Lotus Farm To Table

Our dinner at Lotus farm to table was delicious. The spicy clams were cooked just right and the sauce was flavorful, nothing exaggerated, all the tastes just so. Flounder with risotto also was done well, in contrast to other restaurants where fish is often overcooked, and all the ingredients melded together with the right degree of crunchiness. Chocolate dessert also yummy with a good variety of textures. I’m now eager to return to try other dishes.

My husband and I had dinner here and can’t believe we have lived in Media for 3 years without coming here before. The restaurant had a nice ambiance-​dim lighting, tables not too close together, cool décor, soft music. We each had a hot tea to drink which were good. My husband had a delicious wedge salad to start. For our entrees, I had duck with brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes. My husband had chicken with cauliflower, pearl onions, gorgonzola and a «hot sauce» (which sounds strange but is really great). We both agreed that this is our new favorite restaurant. The food was amazing and the service was great. Not a cheap meal but by no means is it overpriced. My duck was worth every penny.

We are new to the area and have tried a few really great restaurants in Philadelphia but were excited to try a restaurant closer to home. We made a reservation on a Friday night for my husband, my daughter and I. They have a fairly limited menu that changes frequently but the selection was good. We have eaten at a lot of similar ‘farm to table’ restaurants. We all ordered salads to start, I had one with heirloom tomatoes and arugula, my daughter had broccoli and my husband had salmon tartare. For dinner we tried the pork, chicken and a little neck clam dish. All the food had a nice presentation and the taste was good but the portions were extremely small and we are not hefty eaters. We all left dinner a bit hungry and not so satisfied, the prices are also on the high end. If portions were a little larger and/​or prices less steep and they offered bread or other starters I would have given a 4 but I can’t go higher than a 3 when we leave hungry and feeling like we over paid. Wait staff were very pleasant.

I really wanted to like it here; I love the concept of farm-​to-​table restaurants, and usually find such places to serve food that seems more fresh and flavorful (it’s probably purely psychological but hey). However, I’ve never really been all that impressed with the food here. There was one night that everything I ordered sounded like it’d have great promise but ended up being terrible-​there was nothing wrong with the way the individual ingredients were prepared (the way they are at some truly terrible restaurants, where the meat’s overdone or the vegetables are dry, etc.) but when they were all put together into one dish, I could barely choke it down. I’m honestly not a picky eater, but the experience reminded me of being four years old again and having to be told to eat my vegetables.
That night aside, the food is just fine. Not great, not bad, fine. The price is what really solidly decides this place to be 3 stars-it’s just way too expensive for the amount of food you get.

We ate here last night and sat outside. We were a large group of 8. The setting was wonderful, and the food was good. Main course proteins — salmon, trout, chicken all very good and perfectly prepared. The veggies were a bit over cooked, and some of the appetizers such as the beet salad and the potato salad were a bit too heavily marinated in a vinegar based dressing that overpowered the taste of the fresh produce.
Service is acceptable and it was a nice evening. The inside of the restaurant is very pretty– next time we’ll sit inside. Can’t go wrong with the fish courses.
Finally, I thought that charging $ 2 for bread on a $ 300 tab felt a bit amateurish. All in all good but overpriced evening.

Ate here a few months ago, and we’re STILL talking about how spectacular the experience was! What an absolute gem in the heart of media. I love to cook, and often try to duplicate dishes I’ve had in restaurants. But this meal… would be impossible to reproduce.
Simple, fresh, depths of flavor… good for the eyes and amazing on the tongue. A multi-​sensory experience.
The staff was knowledgable, wonderfully attentive and super friendly!
So, run don’t walk… and check this wonderful BYOB out!

Nice staff. The old broken sticks and dried and broken plants on the wall do not make for an attractive décor, unless you’re going with the «fell through a rabbit hole theme.» I guess the lotus/​Asian theme is to celebrate their «sustainable» earth friendly labeling. But it is only a label, not an actuality.
A bone to pick, rather literally. Lotus describes itself as «sustainable.» Oil and meat are the least sustainable human activities. No vegetarian entrée. Meat is not sustainable. As for the local, where in Philly does the chocolate in the desserts grow? Or for that matter, the olives used in the olive oil? The cinnamon? The cardamom? The pistachios?
The dessert combinations are confusing and do not sound enticing. And in the name of «seasonable,» everything is loaded with fennel. Good god, I know that fresh is better than dried but you can’t use seasonable dried herbs? I asked them not to put fennel in my food and they complied. Sorry, I detest it. Besides, fennel is NOT in season locally in April here.
Neither my husband nor I enjoyed the prices, er food, enough to feel that the price was justified or to consider this more than a 3 star restaurant.

This place is pretty expensive but you do get what you pay for. The foods are very well presented and have a variety of complementary flavors. The food is just really well done and it’s a joy to eat. We started with the sweet potato pie and shrimp starters then moved on to the duck and beef short rib entrees. Finished with chocolate and olive oil cakes. I also had the Japanese Matcha. The total bill including tip was $ 150, but I would go back again for special occasions. I would say this is one of the nicer restaurants in Media. Oh, and service was very professional — top notch.

If I could, I would rate this place 3.5 stars. I can’t so it’s three because the meal here was good but I’m not sure that I am a return customer — a requirement for a four star rating. It’s expensive and I just didn’t like it that much.
We were here on a week night after the long February freeze. We were the only ones in the house, surprisingly since the streets of Media were flooded with people. It was celebrity status without the paparazzi. The décor has that earthy feel but Asian style tables. I call the décor confused. Bob Dylan was playing. Lighting is halogen from tracks and a few bare-​bulb pendants. It’s warm but odd.
The menu here is small — five or six small plates/​appetizers and about the same number of entrees. The menu was recycled, that is the Valentines’ Day menu was on the reverse side with a diagonal line through it. I get it. It’s the earth-​friendly thing to do. The food here is supposedly locally sourced.
We shared an appetizer and a dessert, ordered two entrees, and had one coffee. The bill with a generous tip was over $ 100. This is not a cheap date night out.
The appetizer was a prosciutto style, thinly sliced duck on a bed of wild rice. This dish was very good and nicely balanced. For entrees, we ordered the trout and the salmon. In both cases, the fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The accompanying vegetables were fresh but very al dente (too much so) and needed more seasoning, specifically salt and pepper. Good ingredients but no flavors that popped.
There were three dessert choices. We opted for the apple bread pudding with olive oil ice cream (we were intrigued.) and pistachio brittle. The garnishes were much better than the pudding itself which tasted more like compressed sweetened bread. I would not order this again. Coffee was French pressed La Columbe and we were advised to wait two minutes and then press.
Service was attentive without being overbearing.
The concept is great, the veggies need more cooking, and they need to find the salt and pepper or some other herbs to highlight the quality ingredients.

We dined here for valentines day and the food was delicious. Service was prompt and friendly. We started with the charcuterie plate consisting of 3 (presumably) locally sourced cheeses. Tasty indeed. For my entrée, I had a rack of lamb topped with a chimichurri sauce over Boston baked beans. It was delicious, and perfectly cooked (medium rare as suggested by the chef). The portion was small but satisfactory. Only gripe is how much they charge for such a small portion.

I love the concept of farm to table. Eating locally grown food is the best. Good was good here. Service was nice. We were not rushed. Will come back.

Visited: Friday — January 9, 2015 — 7:30 PM
Lotus has that rare combination of good food, pleasing ambience, and «professional» servers. Professional meaning that the servers strive to create a dining experience that equals or surpasses industry superlatives.
My lady friend enjoyed the kale salad, trout, chocolate cake, and tea. I enjoyed the frisee salad, scallops, apple bun cake, and tea.
Teas from virtually every corner of the globe are available. In fact, a full menu identifies the teas in fine detail. The teas arrived steeping in hot water with the server recommendation to wait a minimum of two minutes for maximum enjoyment. The hot water is poured through a strainer to minimize the tea spilling into the tea cup. In «technical» terms — hmmmmmmm!
Another enjoyable experience. I recommend reservations if you’re planning a weekend dinner.

I was very disappointed since I had heard such good things about farm to table restaurants. The portion size was so small I stopped at wawa on my way home. Now I am not a fat kid who needs her gluttonous American portion sizes … I’m talking minuscule on a European scale. My date’s dinner was 5 scallops on 1 – 2 leafy greens and I had a 2 ounce salmon with a handful of leafy greens, chickpeas and tomatoes (in a not good sauce). And all of that cost $ 60!!! Talk about over priced!

Visited Thanksgiving week .My favorite Suburban restaurant for farm to table.
It’s Winter so its one of their exotic teas today. They offer approximately 20. Today it is south soothing fennel chai cinnamon cardoman cloves and ginger. If you can only stop in for tea it is still worth it.
Lunch: Pork belly sandwich with a side of field greens with homemade dressing.
Dessert was carrot cake and vanilla ice cream.
Everything here is made from scratch and great.
Waitstaff is always pleasant and attentive.

I went here recently with a party of 15. Surprisingly, we were the only ones present in the restuarant in the busy, bustling area of State Street on a Friday night.
The ambiance and décor — beautiful. Waitstaff — impeccable. Menu –limited. I had the flat bread for an appetizer –delicious.
For the main entrée, I decided to try the flat iron steak with brussels sprouts. I had to send it back (yikes). The waiter told me that the chef recommended medium rare for the steak (didn’t they know I am a «well-​done» sort of gal?). So I obliged the chef but it came out very rare. After sending it back, it was slightly more cooked but not really what I wanted it to be but at that time, i was famished and ate it.
A little thing that kind of bugged me was that with the prices for the entrees in the mid to high twenties, the sides were definitely lacking AND no bread for the table. Ugh.
I really felt that something was missing from this place… the certain something that would set it apart from the rest and make it a great place. I guess you can try for yourself and see… just don’t order the steak unless you like it rare.

Last week our friends asked us to dine at Lotus Farm to Table for Dining Under the Stars. At first I was a little skeptical because this is way outside my realm for dinner. I figured they had to have a steak dish or something I would eat. Had a reservation for 7:30 and only had to wait about 5 – 10 minutes.
Glancing over the menu I was relieved to find 2 items that I would eat. Now i just had to make a decision. It came down to the Pork Chop or the Chicken Breast. I went with the Chicken breast. My dining companions went with Salmon for the ladies and Pork Chops for Pete. He wanted the Scallops but they just ran out.
We split a Pesto flatbread with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. It was delicious. The chicken was the best I ever had, it was so MOIST. My plate started off with a grilled summer squash drizzled with a balsamic glaze and sliced corn kernels right from the cob. The corn was also grilled. I ate the whole thing. Not a morsel was left on my plate. The salmon and the pork chop went over very well with my dining mates. I tried a piece of the Pork it was delicious as well.
For dessert I split a flourless chocolate cake with a salt and pepper ice cream. the combo sounded weird but paired very well. All in all a great dining experience. Service was great the food was delicious and the company even better, Can’t wait to try Lotus Farm to Table again, maybe in the Fall for their Fall menu.
Menu changes seasonally and comes from local farms. If you are in the area make sure to give them a try. You will not be dissappointed.

I loved this restaurant! The décor is beautiful. I love their loose leaf teas and that they are BYOB. The food was exceptional. For appetizers we had the flat bread, beet/​kale/​squash mix and the cheese board. I had the salmon and my husband had the corned tofu.
My biggest complaints (and there reason I didn’t give 5 stars) are that it was pricey and I left feeling hungry after having appetizers and an entrée.

Went last night for valentines dinner. Had a reservation for 7, we were finally seated around 7:30. The hostess was very apologetic and friendly. We were given complimentary champagne while we waited. Unfortunately there wasn’t a lot of room to wait so we and several other couple were basically hovering around the diners seated near the door. The ambience was cool. The hostess again, while friendly, tried to open our $ 120 bottle of wine (that we saved for a special occasion) and destroyed the cork, my boyfriend had to intervene and save the day.
The food. We ordered an oyster each, a cheese plate to share, and two different entrées, him the veal chop, and me the bass and duck. The oysters were fine at almost $ 4 each. The cheese plate and pairings were good at $ 12. And the entrees… Freaking terrible and about $ 35 each!!! The veal was almost raw while the duck was completely overdone and the fish was REALLY fishy while cooked properly. The portions were tiny. And the food was almost in edible. The worst part though was these whole pickled onions that were served with the veal. There were many of them mixed with the greens the veal was served with. I ate one and it was TERRIBLE!!! I couldn’t get the taste out of my mouth for the rest of the night.
To summarize… we showed up, long wait to be seated, friendly hostess and wait staff, slow service, and BAD FOOD, we left $ 120 poorer and hungry still!!! Nachos down the street saved the night. We will NEVER go back.

This is 5* worthy in Media, PA — this is one of the best in Media, and just about as good as going to the City. I liked this restaurant as much or more than Azie. This was our first time eating here, probably because it’s easy to walk past without much notice, like a hidden gem. The price point is $ 20+ per entrée, about $ 8 for apps/​salads — it’s not an inexpensive dinner, but it is GREAT food, and also BYOB which is always a plus for me!
The food: We received an amusee consisting of small squares of dense banana bread with a pinch of salt and something (honey?) on top. It was very nice.
For starters I got the cauliflower, which seemed to have been lightly steamed and then grilled/​broiled/​charred lightly. It was slightly smoky and wonderfully fresh tasting. My entrée was salmon seared with that fantastically crispy skin that really takes salmon over the edge to wonderful-​ness. The fish itself was perfectly done — just cooked thru and moist. It was served over a generous serving of kale and brocolli rabe, sauteed in a lemon butter sauce that was luscious and perfectly tart.
My husband got the iceberg wedge salad with crisp curls of bacon on top; and a perfectly cooked medium rare grass-​fed angus burger, which came with a good-​sized serving of very fresh baby arugula dressed lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. He liked having the 2 salads, but honestly, the one that came with the burger would have been plenty.
We shared a fantastic crème caramel — rich and delicious with caramel uniquely infused with the flavor of basil — loved it!
I had only 1 minor grumble, and two observations:
Grumble: Bread is not served with the meal, but is $ 2 on request. I requested it with olive oil and was happy with the quality of the bread. But I like my carbs, and my entrée did not include any.
Observations: the menu is small but interesting. However, there were 2 beef entrees– a $ 19 burger and a $ 45 (yes forty-​five) steak. I almost never order red meat at restaurants, but if I did this would be a huge turnoff — like I might look at the menu and leave. As much as I liked this restaurant, I cannot imagine spending $ 45 on a steak there — at La Croix or Morton’s or Ruth Chris maybe, but not at this little quaint restaurant in Media, sorry! Also, the soundtrack (johnny cash type country) did not quite go with the Asian/​eclectic/​natural décor and ambience.

We grabbed lunch here earlier and it was great! Attentive, yet not overbearing service. Delicious, rich food. And all at a decent price.
Seriously delicious food. The carrot and beet salad had excellent depth of flavor, if a little small-​portioned, and the «bacon dirt» was a nice touch. We went for sandwiches for our lunch entrees, which both came with a simple, yet delicious green salad. As a «farm to table» restaurant, I expected small portions, but they were actually reasonably priced. The tzatziki sauce on the tofu pita sandwich was creamy, but not so sour that it overpowered the sage brine flavor of the tofu. There’s a sandwich with cheese and chicken, and guess who’s the star of the dish? The cheese! It’s a grilled cheese sandwich, and one of the best ones I’ve ever had. The chicken confit makes for a lovely accent.
I really love the peaceful atmosphere and natural décor. The little details, like the tiny plant on the table, really set the mood and make you feel like your meal will have the same amount of care and thought incorporated into its preparation and presentation.