

Margaret Cheng

Nothing like it in downtown Victoria. Consistent, delicious, and healthy food, served by kind staff. Been around for ages and still going strong.

Cody Nyman

Made me love turnip cakes. My wife and I have lots of great memories here! Can't recommend it highly enough - be sure to try the ginger beef.

Chrissy Cerminara

Always impressed with the quality. Always tastes good. The quantity changes a lot, but it's usually pretty fair.

Terry the Vegan Cyborg

I come here almost every week. Love the food here. So delicious, healthy, and affordable. Noodle soups are great!! The Lunch buffet is amazing. Thank you so much!

Michael Madrone

Best Restaurant Ever!

André Vallière

The staff are friendly and accommodating and the food is a great and filling alternative to meat dishes! They have a lunch buffet as well as a delicious menu to choose from.

Line Marie St Jacques

This is a vegetarian restaurant, it's okay, but I found the cuisine to be a little bit uninspired. I remember years ago in San Francisco there was a vegetarian restaurant called Lotus Gardens that had various vegetarian fake meat dishes and they had a wide selection. This place has numerous fake meat dishes, but they all use the same meat. There's kind of no variation. It'd be nice if they would look at some of the other vegetarian Chinese restaurants are doing and emulate them.

Judy Booth

Amazing vegan options! Will definitely be back!

Justin Curran (Vicengineer)

Amazing food! But their hours are always changing and are often closed when I go.

James Bruce

Not so good noodles

Laura Carolina

Dinner

Rye _

Love going to a restaurant where I don't have to ask what everything is made from -eg. Is there meat in this?

Chris Spurlock

Meal type

Goldie Carlow

Favourite place in Victoria. Amazing vegan food with really kind service, and great prices. Highly recommend!!

Dag Holmberg

Did take out, food arrived hot and delicious! Will be calling again.

Yvonne Perrett

Nice family run vegetarian restaurant with inexpensive selections.

Shawn DeWolfe

Amazing vegan/veggie Chinese food!

Chase Teron

Lotus pond forever remains my favourite vegetarian restaurant in the city. It’s lack of ambiance is overlooked once you try any of their dishes. I’ve been coming here since 2006 and nothing has changed. The service is always reminiscent of a family business and food is consistently delicious, fresh and hot. I recommend trying to Tofu Hot Pot, Mock chicken or pork balls, and their turnip cakes (I crave these often). Often closes on holidays and some long weekends so call ahead if you plan to visit at one of these times to avoid disappointment.

David Drohan

New favorite restaurant! Best dinner I've had in a long time and super friendly service :)

Petra Thomas

Great vegan buddist chinese food in the heart of downtown. Pay by weight lunch buffet along with regular menu service. The noodle soups are a great value.

Noah Gould

Dine in

Anika A

Very tasty food. Either eat in or delivery. We like to order the dinner combo for two. Enough food for three.

Nicholas Angeja

The food is consistently good.

Betty B

We had the buffet, which was tasty but cold. The people at the next table had freshly made dishes, and they looked amazing,so skip the buffet, but the food is very tasty.

Kathy MacRae

Delicious food.

compuPUnk

Super tasty food! And everything is vegetarian

Kate Harmony

Amazing vegetarian restaurant! Everything's preservative free and great options in terms of the buffet. Even if you don't think you like tofu, you need to try this place ????

Sara Elsdon

Best Vegetarian.

Jazlynne Crossley

The restaurant is quaint but the food is amazing. It's hard to believe some of the items aren't meat. This restaurant serves the best vegan food I've ever had. The flavors are on point and the texture is delightful.

Nathan Jonson

Always good

Pam Hartling

The family running the restaurant is very sweet and food is delicious.

Kalyanashis Chakraborty

Best vegan food hands down!!!

SedwardG

Amazing

Christopher

Vegetarian l love the food whenever l go to island l visit this place

Evan Kurtz

So good. Their lunch is either menu ordering or a buffet that is charged by weight. So good!

Rizwan Asif

Fabulous food. Fresh and well prepared.

Chris Regehr

Best restaurant in Victoria, no contest.

Katii Capern

❤️❤️❤️ the. best. ❤️❤️❤️

Joel Dei

Loved it????????????

Brendan Kish

Nice vegan food. The turnip cake is quite delicious.

Life of Human

Enjoyed our evening in this small place, good quality meal with eclectic crowd.

Nicole M

OMG the chik'n balls!!! We live in Vancouver and periodically make trips to Victoria with Lotus Pond as the main attraction. I'm not sure why the vegan/veggie Chinese places over here haven't copied the balls, they are so delicious.

Dan Levesque

small space but big vegan taste. a great option for vegan, onion/garlic-averse eaters.

Mike Weicker

Fun delicious and welcoming .. food BEST too

Kieran O'Brien

Let's be honest, it does not look like anything special, but it is SO GOOD! My experience with Veggie fare up to this point was Padmanadi in Edmonton. Padmanadi has amazing decor, spectacular service (the owner personally greated everyone with a smile bigger than Buddha's), and food that you will not believe is not meat. In contrast, Lotus Pond's ascetic looks a little like that of a Zeller's restaurant, the service is friendly but shy, and you can tell that the tofu is tofu. However, all that said, that tofu is delicious. Amazing, even. And as I usually hate tofu, so that says a lot. The food was so good in fact that the lacking atmosphere, and the slightly too quiet staff were completely forgotten for the rest of the meal. I gorged myself so much that I had a hard time standing afterwards. Additionally, they have an enormous menu. I plan on going back many, many times to try everything on it! I strongly recommend this awesome eatery.

Noonsa le Triton

pay by food weight

Anne Sylwester

Take out

Nidhi Bardolia

Love Lotus, I go well out of way to grab food from here

Ben Kerr

Very tasty vegetarian fare.

Tessa Owens

Most amazing VEGAN food ever, I recommend this place to anyone and everyone. Their pineapple soya balls are to die for???? the service is always 150% fast and they are the friendliest people I have ever encountered in the food industry. Great dine in or take out.

Paulo De Almeida (Paulitos Life)

Very nice variety of items on the buffet with a variety of flavors. Everything was fresh during our lunch visit. Per pound pricing.

l L

This is my absolutely favourite restaurant in Victoria. Totally vegan, affordable, and great service. Once I came for my birthday with my boyfriend and they put a little red table cloth on the table, it was so sweet. I LOVE the "chicken balls" with pineapple.

E B

The house chow mein was good. The sweet and sour pork was more fluffy dough then anything. The wonton soup wasn't the best I've had. I'm sure the tofu and veggie dishes are much better.

richard mckenster

Perfect food..for vegetarians at amazing prices

Jenny Wanderlust Landis

Mmmmm so good.

Jessi Peters

Love it. Favorite dishes: turnip cake(!), scallion pancake, moo shu veggies, house special chow mein...

Nicolle Romero

Food and service is super good! Love eating here!

Jeffery Bucove

Love the half price buffet at 2pm every day

Thomas Johns

Not terrible, but not very good either. You pay per 100g, and the bill ends up being much more than what your meal is worth.

Nancy T

We usually go here with a group of people and we're never disappointed. The food is yummy, lots of choice, and the service and prices are good. We love the simplicity of the place - part of its charm.

A Buchanan

This is the best vegan place around. Great food, great serving size, great prices. The people working there are also very friendly. I could not recommend this place more.

Robert Mitchell

Delicious food, good sized portions, very healthy!! Highly recommended.

Kiran Martin

So delicious and great service!

Jennifer Helfer

Dirty

Gale S.

Service

Katie Domingo

Pretty good price for all the food we got! Although was not a big fan of the sweet and sour sauce, tasted a little too gingery and watered down for me. Loved all the mock meat options offered though, would buy from again!

Noah S

Really great vegetarian food. Tastes just like traditional meat food dishes.

Hazel V

The food is so good! Love the buffet

Shin

If you’re a vegan or vegetarian this is definitely one of the best places to eat in Victoria. The lunch buffet was great and the weight-based price was reasonable. Great turnip cakes and spring rolls! I also liked that unlike other restaurants that serve this type of food, the dishes were not too sugary and there was a nice level of spiciness.

MP Donahue

Great Vegan restaurant, they really do a great job. Also I'm not vegan

Adam D

We ordered the lemon chicken and the sweet and sour soy balls and we were not disappointed! It tasted amazing and we loved every bite.

Melanie McDonald

The food is exceptional, service is excellent and it is hands down my favourite restaurant in the world! Everything is just so delicious and fresh. Every meat eater I've brought here has loved it and happily gone back again. I highly recommend the wonton soup and shiitake mushroom delight!

Julie Barnes

Living in Victoria has been a pleasure partially because of the Lotus Pond. I've been there dozens of times, and I have yet to eat the majority of the items on their menu. It's not uncommon for me to find a new favourite dish that blows me away. My newest favourite dish is the breaded oyster mushrooms (a seasonal dish). Simply put, if you visit Victoria, this restaurant is a must.

Heather - Tulle & Tweed Photography

Best restaurant ever!! great food i would make the drive from portalberni every time just for this!!!????????

Chris Boonar

Their Vegan Chinese buffet is every day at lunch time. Delicious ! You can also order a la carte. We have been eating at Lotus Pond for years and never been disappointed. Wonderful family owner.

isq

very very awesome food!

Totally Tammy

The food is amazing, the service is friendly and professional, the only thing I don't care for is the fake meats they use. Otherwise I just can't get enough of The Lotus Pond's fried rice, and veggie dishes, SO SO good.

Becca Jones

Always awesome and always vegan. Love this place.

D'Arcy Briggs

Great place for a quick lunch at the pay-by-weight buffet. You can even bring your own container (have them tare it) and fill it up with delicious buffet items to take away!

NaturalBornSkeptic

Great spot for veggie lunch. Highly recommend.

Karen Marie VanTassell

Amazing vegan Chinese food! Will be back for sure

E P

This place has the best veggie soup in town. I’m not much into their deep fried stuff, but their wonton soup is to die for. I eat it as least two times a week for lunch. You have to order by 230pm. Small inconvenience, but great none the less.

Diana Winger

Delicious healthy vegetarian Chinese food

Avi Lambert

Really good food, you would never know the meat is not real. Wonton soup was amazing

Christopher Bowers

Great vegetarian food!!

Sheila Xie

Great diversity of vegetarian options that all taste amazing. The staff are attentive and friendly.

Chelsea Vancouver

The food and service was good and suddenly I saw a rat beside my chair. The owner did not come for apology at all. 19 February 2016

X SoDo

Dinner

Lyndsey Holder

Best Chinese food I’ve ever had!

Allison Patterson

Best vegan food! Plus it's affordable and the staff are so nice!

Niilo Van Steinburg

Loved this place. Reminded me a lot of Buddha's Veggie in Calgary. Similar use of soy or gluten as meat replacements. I think where this place shines through is in their dishes that don't even try to mimic meat. The turnip cakes and their soups, for example, are so unique and full of flavour.

土萠ほたる

Some good, some not. Would actually rate a 2.5. Veggies were good, liked the turnip cakes (very inventive) although a bit greasy, won ton soup was tasty, spring rolls just OK. The items made with tofu and meat substitutes were not good. Weird consistency and little flavor. As a vegetarian cookbook author, I am very familiar with how to cook meat substitutes. They can be very tasty. The offerings here fell short, especially the "chicken" balls, these actually ended up in the trash; inedible, with a tough, gooey texture. Portions were generous but pricey for what we actually enjoyed. Wouldn't go a second time unfortunately.???? Great concept for a restaurant that failed to deliver.

Cuong Le

Amazing food, great service and a very zen dining experience.

Rodrigo Feracini

Take out

Devin Smith

Holy smokes! A vegan Chinese restaurant?! You better believe it. I'm from Vancouver and this is honestly the best Chinese takeout I've ever had. The prices are reasonable, and it can get busy at times. If you pop in to order takeout at peak times you may need to wait 40 minutes. But honestly it was worth the wait. We had the spicy diced mock chicken and vegetables chow mein, Singapore noodles, and black bean sauce tofu and mixed vegetables. We're so impressed we wish we could try more of their menu before going home.

Harriet Reesor

One of the best vegetarian Chinese restaurants in BC. The ginger soy beef and spicy chow mein were delicious. We order from here every time we visit Victoria. So many options for vegetarians/vegans and really quick service

Kai Merriam

Yummy

Ted Klingbeil

This is the best vegan restaurant in Victoria. Having vegan Chinese food is such a unique experience and the owners and staff are so polite and kind. Highly recommended for even non-vegans

Michele Asada

Best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten!! 100% vegan ????❤️

Angela Underwood

Two words. GO NOW

Christopher Reiche Boucher

It's very good, I'm telling you as a person growing up eating chinese food( and steak lol) the staff's very nice

Kelly Nixon

Yummy food!

Chase

Good food, well priced and friendly

Winnie Hoe

My absolute favorite restaurant in Victoria, the lunch buffet is an amazing deal and gives you the opportunity to try lots of their fantastic dishes. Try the turnip cake if you have the chance!

Nicholas Glover

Oh it was so good. I am not a vegetarian but I was completely satisfied when I left. There was a beautiful young lady there working very hard and I appreciate that very much. I always say good work makes a good restaurant. So keep up the good work and I will see you again. Jan

Wild Vegan Child

This is a must eat at place. If you're Vegetarian, Vegan, or neither, this is the best Chinese food in town. Friendly staff, delicious food. What more do you need?

Ken Turpin

As a non-vegetarian, I might never have found out about The Lotus Pond. Boy am I happy I did. the food is great. The service is prompt and friendly, and the prices are very reasonable. I could not ask for more.

Ian Lloyd

Huge RIP OFF ! A Plate of boring vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower served in May that were not well prepared or selected - cooked in a sauce with additives which made me feel ill afterward. I even requested no MSG. Very salty spring roll served with chemically colored dipping sauce. Still hungry $11.00 later. I will never eat here again.

Marie-Ève Denis Bordeleau

If you're into Western-style "Chinese food," this may be the healthiest option you can find anywhere.

Aidan Kennedy

It was a little too vegetarian (aka vegan, gluten free, etc) but otherwise we had a decent meal.

Rebecca MacNaughton

The one and only Lotus Pond. Awesome vegan and Buddhist food for great prices. A nice variety, though spice isn't a big part of their offerings.

Barry Hyslop

Consistently fabulous food. Full of flavour. Great service. Highly recommend!

Renate Herberger

One of my favourite places to eat in victoria. Outstanding service, always friendly and polite. The food here is like anything else in victoria! Even though I eat meat I still enjoy all their mock meat dishes.

Slothzy Gaming

Great vegan food!!

Smittyeh

An incredibly delicious vegetarian or rather vegan restaurant where no meat or dairy is served but you can get Ginger Beef which is of course not beef at all but more delicious than the real thing! :-) wonderful staff!

Derek Roberts

Great food. Small place. Weird hours.

Christina Chen

I rode my bicycle to Lotus Pond from Vic West. I spoke to Laithe on the phone as I made my order. As I have remarked in my earlier review of Affinity Vegetarian Garden, it is uncommon to find a completely vegan Chinese restaurant. Lotus Pond does a plant-based spin on the Americanized Chinese classic. I was not in love with the packaging, but I appreciate their desire to keep everyone safe by restricting their dine in services. I enjoyed the meal, encouraging anyone who is considering Chinese takeout, to opt for Lotus Pond.

Anthony Kuo

Love the vegan food there always a treat

Jon Ben

absolutely delicious food and such good value - one of my favourite places in victoria

Todd Sta

Service

Liam McLachlan

Good food, good service, good place for vegetarian!!

raph tremblay

Another knockout delicious Lotus Pond. Tried some new dishes this time and they are fantastic too!

Markley LeLeigh

Super delicious food and friendly staffs

Nitin Sharma

Sweet and sour mock but they actually forgot to put the sweet and sour sauce in it... Pretty blend to say the least.

Alex Chen

Their signature Turnip Cakes are excellent. Long menu of choices. No onion or garlic used. I took away one order of turnip cakes (3 cakes, a very good deal for $5.50), Pan-fried Mixed Vegetables in Crushed Ginger Sauce $12.95, and Mushroom Fried Rice $14.95. All really good, mild flavour, generous portions. Pleasant, friendly people.

Matthew Weymar

Turnip Cakes, Sweet and Sour Soya Balls and Spring Rolls! It's my guilty, saucy pleasure for a quick, cheap lunch during the week. The staff are always so friendly and fast - it's the perfect thing to force me to get out of the office and eat some vegetables.

Nicole Canuel

Good, pretty cheap but food was cold in the buffet. Must be better if you arrive at oppening because the heaters did not keep the food warm enough (danger of food poisoning)

Meagan McKnight

So delicious, filling and nourishing!!!! The service was SUPER KIND AND FRIENDLY and the place is very clean and inviting! I’m a vegetarian who doesn’t really like most meat alternatives, so I was a little skeptical! But I found everything we ordered super tasty and satisfying. It’s also very freeing as a vegetarian to be able to order ANYTHING off the menu ????????????! I ordered the turnip cake because many reviews had recommended it, but it wasn’t my favourite! We went for lunch combos rather than the buffet and I’m happy we did! It comes with soup, rice, and spring rolls. The wonton soup, pork balls, and chicken balls were THE BEST! Not your average greasy American-Chinese food! Would totally eat here again!!!

Andy S

Best Vegan Chinese Food

George Sranko

We try and come here every time we visit Victoria. Lovely little restaurant with lots of variety and quick, pleasant service.

Bonnie Park

Lotus Pond shows us that we can still have a wide selection of delicious foods to eat even if we choose to eat compassionately & also adhere to strict religious or spiritual practices. They are the only vegan (& authentic) Chinese restaurant in town. They have a great selection of items on their menu should you choose order ala carte. For people who can't decide what to order or who want to try everything, they also have various set meals catered for groups of various sizes, so that you will get a lovely variety of dishes to share with your friends. I like that they have some Chinese pastry items on the buffet spread if you are able to get to them before they are sold out. Otherwise, a consolation for the latecomers who went for the buffet late would be just paying half-price for what you're getting. Pros: 100% vegan, asian food, knowledgeable & pleasant service staff Cons: very short opening hours, lack of consistent online presence for updates, buffet items may not be hot

tae turner

Great hot and sour soup! We love this place.

Aliya Schwabe

Best vegetarian food in Victoria. You would never guess these dished are meat free. The crispy "salmon skin" is amazing.

Swami Kalassu

Has lots of options.

Patrick Levesque

Best Vegetarian on the Island.

Dave Neal

Good food and nice portions! Love all the veggie options!

Velvet Elephant

My favorite fast, fresh and delicious lunch spot. The buffet has a great variety of food. I love the soya balls! The staff are friendly and quick to greet and serve you and the place is clean.

Catherine Wilkins

One of the best vegetarian restaurants in Victoria. High quality tasty options fill the menu.

Xan He

It doesn’t feel like a vegetarian restaurant because they have have dishes that have meat like texture and are delicious. Honestly this isn’t like anything else I have tried. It’s more authentic Chinese and service is generally good. Works for both eastern or western eaters.

Sheila Flood

Ordered take out once and I was very impressed, the “chicken” balls where absolutely perfect and the veggies were flavourful and fresh! On thé salty side but that was to be expected. Service was good.

Ellie Kennard

Food is very good. Lots of vegetables. Not greasy or too salty

Kendall Elliott

One of my favourite restaurants!! Every dish is so tasty. Even after eating wayyy too much, I always digest the food very well.

Avery Kushner

Excellent food, always fresh and satisfying. Great service. My go-to place for Chinese food.

Ahmad Eftekhar

Awesome menu, fantastic cooking and the best prices I can think of. This place is awesome!

Israel Beliveau

Best vegetarian food in Victoria. I recommend the turnip cakes, mock lemon chicken and any rice dishes - so goooood!

Sara Troy

Amazing ♥️

Marc Rivard

Seriously amazing food..the turnip cakes????????????

StarStar StarStarStar

Best vegan Victoria

Aditya Gupta

Great food, good prices, and friendly staff!!! The lunch buffet is awesome!!! The food is fresh and they have a big variety of dishes. All the dishes are vegetarian and you don't even miss meat. All well seasoned and worm. It can get pretty busy at lunchtime. You can also order from the menu.

Romario W.

Always good!

David Mackenzie-Kong

Go if you would like to have diarrhea on your vacations.

Ramona Blanes

Best vegan food... The turnip cakes are beyond anything you can imagine! Their 50% off lunch buffet is awesome, just make sure you get there early enough before the line up eats it all.

Bran L

Small store but with a large menu with lots of options for vegans and vegetarians. May be hard to eat here with a gluten allergy as there are a lot of mock meat dishes. But I love going here and they have a lunch buffet if you want to try out a few things.

Prarie Blake

Sweet customer service. They are always so great about helping to choose new and interesting dishes.

James Paskaruk

Best vegetarian spring rolls in town. Great for a quick food atop as they have buffet by weight. Half price 230-3.

Jessica Percy Campbell

Great feeling to have traditional Chinese food with all my classic favourites like fried rice, chow main, and wonton soup.

Scott Branton

This is our favourite restaurant in Victoria! The service is incredible and the staff is very kind. All of the food is plant based and the sauces are very flavourful. I would recommend this resturant to anyone - vegan or not. Definitely worth a visit (and then hundreds more).

tatiana elliott

Went to Lotus Pond in Victoria BC for the first time... won’t be the last (unless they close). But so good. Ate WAY too much because it was too hard not to just polish it all off. Started with the turnip cakes. I’m pretty sure every table started with these beauties because they are just so good. Turnip cakes, who knew. Then ordered the hot and sour soup. That giant bowl is the ‘small’ for 6 bucks and it was fantastic. Probably best hot and sour I’ve had. Then our main meal was ginger beef, schezwan eggplant, and chicken sizzling hot plate. WOW. Just wow. Can’t wait to go again and sample more dishes. This was simply just great food, the fact it’s vegan makes it just that much more incredible.

Lincoln Z. Shlensky

One of the best Vegan restaurant in Victoria. The ambience is home like, food is delicious and fresh.

Matt Huculak

Often eat here, large and tasty menu, nice staff. Bit small. This is a vegetarian Buddhist restaurant.

Electra Brontos

Great take out dinner from Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant. Accommodated our vegetarian guests and the non vegetarian guests enjoyed the dinner as well! Thank you!

Bhagyashri Kumawat

The freshest tasting meal every time, and so many options to give you the comfort food you're craving, without all of the guilt! A must try in Victoria.

Aaron Berger

So yummy! Amazing service, best food in Victoria!

Noella Sych

I love this place. Especially a fan of the seafood dishes. Best not to order pre made combos.

Mary B

Haven't had Chinese food since going vegan a few years ago. I cherished every bite. So many options to choose from on the menu, we will have to go back.

Kaitie Sachade

Service

Sophia Bullock

A lovely atmosphere with quick and friendly service. The food is lovely and reasonably priced. There is a wide variety of options which is great for a vegan and vegetarian restaurant. Overall, very nice.

Brendan Braybrook

Good asian vegan food. I was pleasantly surprised by the 2 young servers who gave great service even though they were busy. I would definitely eat here again.

Laura Boden

Great buffet!

Dr. Elizabeth Bradley

This place has a community attached to it. So many memories at 2:30pm! Love the food. Nice staff. For those with dietary restrictions- this place makes you feel like you matter!

Suzanne Dube

Amazing vegan Chinese food! Sooooo good!!

Johanna Palmer

So glad that they are open! Just had the tastiest meal from the nicest delivery driver and it made my day!

Mya Walz

Good service. They were able to cater large parties but at the expense of offering takeout only options to other walk in customers due to the modest seating capacity. Food's great but I prefer requesting use little to no salt, especially for the oyster mushrooms or else I experience MSG-like symptoms (dehydration) despite my understanding they don't use MSG in their dishes.

toni o

I had ordered the COMBINATION DINNER FOR ONE - Lemon Mock Chicken Mixed Vegetables & Tofu in Black Bean Sauce served with Spring Roll, Wonton Soup + Brown Rice. (The wonton soup - delicious. The veg-style chicken was very good, couldn’t believe it tasted like real chicken, wished there was a bit more in portion. Fair price. Take out due to CV. I enjoy changing up my Chinese dishes with all vegetarian. Overall I give it (4.5 out of 5). ???????? Next time I hope to experience their dine-in/buffet. ????

Ahmad A.

Ready-to-eat vegetarian food that always tastes delicious.

Richard Michael Owen

We really enjoyed the vegetarian wonton soup!

Jroge

Vegeterian Buddhist style cuisine. Menu during dinner, buffet and menu during lunch. Good house special udon soup.

Dara Campbell

Food was great. Got the veg fish in pekking sauce and the Buddha’s delight, as well as they turnip cake. Wait time was close to an hour, and they are currently not doing dine in, take out only.

[CANA]Dan

Not fancy, but well-prepared Chinese vegan food with a Buddhist twist in a town that is otherwise swamped with burger and pizza joints. Try the mock chicken and gailan (Chinese broccoli), the tofu sheets and greens, the seaweed soup, and the fried mushrooms.

Jessica Klose

the place is lovely, the staff friendly, the dishes are delicious vegan and cheap, what asking more?

Reza Sourate

excellent food!

Sheri Disney

Very nice restaurant, very fresh food, it is very popular, for that my recommendation is, if you can arrive in the earlier hours.

Chand

This is such a great restaurant.

Vivien Turner

Good food at a reasonable price

Mohammad Jafari

My absolute favourite vegetarian restaurant in the country. Delicious meat free versions of staple Chinese dishes, with some unique options as well (Turnip Cakes are always a hit). I’ve brought non vegetarian folk here for years and they always enjoy the experience and the food. The location has gone unchanged since it opened but that’s part of its quaint charm. Highly recommend it!

Tim Stoner

Kitty is an Angel. Vegetarian Buddhist cuisine is fabulous!

Alex99

Great Vegetarian Food for Everyone The Lotus Pond is a restaurant of simple decor that delivers the perfect environment to enjoy great Chinese food that happens to be vegetarian. Their variety of mock meats deliver flavour that will not disappoint any meat lover. The mock meats are not the same as real meat, but in these dishes are just as good. The Lotus Pond has many great dishes, but the ginger beef is an absolutely amazing with a perfect texture and just the right amount of spice. During the day, they have a buffet that is a perfect introduction to their food at a reasonable lunch price. This is not an all you can eat buffet, but you can see why when you see the quality of the food. No place is perfect and there are a few small flaws with the Lotus Pond as well. There are a couple dishes that found a little dry, but these are definitely in the minority. The lunch buffet unfortunately does not include the ginger beef. This could be a good thing because I would go there a lot more often for lunch if it was in the buffet.The only other that I find disappointing is their lack of an internet presence. I would love to be able to look up their menu online for evening orders demanded by my wife. Overall, I would recommend the Lotus Pond to anyone looking for a slightly different twist on Chinese food. You can’t go in and expect all the food to taste just like the meat in other restaurants, but you have to enjoy the great flavours of the proteins that are used. On many occasions, the replacement meats create a better dish than the meal the original meat would have created. For a meat eaters the Lotus Pond is a great place to go and enjoy something different and for vegetarians it is one of many good restaurants in Victoria where you can order anything on the menu.

Jer Ait

Good value

Teresa Marek

Sometimes I find the food to be a bit heavy, but service is always fantastic. Every server I’ve had has been above and beyond helpful.

Sandra Paradis

Oh my God I can't believe I've never eaten here before. It will now become a regular place for me

Moira Tait

Excellent vegetarian chinese food

Daniel Morris

The best vegetarian asian food. Great buffet for lunch but can get expensive if you don't mind the weight of your choices.

Jan Brens

Amazing vegetarian good at awesome price. Very friendly staff and good portion.

Sandy S

Meal type

Rob Bures

Amazing vegan food!

D Z

The thing I love about Lotus Pond is that after you've eaten their delicious meals you feel good...plain and simple. Excellent and healthy. Not big on environment, but awesome healthy food.

Alana Merritt

Great food. I love going for the lunch buffet. Owners/staff are consistently friendly. Highly recommend.

Liam Liam

It's a unique place with a great menu and prices.

Jasmin G

Proof that not all vegetarians are sub-human scum that must be exterminated.

Linda Bollinger

FANTASTIC. TRY THE CRISPY GLUTENS OR OYSTER MUSHROOMS IF IN SEASON.

Danielle Ditzian

Lovely service, great food!

Lauren Rex

Amazing food, and really kind staff. Definitely check this place out.

Alice Rous

Great vegetarian, but needs better and cleaner bathrooms.

TheSaboan

It was so nice to find bean curd again ???? this place tasted like being in my home city. I'll definitely come back. Laidback unassuming vibe with attentive and friendly staff. Very clean!

Shilen Shah

Only vegan restaurant I'll eat at in town.

Ronald Bills

The best vegetarian asian restaurant and buffet at lunch time is worth it, go for it! I will love ❤️ to have 1 like this in Ottawa

Global Shocking News

Great food, great service, good understanding of dietary needs ( gluten free )

John Konig

Great staff and great food. I recommend the mock ginger beef if you want something spicy or the sweet and sour chicken balls if you want something sweet.

Reishi Kamoot

Amazing little restaurant. I’ve been vegetarian for years so it’s crazy that it’s taken me this long to eat here. The food was fresh and delicious, and the staff are super friendly. A must visit for anyone vegan/vegetarian. Even my non-vegetarian mum enjoyed her meal. I’ll be back for sure!

Christine Comrie

Just mmmmmmmmmmmmmm............

Tamara Walker

We love the spring rolls, won ton soup and sweet and sour balls. Delicious vegan food with friendly and prompt service. Thank you Lotus Pond!

Yu-Ching Lin

Great food, super friendly place.

Sophie Kramer

Meal type

Kevin Murphy

Favourite restaurant in town. Everything is vegan but veggies and omnis alike will enjoy. The lunch buffet is tasty but nothing compared to their dinner menu :) delicious. Friendly staff, good service. :)

Dean Wolfe

The food was OK, the atmosphere was quaint. I appreciate that they have a buffet. It was also a pleasant surprise that their daughter answers the phone and speaks fluent English which is a breath of fresh air when trying to make take out orders. It is also wonderful being able to eat whatever you want without wondering if there where animals harmed to make it. Everything is Vegan!!!

GNRC Masters

Wonderful vegan options and dinner combos. Delicious all around and very helpful, kind service in a peaceful environment. Happy to have found them, and plan to return as often as I can.

Richard Brens

Awesome vegetarian restaurant

Fenner Rumble

Really nice waiters, and food was great

Darrell

Amazing vegan Chinese food, delicious even for non-vegans! Everything is made from scratch. You HAVE to try the sweet and sour soy pork!

John Lacroix

Delicious vegetarian food with authentic Chinese flavours. The menu has vegetarian Chinese standards as well as tasty vegetarian takes on meat dishes. We had the Eight Treasures hot pot, Szechuan eggplant, and house chao mien. The former two were satisfying classics, meanwhile the noodles had impressive faux duck that tasted like the real thing. A great place for vegetarians and curious carnivores alike!

Geoff and/or Tricia Orme

Delicious food, good prices. What's not to like.

Gabe Dion

Good mock meat!

Kevin Wilcox

This restaurant has been the family favourite in Victoria for years. We have tried almost everything on the menu and have liked it all. Our favourites are the sweet and sour tofu balls and Buddha's delight. The faux "seafood" platter is amazing. Being vegan, the freedom of being able to eat anything on the menu is priceless.

Scott Sheldrake

Good food. Terrible service, said they would deliver in 1 hr and a half then called 1 hr and a half later saying we have to pick up. Went to go pick up and not ready for another 30. Always loved the food but this service is shocking.

Chumi Goldstein

Amazing food! Seriously, cannot wait to come back to Victoria and go there again. We got takeout and everything was ???? next time we'll sit in!

Jim Hall

Nice restaurant but difficult to find parking in the area without paying a fortune

James Chen

So friendly. I love the weight what you want option, but mostly the house special noodle soup. Yum!

Heather

To make a long story short, this highly recommended vegan restaurant is very hard to order from on a Friday night, especially on Chinese New Year's day. You simply can't get through on the phone, you can't dine in due to Covid and they don't have online ordering and they don't deal with Skip, DoorDash or Uber Eats. What are you gonna do? I set out to drive over but I circled the block a few times till I got a parking spot nearby. I went in and was greeted very nicely but they said I'd be waiting over an hour. That didn't work for me. I went back out to my car, sat and made a decision. They deliver so I went back in and ordered, paid and gave my address. Hostess said it would take 1.5 hours which gave me time to pick up my girl friend and head home. It did take 1.5 hours and we were famished. All this is to say that I've heard such good things about this restaurant that nothing was going to stop me from ordering. All that's left to say is the the food we ordered lived up to what I had heard. It was delicious. Their menu is large, varied and completely vegan. In spite of the wait, the service was very friendly and polite. I'll be ordering again but I'll try to call in earlier.

Brittney G

Great food and good prices! This place hits the spot if you're craving classic Western Chinese food without the meat/animal products.

Ashlie Coutts

One of very few places where I would be willing to eat vegetarian food.

Shane Gorombolyi

I’m still in disbelief that this place exists. Great accommodating staff who speak Cantonese, excellent food. The menu gives a plethora of tasty options. I only wish the place was bigger with more seating. Highly recommend the mock duck (#8). Will revisit time and time again.

Natasha Bot

You can literally order ANYTHING off the menu and end up loving it. Brought some friends here who were skeptical; some of them not even vegetarian/vegan. They fell in love with the Lotus Pond, and are definitely coming back in the future--with, or without me! Friendly, efficient service, outstanding food. The restaurant is also owned by the one of the nicest families around. This restaurant is a hidden gem! Highly, highly, highly recommend.

Spencer Morriss

Very friendly service! Good selection of fresh tasting food but the intensity of flavours could be a bit stronger.

sessa yu

Amazingly delicious as always!

Will Nikl

Very good vegetarian Buddhist Food. Prices are great but no free green tea. Bathrooms are a little sketchy and up a small flight of stairs

Neil Carey

Vegan restaurant, pay by weight

Raj Jit

Whenever I'm in Victoria I always make sure to stop by Lotus Pond. I love their turnip cakes, the ginger 'b', and the wonton soup. The portion sizes are generous, and the restaurant is cozy and comforting.

Tatiana Banishevskaya

(Translated) Very good little restaurant with nice people. It was better than we expected. The dish is light to hearty, vegetables are fresh, there is nothing to say. (Original) Very good little restaurant with nice people. C'était mieux que ce à quoi nous nous attentions. Le plat va de léger à copieux, les légumes étant frais, il n'y a rien à dire.

T R

Wonderful place! super friendly and amazing vegetarian and vegan food!

Kris Vanhaverbeke

Fantastic vegetarian Chinese food.

Sarah L.

Great buffet, really tasty, and plenty of vegan options

Lorraine Amberson

Good vegetarian food. Great if you are eating on a budget.

Yolonda Skelton

The best place on this earth

Smokus Cat

The food is sensational and so tasty, reasonably priced as well! Thesatff are kind and these evolve is great! I will definitely go back!

karen lavallie

Offers buffet but don't be misled that it's NOT all-you- can-eat since your food is weighed accordingly to what you had deposited on your plate. True vegetarian cuisine according to religious Buddhist rites Completely NO meat in kitchen so confirmed 100% there is no cross contamination. The cuisine is savoury which is very individual. It may be acceptable to some while others may not Once you finalize weighing your food in 100 grams unit & if you're starving too, the end bill could be pricey. Have an estimated budget to start on what you are willing to spend.

Janet Cram

Turnip cakes are mind blowingly delicious! Often while downtown I will order some, go into another store for 5-10 minutes and come back to pick up - though most are eaten before I even get home! Highly recommend trying this amazing yummy restaurant!

Michael Fortin

Delicious food as always.

john doe

Great holistic food. The buffet by weight was nice. My plate only costed 12$ and I got so many options.

Sandra Alton

The food was pretty good and well priced. The staff are super friendly. I felt like I was in asia again.

Cynthia McCormack

The gonger b and lemon mock chicken are awesome!

Rebecca Simms

First time there I had mock chicken hotpot curry. It was great, because I am gluten intolerant and don't eat meat. 2nd time I had mock chicken chow mein. I thought a little soya sauce (with gluten ) might not bother me too much. I was wrong. There was quite a lot of sauce and I wasn't sure how much soy there was in it. I think if they are serving gluten free products they could cook it with gluten free soya sauce. Makes sense to me. I would go again, having learned from experience. I really enjoy the mock chicken. It's a nice meaty texture.

Caileigh Clark

I'm not a vegetarian, but I thoroughly enjoyed the buffet. It's awesome food.

Susan Thomas

The best! And the staff are lovely!

Ashley Cowan

In fact the only place I'll go out to eat! Portion size is great and price value amazing! Thank you Lotus Pond for being the best ever!

Kelly Riordan

Superlative food. Make reservations....

Sarah Johnson

Delicious pay-by-weight vegetarian/vegan lunch buffet, has plant-based versions of Chinese favourites, like Szechuan ginger beef, Yang Chow fried rice, Singapore curry noodles, etc. Offers a variety of vegan faux meats like pork, beef, chicken, soy balls, etc. I am personally a fan of their curry mock chicken hot pot, with healthy brown rice. Their pan-fried turnip cakes are also a must to try!

Sophia Song

Delicious food. The texture of mock duck was on point. Turnip cakes were good. I wasn't impressed with the wanton soup. Don't expect cheap & greasy Chinese fare. The food here is homey yet sophisticated, without feeling too healthful.

Josh E

BEST CHINESE FOOD EVER!! Love that it began too!! Their prices are great and portion are huge! Have yet to be disappointed and don’t think I ever will be. This restaurant is a must visit.

Jessica Kirkwood

Dinner