My order - Veg pad thai, veg green curry. Taste - The best thai food I have ever tasted. The green curry was made from fresh coconut and organic vegetables. The basil addition was just perfect in the dish. Usually the green curry which I had tasted so far had way too much basil in them. Pad thai too tasted good and fresh. Vegans/Vegetarians will go nuts for this place! Cost - $30 for 2 people. Staff and service - Friendly and quick! Do not miss this place!
(5)
Rita M.
Have always wanted to try Lotus Cafe and so I went out of my way to get there. After speaking with the counter person I ordered Rad Na, a Thai rice noodle dish with cabbage, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc. It sounded wonderful. Because I needed to get to my office I placed a to go order. They charged me 5% or $0.80 additional for the to go container. I drive the 10 minutes to my office, opened the container to find gummy sticky noodles with a couple of thinly sliced carrots and a few green beans. No cabbage, no broccoli. Definitely not worth the money I spent. I'll stick to TK'S Noodle House in the future.
(2)
Pamela W.
The laksa is a dream ... lots of fresh and beautiful organic veggies (kabocha, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts) over rice noodles and a curry that is making me salivate now just thinking about it. A perfectly balanced and full-of-flavor laksa. I also appreciated that they make all of their own sauces and curries right there. It's a vegan (with locally farmed/raised meat options), organic and gluten-free resto that really impresses.
(5)
Jigesha D.
I love this place! Found it through yelp, and I liked the service. We had the special which was the mango curry--- amazing! You actually get pieces of mango in it along with the vegetables. We are vegetarians, and they could make anything vegetarian. We also had the pad Thai as well, yummy. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Wouldn't recommend the smoothies though-- sort of bland.
(5)
Sylvia C.
No good value for money. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant charged us the price of a three-dollar sign restaurant yet the food portion was pathetically small - 10 tiny chicken pieces in my large bowl of green curry. No doubt the Thai flavour was authentic - that is applaudable since many Thai foods in SF Bay Area are either too sweet or rich. It probably serves organic food as it claims on the menu, but many other eateries in the Big Island serve organic foods anyway since they source their fresh ingredients from Waimea in the North. Just not worth the price.
(2)
Kami L.
I ate here about two months ago with my boyfriend. We were so disappointed with the food that I still remember it two months later and finally remembered to jump onto Yelp and write a review. I prefer eating vegan, organic and gluten-free food, so this place seemed perfect. The food was bland and oily. The noodles were stuck together and mushy. I've never had such tasteless thai food. Our pad thai was unrecognizable, didn't look like any pad thai I had ever had. I asked our server to make sure we got the right order and she assured us rudely that it was the pad thai. That's fine if it is done differently here, but if we just want to double check we got the right order, we shouldn't be met with a rude response. We left with a bad taste in our mouths, literally. Rude service. bad food.
(1)
Kona L.
Happen upon this place after our Costco run. This a gem of a place, and everything is yummy on this menu. We were a party of 8, so we got to try a large array of dishes! Totally unassuming place, but you won't be disappointed!
(5)
Hilary O.
After reading all of the mixed reviews this is what I can tell you. It is not your traditional Thai restaurant. Their focus is all locally grown, vegetarian, etc food. So that in itself makes this particular thai restaurant unique. I actually quite like what I have eaten both at their food truck and in the restaurant. I have definitely had hit or miss items here however the items that I do enjoy are the reasons I continue to come here. It is extremely healthy in the way that they prepare there food. When the item has been bad, its been really bad. I cannot say much good about the service. Its pretty nonexistent honestly, which can be frustrating. Definitely do not go if you are expecting good service. They honestly seem like a group of vegetarian, health conscious people that opened a decent Thai restaurant without ever having worked in a restaurant themselves. They just need to be little more business smart with the service.
(4)
Amanda T.
We stopped by this place and found it to be quite good! The food was tasty and their smoothies are unique and very flavorful. I ordered vegetable fried rice with tofu and their special sauce! Very good! The only negative was that their one staff member was not the friendliest but we got her to smile and it turned out ok!
(4)
Kaz L.
Excellent and flavorful are the key words to this restaurant. I've been coming here everyday for lunch, I couldn't get enough. Fresh ingredients you can taste and the flavors are right on. And if you like it spicy ask for Thai spicy and you'll be in spicy heaven. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
Beth R.
While at a farmers market south of Kona, we happened upon the cafe's food truck. I talked to one of the owners. He was helpful and friendly. I told him the cafe was on my dining list while in the area and that we would soon check it out. A few days later, we did. Loved it! It is tucked away from downtown Kona. The dining environment is pleasant and casual. My husband and I shared a Burmese salad. I can't remember what was in it, but it was incredible. Truly incredible. It would have been a meal for one. It was actually a lot for us to share as a salad, but we managed. I had vegan pad Thai, which was excellent. And I finished it all with a vegan coffee gelato. Heaven on a plate.
(5)
Erich B.
Their food truck is better. We ate at the food truck this afternoon and decided to have dinner at the restaurant before we flew home today. We had the steamed Ono which was good but the Ono was a bit overcooked. Great flavor and broth though. We also had the Tom jai yom soup. Quite good. Very clean food. Nice place. A little hard to find but not that much or I wouldn't have come. The owner is manning the truck at the moment so maybe that is why the restaurant wasn't as good. We will return when we are onthe big Island again. If you can find the truck(5 stars) go there otherwise this place is great.
(4)
Gil S.
My wife and I finally ate lunch here and were more disappointed than we have ever been at any restaurant. We ordered different dishes, but, both dishes contained an unbelievable 3 and 4 small low grade chicken pieces respectively, along with carrots, cauliflower, & cabbage, one dish also had mango. One bad dish may be an aberration, but both were woefully portion starved and overcooked, the sauce was ok, but, in no way made up for the terrible portions , presentation and ultimate disappointment of a shameful lunch. To add insult to a bad experience it was also outrageously overpriced, particularly given the lack of quality. There are many Thai and noodle house type restaurants, serving much better quality ingredients, far superior in every manner and much more reasonably priced in the Kailua-Kona Area, such as TK Noodle, at much more reasonable pricing save the heartache STAY AWAY FROM HERE
(1)
Chelsea A.
Soooo delicious. Ingredients are fresh, sauces have layers of flavors. My husband can always get his "thai hot" here while I can keep it mild to share with the baby. And the vegan gelatos can't be missed! Make sure to save room.
(4)
Morgan K.
This place is awful! I would give it a negative rating if I could... We got the following menu items. Tom Yam Ono: No flavor, hardly anything to the soup, there was one little piece of ginger, a few slices of carrots, a couple sliced cherry tomatoes and 4 very small pieces of Ono that were tough and flavorless. The small bowl was $6.95! Total ripoff. Vegetarian Wide Rice Noodles: This dish included a small hand full of vegetables, not even worthy of mention...a clump of flavorless slimy noodles in the middle (couldn't even grab the noodles with a fork because they slipped right off) all in a thick brown sauce. Don't know what the sauce was but once again, no flavor. Oh, and did I mention there were bugs in the noodles! Gross! Vegetarian Eggplant Dish: A few pieces of eggplant in a thin gray sauce with a hand full of assorted veggies. No flavor. Overpriced and flavorless! Not to mention the unfriendly staff. If you want excellent Thai food visit the Spoonful Cafe in Keaau! We ended up going to Costco to get pizza for dinner... .
(1)
Nicole A.
I cannot tell you how absolutely great this place is. This place has never compromised on quality since the day it opened. I used to come here regularly just after it opened years ago. I recently returned to Kona for a visit after many years since moving away. This place was the first place I wanted to go back to. I was not disappointed in the least. I love the owners and all the workers. Thank you Lotus Cafe.
(5)
Ann K.
We returned with high expectations but the coconut crêpe that comes with my favorite curry was thick, soggy, and starchy. I just ate the curry and left the crêpe. Perhaps there is a different chef. Hopefully things will get back up to the previous standards.
(3)
Dania-Maria K.
Came here for lunch with the boyfriend, his mom, his sister, and his sister's friend (both teenagers). We were allowed to choose our seats once we entered, the restaurant seems to also sell furniture! It was incredibly tempting to mozzie on over to that section and browse, but I restrained myself. I didn't have to for long as our food promptly arrived. My boyfriend and I split a green papaya salad, coconut soup with chicken (which wasn't on the menu, but our server had no qualms about getting it done for us, awesome!), and the chef's special tasters . This included three dishes served in small portions with a portion of your choice of rice. One dish was fish with a sweet mango/citrus sauce with cut up carrots, cabbage, and diced avocado. The other was a hearty, spicy dish with coconut milk, chicken, and veggies. The third included shrimp, vegetables, and the sauce or marinade it was in was very light, but seemed to have notes of either chili or paprika (I don't even know if Thai cuisine uses paprika). All three were a great exploration of the huge variety in Thai cooking! We had a blast eating our way through them. I wish I could make mention to what everyone else had, but as you can tell I was enthralled with our order. I highly recommend checking out Lotus Cafe, it has a comfortable, casual setting, and there's great furniture to oogle at.
(4)
Arti S.
Small local organic great find with fantastic food! I stopped by here for dinner as soon as we landed on the big island. My boys, husband and mother-in-law... Each one loved what they ordered! They have a iced tea (an iced chai tea) and it is so refreshing and delicious! If you stumble here.. be sure to go in!
(5)
Linda C.
Tucked away and hard to find but nice, friendly service. The Udupi pineapple curry was different but a little too sweet after a few mouthfuls. Hubby had the Rad Na noodles which was good. They had a small selection of beers in the cooler but they did have some craft beers. Great gelato. Definitely try it!
(3)
Jordan W.
This place is not good - particularly the vegetable wide rice noodles, which were slimy, tasteless, and stuck together in a pool of what tasted like very salty hot and sour soup. I know others have rated this place well (which is why we went), but our meal was not good and was overpriced. If you go, stick to the dishes other diners have recommended.
(1)
La' Akea S.
Best food that we found in Kailua-Kona! We were on a family vacation for a week and tried several restaurants but nothing really stood out...until we ran across their food truck at a Sunday Farmer's Market. A-mazing!!!! We are foodies and love ethnic food, so this was right up our alley. The food made such an impression that we went to their restaurant. Great selection with nice, bold flavors. Healthy, tasty, and environmentally conscious. Gluten-free options are available too.
(5)
Josh F.
My family and I went to this cafe while on vacation and we weren't impressed. The first thing we noticed was that the food is very overpriced. We each payed $6 for tea I could have mistaken for water. For a family of 4 the bill came out to be over $100 before tip and none of us left overly filled. The service, although friendly, was not wonderful. We drained our water glasses quickly and sipped our teas. We sat for the better part of 30 minutes while our waitress took the orders for a large take out order. There were other workers in the restaurant during this time but they did not do much that we could see. Also, one entree came out almost 10 minutes after the other three. We were about finished when the last entree finally arrived. To top it off, the food was not overly impressive despite our waitress saying repeatedly that we would love it. For the sake of your wallet and patience please proceed with caution.
(2)
Shattered T.
The Thai Green Curry was delicious! So was the Thai Drunken Chicken! The prices are reasonable. They could use an air conditioner and it was strange that they were playing Beetles music, but I came here for good food and that's what I got.
(5)
T R.
Thai Lite would describe this food. The avocado rolls.. Do NOT think Cheesecake Factory.. Think raw vegan sticky rice paper wraps. The Burmese Salad was yummy! Great dressing! The Pad Thai.... Different..... Not that it wasn't good, but much lighter in sauce, flavor, consistency than most. Been to Thailand 3 times, never had Thai like this. Again... More raw/vegan/lite feel. The 3 of us left full & content but probably would not go back for the food.
(3)
Rachita B.
My husband and I ordered the chiang Mai chai, the avocado summer rolls, and the South Indian curry with brown basmati rice. The chai was fantastic -- sweet but with that familiar indian chai spice and flavor! The avocado summer rolls were good but they definitely skimped on the avocados! What's up with that?! They should rename them vegetable rolls!! The rolls came with two vegan sauces -- the peanut sauce was perfectly sweet and full-bodied but the tamarind sauce was too sweet and runny. The south indian curry was interesting -- we asked for tofu in the dish but weren't given any -- and it was $17 to boot. The curry itself was a very watery gravy and a bit too mild. The coconut flavor was solid but the dish overall needed more vegetables than the few broccoli, potato, carrot, and onion slices that were sprinkled inside it. I love curries, vegetarian, vegan, and indian-inspired dishes but I think this dish fell flat of my expectations. I think the restaurant overall would do much better if it improved it's lighting situation -- the place itself is creepily dark! Also, it's super hot inside the place -- about ten degrees warmer than the outdoor temps. Not sure what all that is about. Finally, way too many mosquitoes! With a minor facelift and some better prices, this place would be fantastic. One more thing, the parking area at nighttime is a little scary -- super dark and isolated.
(2)
Thanh N.
A bit pricey. The dishes tasted very similar to one another. We ordered the papaya salad, pad thai, and yellow curry. Pineapple turnover cake was good, however. Also, it was very hot in the restaurant. We don't regret trying the place but we wouldn't come back.
(3)
Lisa A.
Yelp is so helpful in finding a good restaurant especially when you're out of town. This place is not easy to locate because it looks to be part of an industrial section of town, but the service was fine. The restaurant is noted to be gluten-free, GMO-free, and dairy-free Asian fusion dining. We ordered Pad Thai with Chicken and Grilled Jumbo shrimp. Dishes were fantastic with fresh vegetables and decent sized shrimp (3 skewers). The lemonade was just a tad tart but refreshing. Their gelato was good for being non diary. I wanted to go back a second time but will have to come back on my next trip to the big island.
(4)
Alisa C.
We found this place right after landing in Hawaii, right over by Costco. I couldn't have been happier with the food or service! Locally sourced, organic ingredients, in a dedicated gluten free facility, which made me very happy, indeed! My companion is very skeptical of anything "natural", but loved his dishes both times that we went! I found the portions adequate, but if you're super hungry, get an appetizer. The prices were consistent with everything else I've found here in Hawaii, so didn't stand out as being exceptionally high for the area. As far as spiciness goes, it's on a 1 to 4 scale, with 4 as the hottest. I like things hot, so my companion and I both ordered our dishes "3", just to be safe, and found them to have plenty of flavor and heat. We'll be visiting this place again!
(5)
Dave T.
Great Passion fruit drink, its a must have if you like Lilikoi and something super sweet. Food is tasty, but portions are too small. We would go back more often if the portions were bigger.
(2)
Genesa L.
There are not enough stars for this fabulous restaurant! I am gf, dairy free, soy free & pork free & my hubby is gf. We also eat organic & non gmo. This place fit all of my criteria. Beyond delicious food, the assortment was endless, no need to ask for a gf menu or if it was dairy free. The mangos are like mango pudding & are picked in the owners backyards as much of the produce is. The staff again AMAZING & remembered is from a week earlier. We enjoyed the "chefs choice" on our second visit when my husband & I enjoyed what I like to call a food orgasm ;). If you're in Kailua-kona this is a don't miss!
Lotus cafe... Really wanted to like you but couldn't. We had hopes for a healthy meal & wanted to give this a chance despite other poor reviews. We tried vegetarian and non vegetarian options. The latter ones were poorly prepared (undercooked greasy chicken satay, chicken pad Thai strangely flavored, "almost raw" chocolate dessert had a grainy texture). Pricey poor lunch (about $70 for two adults & a child), mediocre service. If you must eat here, the cucumber salad and grilled tofu were both good. Of note, the smoothie we ordered was very, very sweet but once we complained it was promptly replaced with a better version.
(2)
Bruce R.
Nice off the beaten path find. Would rate 3.5 but Yelp still doesn't give us that option. Very healthy, locally grown, organic, so big bonus for that. Vellay Appam curry was to die for, would go back just for more of that! Drunken chicken was bland. Pad Thai was excellent. Casual place with nice service and reasonable prices for the Big Island. Definitely worth a trip if you are near Kona and looking to get away from the tourist zone and like healthy, fresh food.
(4)
Vadim V.
The food is indeed fresh just like other reviewers stated. However, the yellow curry tasted quite different from the usual - if there is such a thing as "usual". The salad was very well washed. The only server was waiting on one too many tables. It took a while before the menus were handed out. She was thoughtful enough to advise against the Thai coffee as the coffee machine was not working well since this morning. I would go there again when not in a hurry.
(3)
Dennis R.
Excellent Thai and Sumatra dishes. Great vegetarian options. Atmosphere was unique. In an industrial park area and attached to an Asian furniture store.
(5)
Lowell D.
Since moving to Kona I'd been given several recommendations to check this place out. I'm a pretty health conscious vegetarian who loves Thai food. I kept it simple for this first trip. Vegetarian Fried Rice. My friend got something with chicken. Food came out fast and smelled great. The service was friendly. My only complaint if it qualifies as a complaint is I could have eaten two plates of the fried rice. It was delicious but the portion size seemed a bit lacking. The spicy soy sauce on the side was perfect too! I'll definitely go back but not on an empty stomach
(4)
Cara P.
Very fresh ingredients, lots of flavor. We have been here three or four times and have not been disappointed yet. But beware if you ask for spicy....that is what you are going to get.
(4)
Solnishka M.
I love this place. Healthy, tasty and flavorful. Clean, organic, non-greasy, I always feel amazing after eating there! One of my favorite places of all times.
(5)
Barb B.
Did I go to the same restaurant reviewed by others? The service was terrible! We were the only people having lunch on a Monday afternoon (okay, that should have given me a clue) and we STILL had bad service. The waitress acted as if we were intruding on her private time and, indeed, I did have to go find her in order to place our order and she was eating her own lunch in the back of the restaurant. The food was over priced and very average... I suppose the thinking is that you can double the fee if it's organic but I really have my doubts about the validity of this claim anyway. The wooden, straight back chairs were very comfortable and the whole place did not seem very clean. All in all - I cannot recommend this cafe and am a little peaved at others who did, suckering me into the whole experience.
(1)
Shannon S.
This was our first stop and our last stop on our visit to the big island. My guy has a gluten and a dairy allergy so eating out is always a bit dicey. The service was very nice, as someone else pointed out they are "Thai" nice which is quiet and polite not in your face. Our server was nice and helped us with our special order, though it turns out we didn't need to change anything as the soy sauce they use is gluten-free anyhow. I love that the ingredients are real and fresh! The Ginger Lemonade was super tasty with a little kick Serving sizes are not huge, which in my opinion is great since we don't really want to take leftovers OR overeat. When we get a chance to come back to the island we will make sure to stop in here again, and next time I will try the chai gelato
(5)
Rachel O.
This was definitely good thai food, but overpriced. The green curry lacked flavor - average at best. The coconut soup was excellent and the papaya salad was good. But the prices seemed very high. Good service.
(3)
Michelle L.
Semi-poor service they didn't notice us when we first got in, weren't given silverware until our meals were brought, and didn't get asked if the food was okay. We ordered the fish cake starters which weren't too bad. Our so called 11 spices yellow curry was 10 spices short. It was the worst curry I've ever eaten and improved somewhat by drowning it with salt and pepper. The sauce just seemed to be watered down coconut milk and butter. The shrimp with it was bland. I didn't know you could cook bland shrimp. Won't ever go back!
(1)
Alice H.
Simply extraordinary. We met Howie and his team at the Holualoa light festival where they had a food stand set up. We had the avocado vegetable roll and the Pad Thai. The food was so fresh. The flavors delicious. I highly recommend you eat at Lotus Cafe!
(5)
Kelly L.
My favorite gluten free restaurant here on the Big Island! Lots of great Thai, Indian and Indonesian options to choose from. Awesome curry and yummy gelato! Worth the trip. Restaurant located near Costco. They also have a lunch truck that you will see out and about, especially at the south Kona Green Market on Sundays. Check them out!
(5)
Edward P.
I love the organic food at this place. So clean and yummy not oily. It is top on my list if I am in Kona for the day. Would love some help in exploring different menu options. More food like this please, you can feel it...
(4)
Joyce K.
Wonderful tasting, local and organic. Location not great but if you're in it for the food you'll enjoy.
(5)
Pilates P.
For the price you really don't get much food. I ordered curried vegetables with rice. It came in a soup size bowl with about 3 vegetables and 3 pieces of tofu. $12.00. The place was not very clean and there was a bug in my water. They brushed it off like it happens all the time. I must admit that the curry was very flavorful. Besides the good curry I will probably never go back. There are much better places on the island.
(2)
Ishan S.
The food was not the best ever, I had to excuse myself twice because I felt as if I was going to throw up! My kids liked their shrimp.. I added chili and they told me it was hot after I had it. The ceiling was large and scary and there were patches in the wall. The space was very minimal too. The price can be cut back according to the taste. They don't protect their food, someone can just walk in and take drinks!! Well....you can go if you want, it is a little OK...
(1)
Cameron A.
This place kicks ass! Yes, their food is organic, local, good for you, etc, etc, but it is DAMN tasty! The vegan pad thai and pineapple curry was amazingly good. Wish we had discovered this place sooner so that we could have eaten there more than once. I would have eaten all of my dinners there. Our drinks were divine too: lemon ginger and the thai tea with coconut milk. Yum! Thanks for making awesome vegan thai food!
(5)
Victoria H.
The coconut rice salad has more flavors than I think I have taste buds for. Absolutely a must try.
(4)
Casie O.
This place is always one of the highlights of our visits to Kona. Food is delicious, menu is varied (and has gluten-free, vegan, and sometimes raw options, etc.) service is friendly, atmosphere is inviting and comfortable, AND the restaurant is solar powered, they use local, organic products.
(5)
V K.
This place is a paradise for vegetarian lovers. Excellent food and service. We are vegetarians from SF and frequented this place during our stay on Big Island. Freshly prepared soups, yummy appetizers, freshly cut mango and delicious entrees kept bringing us back! Highly recommend :)
(5)
l M.
Went for lunch with four finicky kids and everyone found something they loved! We chose the three dish taster plate and all three dishes were distinct and good. Very fresh food. Sticky rice was very good and service was fast. Loved the furniture shop that was attached too.
(4)
Victoria W.
Amazing coconut macadamia smoothie! Pricey for a smoothie ($7.50 for 20 oz) but worth it in my opinion. The only downside is they give you a standard straw which is too small for some of the macadamia chunks. I ordered the 11-spice Indian curry and asked for mild, and it arrived way too spicy--I could barely eat it. I asked them if they could adjust it, and they tried, but it was still too spicy. (And I can handle standard Indian food now, so it's not just me.) My partner enjoyed his chef's special. The prices seemed reasonable for made-to-order organic fare. We did the Yelp deal for sorbets (normally $5). Got chocolate macnut and pineapple coconut. They were okay - I wasn't a fan of the chocolate's flavor, and the pineapple coconut's texture was somewhat chunky/icy in areas. (I will admit, however, that I'm extremely spoiled when it comes to sorbets thanks to Scream Sorbet in California.)
(3)
Dana S.
This is one of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to. The flavors are great and the food is really fresh. We got tofu larb, the shrimp noodle salad, an Indian-style curry of the day, and a salad dish with chicken I'm forgetting the name of. All were fantastic. When I saw the summer rolls arrive to another table, I immediately had order envy. Those are definitely the on the list for next time. We also tried the gelato, which is made with coconut and soy milks, and barely sweet. It's not classic gelato, but it was tasty. This is great stop straight from the airport--not only is it close, it's the kind of fresh food and relaxing atmosphere you need after sitting on a cramped flight for hours. If you pick your table right, there's even an ocean view.
(5)
Corinne L.
I never really write reviews, but felt I had to this time when I saw some poor reviews of what I consider one of the best restaurants on the island. Whenever I am in Kona, whether it be an errand run or the movies, Lotus Cafe is on the docket. The staff is super nice. I'm not sure why people were saying they weren't. The difference is they are quietly nice, they are not your typical in-your-face boisterous fake happy that so many waiters are. If you want advice on menu options, all you have to do is ask. I have never had a less than stellar meal here. I love the Coconut Curry Crepe, and my roommate's fave is the Chicken Mango tango. Their Thai iced tea is authentic and doesn't have caffeine in it (like everyone in the country) and everything is organic. I heard complaints about the prices, but it is all home-made and organic. For the island I'd say these are stellar prices for this type of food. Also very good is the Fried Rice, which to me is usually boring, but the way they do it is delish. Our favorite appetizer is the one with lettuce leaves ginger, onions and peanuts ...where you build your own little leaf wraps...can't remember the name. This is the place I bring people when I want to show off the island a little. Goood stuff!
(5)
Michael E.
OMG - Thai snob here saying enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. great ambiance, great service, great food, eco-friendly and 100% solar powered. Did I mentioned the freshly made gelato? Can't remember, did I mentioned the great ambiance, service, and food? Highly recommend!
(5)
k k.
It was really good overall. We all tried different dishes, from salads to sate and entrees and everyone loved it. Everything was fresh, the flavors were right on and super tasty. Also, our waitress was very nice and on it. Another nice thing some may like is they used mostly organic and local veggies and organic chicken. Would go back and try it again for sure. Also saw they have a food truck which I'll have to look out for.
(4)
Cindy T.
My daughter Brooke is a vegetarian and yoga teacher, so needless to say, she fell in love with this place! The green curry (which they pound on site-doesn't come from a jar!) with tofu and veggies was fabulous. The girl who helped us was super friendly and helpful. We weren't huge fans of the gelato, though. A tad pricey at $5 a scoop! Definitely worth a visit if you like Thai food!
(5)
Aileen P.
Stopped by to grab takeout on our way to Mauna Kea. We ordered pad thai and chicken fried rice. The pad thai didn't look anything like the pad thai available at home in California - much less colorless. Although I didn't think much of the appearance, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor upon taking my first bite. The chicken fried rice was not special at all. This is a decent option if you have a hankering for Thai food or if you don't have great Thai food in your local area. Otherwise, this is not a must-try type of place.
(3)
Forrest S.
The Lotus Cafe is pretty far ahead of the curve in a lot of ways. They are solar powered, and mostly local and organic, with a great variety or gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and lactose free foods. They cater to nearly everyone's needs, which was great for my friends and I, because one of my friends is vegan, and it is very hard to find a place we can all agree on. As for myself, I have and will always love bacon, gluten and dairy products, but it is great to know that there are restaurants that are willing to cater to so many eating preferences, and I really wish that there were more. As far as the food goes, I was very pleased with it in almost every aspect. I had the fresh Indian curry in a coconut crepe, and it was delicious. The vegetables and tofu were perfectly cooked, and the curry was bursting with so many flavors, and most importantly, it came spicy, and thing few restaurants will do when you ask for spicy. This white boy can handle the Thai heat. For dessert we shared a chocolate mac nut coconut gelato that is hand made, and while it was good, my friend who is a self proclaimed coconut milk ice cream expert, said she has had better. It had more of a sorbet texture than a creamy, gelato texture, which is hard to replicate when you are using coconut as opposed to milk or cream. I found the portions to be hit and miss. I'm a pretty big guy, so I always tend to say this, but I really think that all the entrees should come with rice, especially considering the cost. This place is mostly organic, local and sustainable, and as always, it reflects in the prices and these are really the only reasons why I can't give this place five stars. The food here is wonderful, and they really do a great job at supporting local farms and being sustainable, which I really do admire and hope that more restaurants will do. They also offer cooking classes, which I would love to attend and would like to see more restaurants do. I really hope more restaurants follow suit.
(4)
Nina B.
My favorite restaurant in Kona. The chicken skewers are the best Ive ever had. Their shrimp always has flavor unlike some other over- produced shrimp that taste like nothing. The green curry is succulant and also the papaya salad. We love this place and go consistently. It hands down kicks ass. It has won many awards and one being for a leading enviromentaly conscious restaurant. A really really impressive and forward thinking business with hands down the best Thai in Kona. I have tried them all and maybe Lemongrass is a close second however I find it less consistent with quality and tons of sugar/corn syrup in their food. Sure thats yummy but I want the best fuel to give my body as it is my greatest gift. This food has tons of flavor and it comes from the food itself. Love it!
(5)
Will B.
It is blatant false advertising to suggest these people serve Indian Food, the Kashmiri dish was overly spiced Thai food mislabeled. Insulting how much they charge for an extra serving of brown rice considering the puny amount they give you with your main dishes (which are supposed to include brown rice). $3.50-hah! Much better Thai place near downtown Kona (Kurti? Curti?), Lotus is too far away, too expensive and terrible service. BTW, I was with locals and they agreed. Never again.
(1)
J B.
Lotus, I really wanted to like you. I like that you serve organic, locally sourced ingredients. I like that you have coconut milk ice cream. I like that you have some unusual offerings and interesting drink options including Saki and Maui Brewing Coconut Porter (which is awesome). I am looking for a favorite Thai place on the Big Island and wish so much that you could have been it. The service was not especially friendly and we were treated a little brusquely from the time we entered until the time we left. A group of four people, we ordered four dishes so we got a good sampling of menu offerings. We ordered 1 mild dish, 1 extra spicy dish and two unspecified vegetarian dishes. The mild dish arrived as the spiciest dish, but was also bland...not sure how that is even possible. The dish we ordered spicy had very little spice or flavor. The other dishes were decidedly unmemorable. Meat content was low on both meat dishes we ordered. The meal was quite expensive overall and I cannot say that we really enjoyed the experience to justify this. There are a lot of restaurants in the area who prove that you can have an organic, locally sourced meal that is also delicious and fairly priced. My search for a go to Thai restaurant will have to continue.
(2)
Kelton J.
Food was excellent. Service was good to average. I dropped a star because it's so dark and dingy. I really didn't like eating at a place where I felt any second we would be in the middle of a gunfight between Chinese gangs over turf.
(4)
Laurence L.
It's really off the beaten path, unless you're shopping at Cosco, in which case, it's just up the street. Nothing much to draw your eye, and parking may sometimes be a little tight, but that's it for negatives! This little gem not only feeds you with food that comes from the heart, it is so healthy that the Heart Association should hold its banquets in the bamboo and South Pacific themed dining room, where a lovely fountain welcomes you, and a resident bird sings! After you fall in love with the food, like the 11-spice curry, or the green curry, or the tom kar kai soup, or their own version of bahn xeo, Ladda and Howard Simon will teach you how to make it for yourself! Pure ingredients, without short cuts or prepared curries, you learn to season to taste, and you learn how to prepare a feast.... then you eat the feast, and you take the secrets back with you to the mainland. Try the ginger lemonade. Try everything. I could live there! It's our first stop when we go to our time share condo, and I prefer it to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel!
(5)
Adam A.
Great flavors, especially for Thai and Indian in Hawaii. Very fresh and tasty. Be careful if you go for Medium Spicy, they go by THAI scale, which means Medium is very hot. "Thai Hot" will make you cry. ;) The Thai Iced Tea was delicious... The Lilikoi Nectar was quite sour. Their gelato dessert was lovely.
(4)
Rebecca D.
This place is great, and the portions are very large. I wish we had ordered less, because we ate too much and had way too much food leftover. I ordered the chef's choice sampler and told them that I eat fish but not meat. That meant that two out of three sample dishes contained Ono. I love Ono, in fact I think it's my favorite fish. But my two companions also ordered Ono, and the portions were HUGE. I was way Ono'ed out. It wouldn't be a big deal except that it's one of those large fish that sometimes have higher levels of mercury (and I'm ttc). Very nice atmosphere inside, and the food is interesting and very tasty.
(4)
John R.
Disappointing. Not really bad, but the food was all surprisingly flavorless and bland -- none of the bright flavors (and sometimes heat) that I love about Thai/SE Asian food. And, as others have pointed out, very pricey, even by Big Island standards. Might be a good option if you have special dietary needs (lots of vegan/veggie options, etc.). But otherwise, I would stick with the other options in town like Orchid or even Rapanui (although it has a bit of a different focus).
(2)
Yves R.
This is a real gem, and we found it through yelp on the evening before boarding our plane back home. The food was very fresh, authentic, and tasty. The green papaya salad was outstanding. Everything else was also really good, and I will return on my next trip. My favorite Thai restaurant in Kona is Orchid Thai Cuisine, which has become even better in the last year. I would rate Orchid Thai tastier overall. On the other hand, Lotus Cafe has very fresh and organic ingredients, so try to experience both if you have the time.
(5)
Emily C.
We came here twice during our week-long trip to the Big Island -- when my boyfriend was picking up and returning his rental bike at Cycle Station just a block away. We're vegan/strict vegetarian and were drawn to their claims of using "local and organic" produce. Right on! The prices definitely reflect that, but if the food is good it's not out of line. The first time was at lunch, and we were fresh off the plane, and it was pretty much perfect. I had an allegedly Sumatran-style dish with grilled eggplant and tofu served with a great brown rice and a tomato-chili sauce. It was light and tasty and hit the spot. I also had a cup of coffee, which was just OK -- tasted a little overroasted -- but I'm admittedly picky about my coffee. On our second visit, I tried a Thai-style dish featuring "garden vegetables and mushrooms in a ginger sauce." This was a huge disappointment. The garden vegetables were overcooked (and included celery, which I hate, but my boyfriend argued that I can't take off points for my own random vegetable pickiness, even if it's the only one I hate!), the sauce was bland, and the featured mushrooms tasted like reconstituted dried shiitakes -- yuck. The ginger lemonade was nice, though -- VERY gingery.
(3)
Heather W.
We come here often to eat in or get take out. It's not the best Thai food I have ever had but it hits the spot and is consistent. We will for sure be going back once every week or two.
(4)
Kevin R.
We ate here twice while in the area, and enjoyed the flavors both times. We did dinner the first time, and lunch the second stop. I wanted to try so many things on the menu, so I could see eating here again and again. My only compaint is the prices. For a place so far out of downtown, you might think they could be more reasonably priced. Had the portions been bigger, this wouldn't be such a problem. Though very tasty, you have to expect to spend some money here. Try the gelato for dessert, several flavors if you have a group, they're all amazing.
(4)
Erin S.
Great flavors and very fresh food. If you order a dish mild and one person likes a little more spice they have an awesome chili seasoning they will bring to you. I was craving veggies, so I was very happy to be able to order a dish with lots of fresh veggies. They are a bit pricy for the portion size, but it is organic, non-gmo, and locally sourced, so I am a little forgiving of the price.
(4)
Rachel L.
Taking Thai cooking classes in a restaurant is a uniquely wonderful experience. Ladda and Howie invite you into their kitchen, explain how to use the ingredients, and share their recipes with you. The three-hour classes pass quickly as you cook, ask questions and take breaks to eat what you've helped prepare. What a treat! My husband and I took three of their classes and had so much fun. We liked the classes so much, we planted galangal root, a kaffir lime tree, lemongrass in our HI garden. We highly recommend this as a great date activity.
(5)
David T.
Finally found a healthy and delicious restaurant in the Kona area. We had the chicken and shrimp satay for an appetizer. I had the pad Thai omelet while others in our group had the pad Thai tofu, eggplant with grilled tofu, and the chicken mango tango. The flavors off all the dishes was fantastic, without a lot of chemicals to cover or over power the taste. Left the restaurant full, but not feeling overloaded with hormones or chemicals.
(5)
George G.
Somewhere in my mind there has been a dream of a thai restaurant that doesn't use the "thai kit"--bottled sauces with msg so that they can say "no msg added" (because it's already in the sauce!). I finally found it, but it's in Kona. The owners make all their sauces (the pad thai has only three spices--Bragg, tamarind and palm sugar), grow whatever they can, use organic chicken and non-gmo soy/tofu, and are very purposeful, thoughtful and conscious about their cooking. And they're open from morning to night. Last night I sat perusing the menu of the Lotus Cafe wishing they delivered on Oahu. Sadly, until my next visit I'll have to dream of the Shrimp Laksa with the aroma of fresh turmeric; homemade vegan gelato; homegrown ginger lemonade, and more.
(5)
Travis T.
If the food had been half priced it would deserve a mediocre 2 star review, but it was insanely overpriced, and was pretty bland to boot. I ordered the drunken chicken. This was not so much chicken as a salad with what could not have been more than a 1/4 chicken breast on top. That was $14 and should have been the salad one may get as an appetizer to a main entree. If I had ordered about 3 of those I may have left and not still been hungry. I'll add that I usually fault places for giving you a ton of food in place of quality. This food is neither quality or value.
(1)
Ling W.
Very cool interior with authentic doors and panels, albeit a bit cluttered. Food was diverse and fresh. I found the everything tasted Thai, although some of it was labeled as Indonesian, Indian, Burmese, etc...It may have been my inadequate taste buds. However, when I get something that's Indian, I expect a thick curry! Service was polite. We both liked our meals, but I would not order the vanilla ginger ice cream again, way too strong unless you love ginger!
(4)
Max C.
Lotus Cafe is the best Thai/Asian food you will find in Hawaii. All foods are grown fresh on the island in their own garden. They have the most amazing menu with exotic, yet amazing dishes that are above anything you'll find even in large cities. While they do have the common staple dishes, and they are equally as tasty, I highly recommend trying something new.... You won't be let down. I've lived and traveled all over Asia and their food is unique, organic healthy tastes from all over Asia. Ask for the owner Howie, and if he's there ask to try the Thai snack plate. It's amazing! Definitely add this to the list of Todos when on the Big island.
(5)
Genevive B.
Perfect place to stop for lunch or dinner while near the Kona Airport. Dinner for two with drinks runs about $50. And organic & local Thai and Indian food is a dream come true. Wish more Asian restaurants were more aware of ingredient quality.
(4)
Paul B.
Awsome, healthy, Thai food. Location is out of the way unless you are going to Costso, but catch them at the farmer's market on Sunday for breakfast or lunch. I love the green curry with chicken!
(5)
Capprica S.
Delicious food, apparently everything on the menu is Gluten free. Additionally, I love the fact that everything was organic, most things were locally sourced, and all waste gets composted. Considering it is Hawaii, and all of the special things they are doing with their establishment, it was very inexpensive. All that hippy stuff is usually something you have to prepare to pay through the nose for. They seem to only have dark meat, which I despise, but the meals were so good that I ended up enjoying them anyway. What I liked best was Drunken Chicken and one of the Indian Curries with chicken. With Sticky rice. Ridiculously tasty (especially the curry), however, keep in mind that Thai spicy is excruciating even by comparison to Mexican spicy (and I do not mean taco bell). The medium drunken chicken was delicious, even as cold leftovers, but it made me curse and cry like a bipolar sailor. When I came back I was sure to order mild. The drunken chicken has kind of a light, lime and chile and broth flavor to it, and is full of lightly cooked (still crisp, not soggy) vegetables such as carrot shreds and cabbage leaf chunks. The lime leaves used to help season the sauce are probably technically edible, but I don't recommend it because they are really tough. The indian curry was very savory, yellow curry, on the thin and soupy side, with a big stick of cinnamon and star anise simmered in the sauce. The cinnamon and anise are very notable in the sauce, and my mouth has started watering again thinking about it... nom... Anyway. It had pretty standard stew/curry vegetables in it such as carrot and potato. My cutie kept going for the fried rice. Good stuff. =) Even better than the marvelous curry is the gelato and sorbetto. The chocolate macadamia and lillikoi were some of the tastiest ice creams I have ever head, extremely refreshing, and made from coconut milk (non- dairy, which is great for Vegans and lactose intolerant people). One thing I had that I would never order again is the 'Thaitalian' dishes. Fusion is often a means of having a unique and interesting meal, but that was just kind of strange, overly creamy, and the spices were not as complementary to one another as other dishes. Overall, this is an awesome, delicious place to eat, reasonably priced (approx 7-10 dollars for an entree as I recall) and when I go back to Kona I will be thrilled to eat here again.
(5)
cat m.
Good flavors, good food, but prices are pretty high. Green curry chicken was great -- good heat and flavor. Chicken Satay was good but peanut sauce taste like baby food -- mild, sweet, and no real spice to it. Portions are a bit small given the price.
(3)
Alex A.
Had chicken sata, shrimp summer roll and special fish, all were great.
(4)
Stan B.
Overall the food is not bad. I ordered chicken curry. It was pretty tasty. My girlfriend ordered eggplant with basil. It was somewhat plain. The service was not that great. The waitress was hardly moving. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty it took them about 5 minutes to offer any drinks
(4)
Grace E.
I can't say much because we never got to the point of ordering. Its too bad too because I've been really wanting to eat here because of all the reviews but when we first walked in the employees just looked at us like we didn't belong there. The atmosphere of the restaurant was dark and gloomy and it smelled like wet dog. We went here with our 3 kids and it just felt uncomfortable. Maybe we'll try it again without the kids but i doubt it.
(2)
Kay M.
Great veggie place. Thai green curry was unlike any other place. My wife had a Thai curry with a crepe - very creative and tasty. All curry paste ground in house - you can definitely taste the difference in the food. Highly recommended - veggie or not.
(5)
K A.
Not really thai food that you would come expect else where, the ingredients are fresh but they seem to be undercooked for what ever reason including chicken and onions used in the fried rice. If undercooked bland thai food is your thing then this place is for you, but otherwise avoid this place if you are looking to eat thai.
(1)
Monika S.
Living in San Francisco really spoils you for the rest of the world when it comes to outstanding international cuisine. The amazing thing is that with our insane high foodie standards we found some fantastic restaurants on the Big Island. First thing to know about dining on the Big Island; there are no "hip" neighborhoods to find the next big deal. Instead the best meals we enjoyed were from restaurants that have been in strip malls, surrounded by the likes of Costco, Ross and Office Depot. Why would anyone put a restaurant of high standards in a location like that? Simple. That is where the locals shop and where they will be guaranteed visibility. Don't judge a book by its cover, or I guess where it is located in the dusty bookstore. Anyway, Lotus Cafe drew us in with its neon sign claiming organic, local Thai food. Could it be possible? We found the few reviews on Yelp and decided to go for it. The space is simple, cool and it was really quiet the night we were in. The waitress was pleasant albeit a little difficult to understand. I started with the lemon- ginger drink. I almost fell out of my seat; it was so fresh and delicious, if it wasn't a little pricey I would have drank a gallon of it. We had the pad Thai, a tofu peanut curry veggie mix and brown rice. Everything and I mean everything was fresh, not from a bottle and satisfying. The pad Thai was light, the noodles perfect and the sauce was simple and lovely. No MSG in anything. Many people think that only Chinese food is high in MSG, Thai is usually just as bad. It is often in the "curry" mix to enhanced the flavor. Since I am pretty darn allergic to it, I always ask...this time the waitress and the menu offered that info. We also had a banana coconut desert that was yummy. Light and not too sweet. Overall food was amazing....prices are about the same as a decent Thai place in SF, which means a little pricey for the island. The restaurant is totally off the grid; it runs on solar energy and uses mostly compostable to go dishes. We are so glad we discovered it, since it is a few blocks from Costco, the post office, Ceviche Dave's and Snorkel Bobs....all required stops on the Big Island. I hope they make it; I look forward to a return visit in 2 years.
(4)
Lindsay O.
Found this place by accident while on vacation and loved it! We went at 1:30 on a Tuesday and it was quiet but had a few other couples. We got the three-item sampler ($15) and the waitress was great about handling our dietary restrictions. We also had a large banana date smoothie ($7 but worth it), and tofu summer rolls ($8). The sampler came with Indian chicken curry (spicy!!), a delicious vegetable Thai curry, and a really amazing lilikoi-glazed chicken. So Ono! It also came with a cup of rice but we ordered a second one because we were sharing. The food was stellar, atmosphere was cute, and the server was great even though she was handling lunch all by herself. We were very happy!
(5)
emily H.
Eat here. Best Thai food I have had on the Big Island. My parents touted this little cafe as a place I had to try... Upon arrival, I could see why! Local, organic, veg friendly fare made fresh to order in a cute cafe that is solar powered!!! Sign me up. We ordered: * fresh shrimp rolls (my parents loved)- came with 3 fresh sauces: peanut, fresh chili sauce and a fish sauce something rather... * tofu larb- delish! flavor packed with fresh cilantro, chile and lime, served with local lettuce not cabbage, had to ask for a little more, as it wasn't enough to pack all the spicy goodness into * vegi green curry- nice, fresh, simple. not a 10, but definitely tasty. had with brown rice, also have option of jasmine or sticky (i like options!) * pad thai- not the normal orange tamarind soaked flavor many places rely on (thanks). I've been to Thailand, and the taste is right on. *grilled tofu appetizer- i forget what this was called on the menu, and was expecting more of a satay than tofu "steaks". 4 nice sized pieces, in a different sauce- a black soy coconut sauce that reminded me of salty caramel, in a good way. added a little peanut sauce to this and had with rice... Whence I return to Kona, this will be on my repertoire.
(4)
Anoop G.
I wasn't too excited about going here but decided to check it out because one of my colleagues recommended it highly, even though the reviews on Yelp weren't all that great. (The reviews on Happy Cow are better.) The restaurant advertises itself as using mostly organic and local ingredients which, when I read about it on entering, made me excited. They had lots of vegan options as well, and were able to offer several dishes that would meet my requirements of no onions, no garlic. The ambience was good (nice, cozy feel) and the service was OK. So why only 3 stars? The first reason is that I found the dreaded little piece of meat in my vegetarian dish. I guess mistakes happen, but that was a big turn-off. They offered to redo the dish, but I didn't really like it, so I asked for another one of the appetizers that we had just ordered and that I kind of liked. And this time around the appetizer showed up quite burnt so that was a disappointment. Despite the mistake, they did charge for the replacement appetizer...normally I would have expected goodwill to prevail. I've had restaurants take stuff off the check for much less. Additionally, the dish (Kashmiri curry vegetables) was very bland and the vegetables felt like they could have used some more cooking. I guess, even though they use all the right spices, they just don't cook it right. I also had a sample to taste one of their vegan gelato flavors and didn't care for it enough to get an order of it. I applaud them for using local, organic ingredients, but I think the way they put these ingredients together needs some work. It is quite expensive, and while everything in Hawaii tends to be expensive, this is just a bit more expensive than average which raises expectations somewhat.
(3)
Andrea P.
Excellent Indonesian food and a wide variety. The owner says they use no additives, preservatives and only the highest quality ingredients for all sauces and dishes, and totally gluten-free. These people really know how to handle spices and intense flavor with creativity and finesse. If you like any kind of asian food, you'll love this place. Great atmosphere too!
(5)
Somya C.
Slightly more on the pricey side but the food was good. I ordered the vegetable fried rice and loved it.
(4)
griyenga g.
My husband and me recently visited the lotus cafe - We loved the food and wanted to share our review about the place with the world! If you are craving for asian food this is the best experience you could get in a small island in hawaii! We stayed in hawaii big island for 5 days and went here 3 days in a row :) We loved the Yellow curry - typical to sambhar/dal (indian curry) with hot steaming rice - Kashmiri curry - another fantastic curry - coconut crape with veggies and curry - (just like dosas), this is the best treat a veggie can get in this island. We are from New York city and have yet not eaten curry and rice as yummy as this! Fresh vegetables. excellent service and lovely interiors! We recommend this place to everyone who visits the big island ( kona side) and we feel that our HAWAII experience would not have been complete without lotus cafe.
(5)
Gwen E.
Yikes I hate to write a negative review but I thought people should know that I waited 45 minutes for a take-out order last night. The price is definitely on the upward scale (more than most Thai places). The food was good, I'm not toally sure about this, but I think the noodles were fresh and possibly made in house which is great. However, it was slightly bland and it not wow me, especially for the price. Unfortunatley, I won't be coming here again.
(2)
James C.
Food is completly undercooked, the chicken i got was still pink in the middle. I wish i could give this zero stars.
(1)
Mae S.
The atmosphere is odd: it's in a warehouse overlooking the parking lot of Costco. But like everything else on the Kona hillside, if you look past the parking lot at dinner hour, you see the sun setting into the Pacific. Due to its obscure location, I suspect mainly locals have found it so far (it's around 3 months old) -- we heard of it from some new residents. I bet tourists will soon be drawn to its special fusion of health food and Thai/Oriental ingredients and methods. Note: the Thai ice tea has a lot of cinnamon and it's a little too sweet -- the cafe menu advertises NO dairy prods, so I think it's made with coconut milk. But everything else was very delicious. Lots of vegetarian choices, fresh fish, noodles, wraps, dessert pancakes, satay...
(4)
Kathleen Hunter H.
Stunning food - organic, beautifully cooked and presented - worth finding - unusual warehouse location as another reviewer has noted - not cheap but totally in keeping with the quality -
(4)
Anna P.
This place is really good about local, fresh, "real" ingredients. It's not cheap, but the quality is good and that is worth the expense. I don't eat here often, but really enjoy the mango lassi. For 8 dollars it is one of the most expensive drinks I'll ever order, but its so tasty it is completely worth it (people waste that on cocktails without batting an eye). Not sure about the illness claims, another friend told me something similar, but I've never had an issue *knock on wood*.
(4)
Dan R.
I eat here so frequently that I've had the opportunity to eat basically every dish on the menu. I've also attended one of the cooking classes. What sets this restaurant apart it that they make all their sauces from scratch, often incorporating 10-15 herbs and spices per recipe. When possible, the ingredients are grown on Howie Simon's farm, the proprietor of the cafe. Everything on the menu is organic, and local when possible. Also, they just started making raw/organic pies. Try them. After eating hear so frequently, I can honestly say I feel better in body and spirit.
(5)
Malea X.
excellent! no dairy, no fish sauce, no mammals. if the menu item doesn't have chicken or fish, then it's vegan. gotta LOVE that! the food is very good and they have homemade vegan gelato!
(5)
Nico N.
Bought lotus cafe spring rolls and coconut sticky rice at the Saturday farmers market in keauhou. Got two chicken and two avocado springrolls. These were a ripoff! Why? Because the man selling them boasted all veggies were grown in his garden yet the rolls were mostly filled with rice. We were looking for something healthier and at 2 for $6, these weren't worth it. The sticky rice was decent- also a somewhat small portion and baby bean loved it.
(3)
jacquelyn k.
Awesome place!!! I like their food and they don't use GMO!!! Everything is local and organic, the even make their own gelato it's dairy free and super yummy! I would recommend! They also have a Furniture shop where they have a bunch of really unique stuff from Thailand.
(4)
RZ H.
Myself, and two other people at my table (3 out of 4 of us) became violently ill from eating here within just 25 minutes of consuming our food. We were in the middle of our meal when it hit us each individually out of no where! We all ate nothing else in common the entire day but each threw up within 5 minutes of each other after eating here. One woman even had to run out the door to vomit because I was already in the restroom throwing up myself. And, my fiance was in the men's restroom also vomiting! After much review, we think it was some sort of literal poison in the food or severe allergic reaction. Tradition food poisoning takes at least a few hours but because this was instant, our best guess after consulting with doctors was either too much bleach solution in their cleaning process or spoiled rice which can make you sick almost immediately if it is bad enough. The owner is nice but there is simply something wrong with how they prepare their food. Sorry, but we will not risk it again and don't ever eat here.
(1)
Mark C.
There are lot's of Thai/Asian food restaurants in Kona...........but none can compare to Lotus for their originality in both menu and cooking style. They have a penchant for organic, locally grown, healthy and exotic ingredients which just is not the way on the big island........because it usually is just too much work and effort. Not for these wonderful restaurateurs dedicated to delivering taste, healthy/healing food and exciting dining for their customers. Their desserts and home made gelato complete the experience. While dining you can take a stroll thru the large adjacent warehouse full of Asian furniture and home accessories that will add to the feeling you are in Southeast Asia and in another world! The fact they close at 9pm in and of itself is unique on an island where the sidewalks are rolled up at 8pm. This could be one of the most interesting and unique restaurants in the Hawaiian Islands.............Hurray for the island of Hawaii!!!!
(5)
Dee S.
My order - Veg pad thai, veg green curry. Taste - The best thai food I have ever tasted. The green curry was made from fresh coconut and organic vegetables. The basil addition was just perfect in the dish. Usually the green curry which I had tasted so far had way too much basil in them. Pad thai too tasted good and fresh. Vegans/Vegetarians will go nuts for this place! Cost - $30 for 2 people. Staff and service - Friendly and quick! Do not miss this place!
(5)
Rita M.
Have always wanted to try Lotus Cafe and so I went out of my way to get there. After speaking with the counter person I ordered Rad Na, a Thai rice noodle dish with cabbage, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc. It sounded wonderful. Because I needed to get to my office I placed a to go order. They charged me 5% or $0.80 additional for the to go container. I drive the 10 minutes to my office, opened the container to find gummy sticky noodles with a couple of thinly sliced carrots and a few green beans. No cabbage, no broccoli. Definitely not worth the money I spent. I'll stick to TK'S Noodle House in the future.
(2)
Pamela W.
The laksa is a dream ... lots of fresh and beautiful organic veggies (kabocha, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts) over rice noodles and a curry that is making me salivate now just thinking about it. A perfectly balanced and full-of-flavor laksa. I also appreciated that they make all of their own sauces and curries right there. It's a vegan (with locally farmed/raised meat options), organic and gluten-free resto that really impresses.
(5)
Jigesha D.
I love this place! Found it through yelp, and I liked the service. We had the special which was the mango curry--- amazing! You actually get pieces of mango in it along with the vegetables. We are vegetarians, and they could make anything vegetarian. We also had the pad Thai as well, yummy. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Wouldn't recommend the smoothies though-- sort of bland.
(5)
Sylvia C.
No good value for money. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant charged us the price of a three-dollar sign restaurant yet the food portion was pathetically small - 10 tiny chicken pieces in my large bowl of green curry. No doubt the Thai flavour was authentic - that is applaudable since many Thai foods in SF Bay Area are either too sweet or rich. It probably serves organic food as it claims on the menu, but many other eateries in the Big Island serve organic foods anyway since they source their fresh ingredients from Waimea in the North. Just not worth the price.
(2)
Kami L.
I ate here about two months ago with my boyfriend. We were so disappointed with the food that I still remember it two months later and finally remembered to jump onto Yelp and write a review. I prefer eating vegan, organic and gluten-free food, so this place seemed perfect. The food was bland and oily. The noodles were stuck together and mushy. I've never had such tasteless thai food. Our pad thai was unrecognizable, didn't look like any pad thai I had ever had. I asked our server to make sure we got the right order and she assured us rudely that it was the pad thai. That's fine if it is done differently here, but if we just want to double check we got the right order, we shouldn't be met with a rude response. We left with a bad taste in our mouths, literally. Rude service. bad food.
(1)
Kona L.
Happen upon this place after our Costco run. This a gem of a place, and everything is yummy on this menu. We were a party of 8, so we got to try a large array of dishes! Totally unassuming place, but you won't be disappointed!
(5)
Hilary O.
After reading all of the mixed reviews this is what I can tell you. It is not your traditional Thai restaurant. Their focus is all locally grown, vegetarian, etc food. So that in itself makes this particular thai restaurant unique. I actually quite like what I have eaten both at their food truck and in the restaurant. I have definitely had hit or miss items here however the items that I do enjoy are the reasons I continue to come here. It is extremely healthy in the way that they prepare there food. When the item has been bad, its been really bad. I cannot say much good about the service. Its pretty nonexistent honestly, which can be frustrating. Definitely do not go if you are expecting good service. They honestly seem like a group of vegetarian, health conscious people that opened a decent Thai restaurant without ever having worked in a restaurant themselves. They just need to be little more business smart with the service.
(4)
Amanda T.
We stopped by this place and found it to be quite good! The food was tasty and their smoothies are unique and very flavorful. I ordered vegetable fried rice with tofu and their special sauce! Very good! The only negative was that their one staff member was not the friendliest but we got her to smile and it turned out ok!
(4)
Kaz L.
Excellent and flavorful are the key words to this restaurant. I've been coming here everyday for lunch, I couldn't get enough. Fresh ingredients you can taste and the flavors are right on. And if you like it spicy ask for Thai spicy and you'll be in spicy heaven. Highly recommend this place.
(5)
Beth R.
While at a farmers market south of Kona, we happened upon the cafe's food truck. I talked to one of the owners. He was helpful and friendly. I told him the cafe was on my dining list while in the area and that we would soon check it out. A few days later, we did. Loved it! It is tucked away from downtown Kona. The dining environment is pleasant and casual. My husband and I shared a Burmese salad. I can't remember what was in it, but it was incredible. Truly incredible. It would have been a meal for one. It was actually a lot for us to share as a salad, but we managed. I had vegan pad Thai, which was excellent. And I finished it all with a vegan coffee gelato. Heaven on a plate.
(5)
Ann K.
We returned with high expectations but the coconut crêpe that comes with my favorite curry was thick, soggy, and starchy. I just ate the curry and left the crêpe. Perhaps there is a different chef. Hopefully things will get back up to the previous standards.
(3)
Gil S.
My wife and I finally ate lunch here and were more disappointed than we have ever been at any restaurant. We ordered different dishes, but, both dishes contained an unbelievable 3 and 4 small low grade chicken pieces respectively, along with carrots, cauliflower, & cabbage, one dish also had mango. One bad dish may be an aberration, but both were woefully portion starved and overcooked, the sauce was ok, but, in no way made up for the terrible portions , presentation and ultimate disappointment of a shameful lunch. To add insult to a bad experience it was also outrageously overpriced, particularly given the lack of quality. There are many Thai and noodle house type restaurants, serving much better quality ingredients, far superior in every manner and much more reasonably priced in the Kailua-Kona Area, such as TK Noodle, at much more reasonable pricing save the heartache STAY AWAY FROM HERE
(1)
Chelsea A.
Soooo delicious. Ingredients are fresh, sauces have layers of flavors. My husband can always get his "thai hot" here while I can keep it mild to share with the baby. And the vegan gelatos can't be missed! Make sure to save room.
(4)
Morgan K.
This place is awful! I would give it a negative rating if I could... We got the following menu items. Tom Yam Ono: No flavor, hardly anything to the soup, there was one little piece of ginger, a few slices of carrots, a couple sliced cherry tomatoes and 4 very small pieces of Ono that were tough and flavorless. The small bowl was $6.95! Total ripoff. Vegetarian Wide Rice Noodles: This dish included a small hand full of vegetables, not even worthy of mention...a clump of flavorless slimy noodles in the middle (couldn't even grab the noodles with a fork because they slipped right off) all in a thick brown sauce. Don't know what the sauce was but once again, no flavor. Oh, and did I mention there were bugs in the noodles! Gross! Vegetarian Eggplant Dish: A few pieces of eggplant in a thin gray sauce with a hand full of assorted veggies. No flavor. Overpriced and flavorless! Not to mention the unfriendly staff. If you want excellent Thai food visit the Spoonful Cafe in Keaau! We ended up going to Costco to get pizza for dinner... .
(1)
Nicole A.
I cannot tell you how absolutely great this place is. This place has never compromised on quality since the day it opened. I used to come here regularly just after it opened years ago. I recently returned to Kona for a visit after many years since moving away. This place was the first place I wanted to go back to. I was not disappointed in the least. I love the owners and all the workers. Thank you Lotus Cafe.
(5)
Erich B.
Their food truck is better. We ate at the food truck this afternoon and decided to have dinner at the restaurant before we flew home today. We had the steamed Ono which was good but the Ono was a bit overcooked. Great flavor and broth though. We also had the Tom jai yom soup. Quite good. Very clean food. Nice place. A little hard to find but not that much or I wouldn't have come. The owner is manning the truck at the moment so maybe that is why the restaurant wasn't as good. We will return when we are onthe big Island again. If you can find the truck(5 stars) go there otherwise this place is great.
(4)
Dania-Maria K.
Came here for lunch with the boyfriend, his mom, his sister, and his sister's friend (both teenagers). We were allowed to choose our seats once we entered, the restaurant seems to also sell furniture! It was incredibly tempting to mozzie on over to that section and browse, but I restrained myself. I didn't have to for long as our food promptly arrived. My boyfriend and I split a green papaya salad, coconut soup with chicken (which wasn't on the menu, but our server had no qualms about getting it done for us, awesome!), and the chef's special tasters . This included three dishes served in small portions with a portion of your choice of rice. One dish was fish with a sweet mango/citrus sauce with cut up carrots, cabbage, and diced avocado. The other was a hearty, spicy dish with coconut milk, chicken, and veggies. The third included shrimp, vegetables, and the sauce or marinade it was in was very light, but seemed to have notes of either chili or paprika (I don't even know if Thai cuisine uses paprika). All three were a great exploration of the huge variety in Thai cooking! We had a blast eating our way through them. I wish I could make mention to what everyone else had, but as you can tell I was enthralled with our order. I highly recommend checking out Lotus Cafe, it has a comfortable, casual setting, and there's great furniture to oogle at.
(4)
Arti S.
Small local organic great find with fantastic food! I stopped by here for dinner as soon as we landed on the big island. My boys, husband and mother-in-law... Each one loved what they ordered! They have a iced tea (an iced chai tea) and it is so refreshing and delicious! If you stumble here.. be sure to go in!
(5)
Linda C.
Tucked away and hard to find but nice, friendly service. The Udupi pineapple curry was different but a little too sweet after a few mouthfuls. Hubby had the Rad Na noodles which was good. They had a small selection of beers in the cooler but they did have some craft beers. Great gelato. Definitely try it!
(3)
Jordan W.
This place is not good - particularly the vegetable wide rice noodles, which were slimy, tasteless, and stuck together in a pool of what tasted like very salty hot and sour soup. I know others have rated this place well (which is why we went), but our meal was not good and was overpriced. If you go, stick to the dishes other diners have recommended.
(1)
La' Akea S.
Best food that we found in Kailua-Kona! We were on a family vacation for a week and tried several restaurants but nothing really stood out...until we ran across their food truck at a Sunday Farmer's Market. A-mazing!!!! We are foodies and love ethnic food, so this was right up our alley. The food made such an impression that we went to their restaurant. Great selection with nice, bold flavors. Healthy, tasty, and environmentally conscious. Gluten-free options are available too.
(5)
Josh F.
My family and I went to this cafe while on vacation and we weren't impressed. The first thing we noticed was that the food is very overpriced. We each payed $6 for tea I could have mistaken for water. For a family of 4 the bill came out to be over $100 before tip and none of us left overly filled. The service, although friendly, was not wonderful. We drained our water glasses quickly and sipped our teas. We sat for the better part of 30 minutes while our waitress took the orders for a large take out order. There were other workers in the restaurant during this time but they did not do much that we could see. Also, one entree came out almost 10 minutes after the other three. We were about finished when the last entree finally arrived. To top it off, the food was not overly impressive despite our waitress saying repeatedly that we would love it. For the sake of your wallet and patience please proceed with caution.
(2)
Shattered T.
The Thai Green Curry was delicious! So was the Thai Drunken Chicken! The prices are reasonable. They could use an air conditioner and it was strange that they were playing Beetles music, but I came here for good food and that's what I got.
(5)
T R.
Thai Lite would describe this food. The avocado rolls.. Do NOT think Cheesecake Factory.. Think raw vegan sticky rice paper wraps. The Burmese Salad was yummy! Great dressing! The Pad Thai.... Different..... Not that it wasn't good, but much lighter in sauce, flavor, consistency than most. Been to Thailand 3 times, never had Thai like this. Again... More raw/vegan/lite feel. The 3 of us left full & content but probably would not go back for the food.
(3)
Rachita B.
My husband and I ordered the chiang Mai chai, the avocado summer rolls, and the South Indian curry with brown basmati rice. The chai was fantastic -- sweet but with that familiar indian chai spice and flavor! The avocado summer rolls were good but they definitely skimped on the avocados! What's up with that?! They should rename them vegetable rolls!! The rolls came with two vegan sauces -- the peanut sauce was perfectly sweet and full-bodied but the tamarind sauce was too sweet and runny. The south indian curry was interesting -- we asked for tofu in the dish but weren't given any -- and it was $17 to boot. The curry itself was a very watery gravy and a bit too mild. The coconut flavor was solid but the dish overall needed more vegetables than the few broccoli, potato, carrot, and onion slices that were sprinkled inside it. I love curries, vegetarian, vegan, and indian-inspired dishes but I think this dish fell flat of my expectations. I think the restaurant overall would do much better if it improved it's lighting situation -- the place itself is creepily dark! Also, it's super hot inside the place -- about ten degrees warmer than the outdoor temps. Not sure what all that is about. Finally, way too many mosquitoes! With a minor facelift and some better prices, this place would be fantastic. One more thing, the parking area at nighttime is a little scary -- super dark and isolated.
(2)
Thanh N.
A bit pricey. The dishes tasted very similar to one another. We ordered the papaya salad, pad thai, and yellow curry. Pineapple turnover cake was good, however. Also, it was very hot in the restaurant. We don't regret trying the place but we wouldn't come back.
(3)
Lisa A.
Yelp is so helpful in finding a good restaurant especially when you're out of town. This place is not easy to locate because it looks to be part of an industrial section of town, but the service was fine. The restaurant is noted to be gluten-free, GMO-free, and dairy-free Asian fusion dining. We ordered Pad Thai with Chicken and Grilled Jumbo shrimp. Dishes were fantastic with fresh vegetables and decent sized shrimp (3 skewers). The lemonade was just a tad tart but refreshing. Their gelato was good for being non diary. I wanted to go back a second time but will have to come back on my next trip to the big island.
(4)
Alisa C.
We found this place right after landing in Hawaii, right over by Costco. I couldn't have been happier with the food or service! Locally sourced, organic ingredients, in a dedicated gluten free facility, which made me very happy, indeed! My companion is very skeptical of anything "natural", but loved his dishes both times that we went! I found the portions adequate, but if you're super hungry, get an appetizer. The prices were consistent with everything else I've found here in Hawaii, so didn't stand out as being exceptionally high for the area. As far as spiciness goes, it's on a 1 to 4 scale, with 4 as the hottest. I like things hot, so my companion and I both ordered our dishes "3", just to be safe, and found them to have plenty of flavor and heat. We'll be visiting this place again!
(5)
Dave T.
Great Passion fruit drink, its a must have if you like Lilikoi and something super sweet. Food is tasty, but portions are too small. We would go back more often if the portions were bigger.
(2)
Genesa L.
There are not enough stars for this fabulous restaurant! I am gf, dairy free, soy free & pork free & my hubby is gf. We also eat organic & non gmo. This place fit all of my criteria. Beyond delicious food, the assortment was endless, no need to ask for a gf menu or if it was dairy free. The mangos are like mango pudding & are picked in the owners backyards as much of the produce is. The staff again AMAZING & remembered is from a week earlier. We enjoyed the "chefs choice" on our second visit when my husband & I enjoyed what I like to call a food orgasm ;). If you're in Kailua-kona this is a don't miss!
Lotus cafe... Really wanted to like you but couldn't. We had hopes for a healthy meal & wanted to give this a chance despite other poor reviews. We tried vegetarian and non vegetarian options. The latter ones were poorly prepared (undercooked greasy chicken satay, chicken pad Thai strangely flavored, "almost raw" chocolate dessert had a grainy texture). Pricey poor lunch (about $70 for two adults & a child), mediocre service. If you must eat here, the cucumber salad and grilled tofu were both good. Of note, the smoothie we ordered was very, very sweet but once we complained it was promptly replaced with a better version.
(2)
Bruce R.
Nice off the beaten path find. Would rate 3.5 but Yelp still doesn't give us that option. Very healthy, locally grown, organic, so big bonus for that. Vellay Appam curry was to die for, would go back just for more of that! Drunken chicken was bland. Pad Thai was excellent. Casual place with nice service and reasonable prices for the Big Island. Definitely worth a trip if you are near Kona and looking to get away from the tourist zone and like healthy, fresh food.
(4)
Vadim V.
The food is indeed fresh just like other reviewers stated. However, the yellow curry tasted quite different from the usual - if there is such a thing as "usual". The salad was very well washed. The only server was waiting on one too many tables. It took a while before the menus were handed out. She was thoughtful enough to advise against the Thai coffee as the coffee machine was not working well since this morning. I would go there again when not in a hurry.
(3)
Lowell D.
Since moving to Kona I'd been given several recommendations to check this place out. I'm a pretty health conscious vegetarian who loves Thai food. I kept it simple for this first trip. Vegetarian Fried Rice. My friend got something with chicken. Food came out fast and smelled great. The service was friendly. My only complaint if it qualifies as a complaint is I could have eaten two plates of the fried rice. It was delicious but the portion size seemed a bit lacking. The spicy soy sauce on the side was perfect too! I'll definitely go back but not on an empty stomach
(4)
Dennis R.
Excellent Thai and Sumatra dishes. Great vegetarian options. Atmosphere was unique. In an industrial park area and attached to an Asian furniture store.
(5)
Cara P.
Very fresh ingredients, lots of flavor. We have been here three or four times and have not been disappointed yet. But beware if you ask for spicy....that is what you are going to get.
(4)
Kelly L.
My favorite gluten free restaurant here on the Big Island! Lots of great Thai, Indian and Indonesian options to choose from. Awesome curry and yummy gelato! Worth the trip. Restaurant located near Costco. They also have a lunch truck that you will see out and about, especially at the south Kona Green Market on Sundays. Check them out!
(5)
Joyce K.
Wonderful tasting, local and organic. Location not great but if you're in it for the food you'll enjoy.
(5)
Barb B.
Did I go to the same restaurant reviewed by others? The service was terrible! We were the only people having lunch on a Monday afternoon (okay, that should have given me a clue) and we STILL had bad service. The waitress acted as if we were intruding on her private time and, indeed, I did have to go find her in order to place our order and she was eating her own lunch in the back of the restaurant. The food was over priced and very average... I suppose the thinking is that you can double the fee if it's organic but I really have my doubts about the validity of this claim anyway. The wooden, straight back chairs were very comfortable and the whole place did not seem very clean. All in all - I cannot recommend this cafe and am a little peaved at others who did, suckering me into the whole experience.
(1)
Solnishka M.
I love this place. Healthy, tasty and flavorful. Clean, organic, non-greasy, I always feel amazing after eating there! One of my favorite places of all times.
(5)
Shannon S.
This was our first stop and our last stop on our visit to the big island. My guy has a gluten and a dairy allergy so eating out is always a bit dicey. The service was very nice, as someone else pointed out they are "Thai" nice which is quiet and polite not in your face. Our server was nice and helped us with our special order, though it turns out we didn't need to change anything as the soy sauce they use is gluten-free anyhow. I love that the ingredients are real and fresh! The Ginger Lemonade was super tasty with a little kick Serving sizes are not huge, which in my opinion is great since we don't really want to take leftovers OR overeat. When we get a chance to come back to the island we will make sure to stop in here again, and next time I will try the chai gelato
(5)
Rachel O.
This was definitely good thai food, but overpriced. The green curry lacked flavor - average at best. The coconut soup was excellent and the papaya salad was good. But the prices seemed very high. Good service.
(3)
Michelle L.
Semi-poor service they didn't notice us when we first got in, weren't given silverware until our meals were brought, and didn't get asked if the food was okay. We ordered the fish cake starters which weren't too bad. Our so called 11 spices yellow curry was 10 spices short. It was the worst curry I've ever eaten and improved somewhat by drowning it with salt and pepper. The sauce just seemed to be watered down coconut milk and butter. The shrimp with it was bland. I didn't know you could cook bland shrimp. Won't ever go back!
(1)
Alice H.
Simply extraordinary. We met Howie and his team at the Holualoa light festival where they had a food stand set up. We had the avocado vegetable roll and the Pad Thai. The food was so fresh. The flavors delicious. I highly recommend you eat at Lotus Cafe!
(5)
Edward P.
I love the organic food at this place. So clean and yummy not oily. It is top on my list if I am in Kona for the day. Would love some help in exploring different menu options. More food like this please, you can feel it...
(4)
Pilates P.
For the price you really don't get much food. I ordered curried vegetables with rice. It came in a soup size bowl with about 3 vegetables and 3 pieces of tofu. $12.00. The place was not very clean and there was a bug in my water. They brushed it off like it happens all the time. I must admit that the curry was very flavorful. Besides the good curry I will probably never go back. There are much better places on the island.
(2)
Ishan S.
The food was not the best ever, I had to excuse myself twice because I felt as if I was going to throw up! My kids liked their shrimp.. I added chili and they told me it was hot after I had it. The ceiling was large and scary and there were patches in the wall. The space was very minimal too. The price can be cut back according to the taste. They don't protect their food, someone can just walk in and take drinks!! Well....you can go if you want, it is a little OK...
(1)
Cameron A.
This place kicks ass! Yes, their food is organic, local, good for you, etc, etc, but it is DAMN tasty! The vegan pad thai and pineapple curry was amazingly good. Wish we had discovered this place sooner so that we could have eaten there more than once. I would have eaten all of my dinners there. Our drinks were divine too: lemon ginger and the thai tea with coconut milk. Yum! Thanks for making awesome vegan thai food!
(5)
Victoria H.
The coconut rice salad has more flavors than I think I have taste buds for. Absolutely a must try.
(4)
Casie O.
This place is always one of the highlights of our visits to Kona. Food is delicious, menu is varied (and has gluten-free, vegan, and sometimes raw options, etc.) service is friendly, atmosphere is inviting and comfortable, AND the restaurant is solar powered, they use local, organic products.
(5)
V K.
This place is a paradise for vegetarian lovers. Excellent food and service. We are vegetarians from SF and frequented this place during our stay on Big Island. Freshly prepared soups, yummy appetizers, freshly cut mango and delicious entrees kept bringing us back! Highly recommend :)
(5)
l M.
Went for lunch with four finicky kids and everyone found something they loved! We chose the three dish taster plate and all three dishes were distinct and good. Very fresh food. Sticky rice was very good and service was fast. Loved the furniture shop that was attached too.
(4)
k k.
It was really good overall. We all tried different dishes, from salads to sate and entrees and everyone loved it. Everything was fresh, the flavors were right on and super tasty. Also, our waitress was very nice and on it. Another nice thing some may like is they used mostly organic and local veggies and organic chicken. Would go back and try it again for sure. Also saw they have a food truck which I'll have to look out for.
(4)
Victoria W.
Amazing coconut macadamia smoothie! Pricey for a smoothie ($7.50 for 20 oz) but worth it in my opinion. The only downside is they give you a standard straw which is too small for some of the macadamia chunks. I ordered the 11-spice Indian curry and asked for mild, and it arrived way too spicy--I could barely eat it. I asked them if they could adjust it, and they tried, but it was still too spicy. (And I can handle standard Indian food now, so it's not just me.) My partner enjoyed his chef's special. The prices seemed reasonable for made-to-order organic fare. We did the Yelp deal for sorbets (normally $5). Got chocolate macnut and pineapple coconut. They were okay - I wasn't a fan of the chocolate's flavor, and the pineapple coconut's texture was somewhat chunky/icy in areas. (I will admit, however, that I'm extremely spoiled when it comes to sorbets thanks to Scream Sorbet in California.)
(3)
Dana S.
This is one of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to. The flavors are great and the food is really fresh. We got tofu larb, the shrimp noodle salad, an Indian-style curry of the day, and a salad dish with chicken I'm forgetting the name of. All were fantastic. When I saw the summer rolls arrive to another table, I immediately had order envy. Those are definitely the on the list for next time. We also tried the gelato, which is made with coconut and soy milks, and barely sweet. It's not classic gelato, but it was tasty. This is great stop straight from the airport--not only is it close, it's the kind of fresh food and relaxing atmosphere you need after sitting on a cramped flight for hours. If you pick your table right, there's even an ocean view.
(5)
Corinne L.
I never really write reviews, but felt I had to this time when I saw some poor reviews of what I consider one of the best restaurants on the island. Whenever I am in Kona, whether it be an errand run or the movies, Lotus Cafe is on the docket. The staff is super nice. I'm not sure why people were saying they weren't. The difference is they are quietly nice, they are not your typical in-your-face boisterous fake happy that so many waiters are. If you want advice on menu options, all you have to do is ask. I have never had a less than stellar meal here. I love the Coconut Curry Crepe, and my roommate's fave is the Chicken Mango tango. Their Thai iced tea is authentic and doesn't have caffeine in it (like everyone in the country) and everything is organic. I heard complaints about the prices, but it is all home-made and organic. For the island I'd say these are stellar prices for this type of food. Also very good is the Fried Rice, which to me is usually boring, but the way they do it is delish. Our favorite appetizer is the one with lettuce leaves ginger, onions and peanuts ...where you build your own little leaf wraps...can't remember the name. This is the place I bring people when I want to show off the island a little. Goood stuff!
(5)
Michael E.
OMG - Thai snob here saying enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. great ambiance, great service, great food, eco-friendly and 100% solar powered. Did I mentioned the freshly made gelato? Can't remember, did I mentioned the great ambiance, service, and food? Highly recommend!
(5)
Cindy T.
My daughter Brooke is a vegetarian and yoga teacher, so needless to say, she fell in love with this place! The green curry (which they pound on site-doesn't come from a jar!) with tofu and veggies was fabulous. The girl who helped us was super friendly and helpful. We weren't huge fans of the gelato, though. A tad pricey at $5 a scoop! Definitely worth a visit if you like Thai food!
(5)
Aileen P.
Stopped by to grab takeout on our way to Mauna Kea. We ordered pad thai and chicken fried rice. The pad thai didn't look anything like the pad thai available at home in California - much less colorless. Although I didn't think much of the appearance, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor upon taking my first bite. The chicken fried rice was not special at all. This is a decent option if you have a hankering for Thai food or if you don't have great Thai food in your local area. Otherwise, this is not a must-try type of place.
(3)
Forrest S.
The Lotus Cafe is pretty far ahead of the curve in a lot of ways. They are solar powered, and mostly local and organic, with a great variety or gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and lactose free foods. They cater to nearly everyone's needs, which was great for my friends and I, because one of my friends is vegan, and it is very hard to find a place we can all agree on. As for myself, I have and will always love bacon, gluten and dairy products, but it is great to know that there are restaurants that are willing to cater to so many eating preferences, and I really wish that there were more. As far as the food goes, I was very pleased with it in almost every aspect. I had the fresh Indian curry in a coconut crepe, and it was delicious. The vegetables and tofu were perfectly cooked, and the curry was bursting with so many flavors, and most importantly, it came spicy, and thing few restaurants will do when you ask for spicy. This white boy can handle the Thai heat. For dessert we shared a chocolate mac nut coconut gelato that is hand made, and while it was good, my friend who is a self proclaimed coconut milk ice cream expert, said she has had better. It had more of a sorbet texture than a creamy, gelato texture, which is hard to replicate when you are using coconut as opposed to milk or cream. I found the portions to be hit and miss. I'm a pretty big guy, so I always tend to say this, but I really think that all the entrees should come with rice, especially considering the cost. This place is mostly organic, local and sustainable, and as always, it reflects in the prices and these are really the only reasons why I can't give this place five stars. The food here is wonderful, and they really do a great job at supporting local farms and being sustainable, which I really do admire and hope that more restaurants will do. They also offer cooking classes, which I would love to attend and would like to see more restaurants do. I really hope more restaurants follow suit.
(4)
Nina B.
My favorite restaurant in Kona. The chicken skewers are the best Ive ever had. Their shrimp always has flavor unlike some other over- produced shrimp that taste like nothing. The green curry is succulant and also the papaya salad. We love this place and go consistently. It hands down kicks ass. It has won many awards and one being for a leading enviromentaly conscious restaurant. A really really impressive and forward thinking business with hands down the best Thai in Kona. I have tried them all and maybe Lemongrass is a close second however I find it less consistent with quality and tons of sugar/corn syrup in their food. Sure thats yummy but I want the best fuel to give my body as it is my greatest gift. This food has tons of flavor and it comes from the food itself. Love it!
(5)
Will B.
It is blatant false advertising to suggest these people serve Indian Food, the Kashmiri dish was overly spiced Thai food mislabeled. Insulting how much they charge for an extra serving of brown rice considering the puny amount they give you with your main dishes (which are supposed to include brown rice). $3.50-hah! Much better Thai place near downtown Kona (Kurti? Curti?), Lotus is too far away, too expensive and terrible service. BTW, I was with locals and they agreed. Never again.
(1)
J B.
Lotus, I really wanted to like you. I like that you serve organic, locally sourced ingredients. I like that you have coconut milk ice cream. I like that you have some unusual offerings and interesting drink options including Saki and Maui Brewing Coconut Porter (which is awesome). I am looking for a favorite Thai place on the Big Island and wish so much that you could have been it. The service was not especially friendly and we were treated a little brusquely from the time we entered until the time we left. A group of four people, we ordered four dishes so we got a good sampling of menu offerings. We ordered 1 mild dish, 1 extra spicy dish and two unspecified vegetarian dishes. The mild dish arrived as the spiciest dish, but was also bland...not sure how that is even possible. The dish we ordered spicy had very little spice or flavor. The other dishes were decidedly unmemorable. Meat content was low on both meat dishes we ordered. The meal was quite expensive overall and I cannot say that we really enjoyed the experience to justify this. There are a lot of restaurants in the area who prove that you can have an organic, locally sourced meal that is also delicious and fairly priced. My search for a go to Thai restaurant will have to continue.
(2)
Kelton J.
Food was excellent. Service was good to average. I dropped a star because it's so dark and dingy. I really didn't like eating at a place where I felt any second we would be in the middle of a gunfight between Chinese gangs over turf.
(4)
Laurence L.
It's really off the beaten path, unless you're shopping at Cosco, in which case, it's just up the street. Nothing much to draw your eye, and parking may sometimes be a little tight, but that's it for negatives! This little gem not only feeds you with food that comes from the heart, it is so healthy that the Heart Association should hold its banquets in the bamboo and South Pacific themed dining room, where a lovely fountain welcomes you, and a resident bird sings! After you fall in love with the food, like the 11-spice curry, or the green curry, or the tom kar kai soup, or their own version of bahn xeo, Ladda and Howard Simon will teach you how to make it for yourself! Pure ingredients, without short cuts or prepared curries, you learn to season to taste, and you learn how to prepare a feast.... then you eat the feast, and you take the secrets back with you to the mainland. Try the ginger lemonade. Try everything. I could live there! It's our first stop when we go to our time share condo, and I prefer it to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel!
(5)
Adam A.
Great flavors, especially for Thai and Indian in Hawaii. Very fresh and tasty. Be careful if you go for Medium Spicy, they go by THAI scale, which means Medium is very hot. "Thai Hot" will make you cry. ;) The Thai Iced Tea was delicious... The Lilikoi Nectar was quite sour. Their gelato dessert was lovely.
(4)
Rebecca D.
This place is great, and the portions are very large. I wish we had ordered less, because we ate too much and had way too much food leftover. I ordered the chef's choice sampler and told them that I eat fish but not meat. That meant that two out of three sample dishes contained Ono. I love Ono, in fact I think it's my favorite fish. But my two companions also ordered Ono, and the portions were HUGE. I was way Ono'ed out. It wouldn't be a big deal except that it's one of those large fish that sometimes have higher levels of mercury (and I'm ttc). Very nice atmosphere inside, and the food is interesting and very tasty.
(4)
John R.
Disappointing. Not really bad, but the food was all surprisingly flavorless and bland -- none of the bright flavors (and sometimes heat) that I love about Thai/SE Asian food. And, as others have pointed out, very pricey, even by Big Island standards. Might be a good option if you have special dietary needs (lots of vegan/veggie options, etc.). But otherwise, I would stick with the other options in town like Orchid or even Rapanui (although it has a bit of a different focus).
(2)
Yves R.
This is a real gem, and we found it through yelp on the evening before boarding our plane back home. The food was very fresh, authentic, and tasty. The green papaya salad was outstanding. Everything else was also really good, and I will return on my next trip. My favorite Thai restaurant in Kona is Orchid Thai Cuisine, which has become even better in the last year. I would rate Orchid Thai tastier overall. On the other hand, Lotus Cafe has very fresh and organic ingredients, so try to experience both if you have the time.
(5)
Emily C.
We came here twice during our week-long trip to the Big Island -- when my boyfriend was picking up and returning his rental bike at Cycle Station just a block away. We're vegan/strict vegetarian and were drawn to their claims of using "local and organic" produce. Right on! The prices definitely reflect that, but if the food is good it's not out of line. The first time was at lunch, and we were fresh off the plane, and it was pretty much perfect. I had an allegedly Sumatran-style dish with grilled eggplant and tofu served with a great brown rice and a tomato-chili sauce. It was light and tasty and hit the spot. I also had a cup of coffee, which was just OK -- tasted a little overroasted -- but I'm admittedly picky about my coffee. On our second visit, I tried a Thai-style dish featuring "garden vegetables and mushrooms in a ginger sauce." This was a huge disappointment. The garden vegetables were overcooked (and included celery, which I hate, but my boyfriend argued that I can't take off points for my own random vegetable pickiness, even if it's the only one I hate!), the sauce was bland, and the featured mushrooms tasted like reconstituted dried shiitakes -- yuck. The ginger lemonade was nice, though -- VERY gingery.
(3)
Heather W.
We come here often to eat in or get take out. It's not the best Thai food I have ever had but it hits the spot and is consistent. We will for sure be going back once every week or two.
(4)
Kevin R.
We ate here twice while in the area, and enjoyed the flavors both times. We did dinner the first time, and lunch the second stop. I wanted to try so many things on the menu, so I could see eating here again and again. My only compaint is the prices. For a place so far out of downtown, you might think they could be more reasonably priced. Had the portions been bigger, this wouldn't be such a problem. Though very tasty, you have to expect to spend some money here. Try the gelato for dessert, several flavors if you have a group, they're all amazing.
(4)
Erin S.
Great flavors and very fresh food. If you order a dish mild and one person likes a little more spice they have an awesome chili seasoning they will bring to you. I was craving veggies, so I was very happy to be able to order a dish with lots of fresh veggies. They are a bit pricy for the portion size, but it is organic, non-gmo, and locally sourced, so I am a little forgiving of the price.
(4)
Rachel L.
Taking Thai cooking classes in a restaurant is a uniquely wonderful experience. Ladda and Howie invite you into their kitchen, explain how to use the ingredients, and share their recipes with you. The three-hour classes pass quickly as you cook, ask questions and take breaks to eat what you've helped prepare. What a treat! My husband and I took three of their classes and had so much fun. We liked the classes so much, we planted galangal root, a kaffir lime tree, lemongrass in our HI garden. We highly recommend this as a great date activity.
(5)
David T.
Finally found a healthy and delicious restaurant in the Kona area. We had the chicken and shrimp satay for an appetizer. I had the pad Thai omelet while others in our group had the pad Thai tofu, eggplant with grilled tofu, and the chicken mango tango. The flavors off all the dishes was fantastic, without a lot of chemicals to cover or over power the taste. Left the restaurant full, but not feeling overloaded with hormones or chemicals.
(5)
George G.
Somewhere in my mind there has been a dream of a thai restaurant that doesn't use the "thai kit"--bottled sauces with msg so that they can say "no msg added" (because it's already in the sauce!). I finally found it, but it's in Kona. The owners make all their sauces (the pad thai has only three spices--Bragg, tamarind and palm sugar), grow whatever they can, use organic chicken and non-gmo soy/tofu, and are very purposeful, thoughtful and conscious about their cooking. And they're open from morning to night. Last night I sat perusing the menu of the Lotus Cafe wishing they delivered on Oahu. Sadly, until my next visit I'll have to dream of the Shrimp Laksa with the aroma of fresh turmeric; homemade vegan gelato; homegrown ginger lemonade, and more.
(5)
Travis T.
If the food had been half priced it would deserve a mediocre 2 star review, but it was insanely overpriced, and was pretty bland to boot. I ordered the drunken chicken. This was not so much chicken as a salad with what could not have been more than a 1/4 chicken breast on top. That was $14 and should have been the salad one may get as an appetizer to a main entree. If I had ordered about 3 of those I may have left and not still been hungry. I'll add that I usually fault places for giving you a ton of food in place of quality. This food is neither quality or value.
(1)
Ling W.
Very cool interior with authentic doors and panels, albeit a bit cluttered. Food was diverse and fresh. I found the everything tasted Thai, although some of it was labeled as Indonesian, Indian, Burmese, etc...It may have been my inadequate taste buds. However, when I get something that's Indian, I expect a thick curry! Service was polite. We both liked our meals, but I would not order the vanilla ginger ice cream again, way too strong unless you love ginger!
(4)
Max C.
Lotus Cafe is the best Thai/Asian food you will find in Hawaii. All foods are grown fresh on the island in their own garden. They have the most amazing menu with exotic, yet amazing dishes that are above anything you'll find even in large cities. While they do have the common staple dishes, and they are equally as tasty, I highly recommend trying something new.... You won't be let down. I've lived and traveled all over Asia and their food is unique, organic healthy tastes from all over Asia. Ask for the owner Howie, and if he's there ask to try the Thai snack plate. It's amazing! Definitely add this to the list of Todos when on the Big island.
(5)
Genevive B.
Perfect place to stop for lunch or dinner while near the Kona Airport. Dinner for two with drinks runs about $50. And organic & local Thai and Indian food is a dream come true. Wish more Asian restaurants were more aware of ingredient quality.
(4)
Paul B.
Awsome, healthy, Thai food. Location is out of the way unless you are going to Costso, but catch them at the farmer's market on Sunday for breakfast or lunch. I love the green curry with chicken!
(5)
Capprica S.
Delicious food, apparently everything on the menu is Gluten free. Additionally, I love the fact that everything was organic, most things were locally sourced, and all waste gets composted. Considering it is Hawaii, and all of the special things they are doing with their establishment, it was very inexpensive. All that hippy stuff is usually something you have to prepare to pay through the nose for. They seem to only have dark meat, which I despise, but the meals were so good that I ended up enjoying them anyway. What I liked best was Drunken Chicken and one of the Indian Curries with chicken. With Sticky rice. Ridiculously tasty (especially the curry), however, keep in mind that Thai spicy is excruciating even by comparison to Mexican spicy (and I do not mean taco bell). The medium drunken chicken was delicious, even as cold leftovers, but it made me curse and cry like a bipolar sailor. When I came back I was sure to order mild. The drunken chicken has kind of a light, lime and chile and broth flavor to it, and is full of lightly cooked (still crisp, not soggy) vegetables such as carrot shreds and cabbage leaf chunks. The lime leaves used to help season the sauce are probably technically edible, but I don't recommend it because they are really tough. The indian curry was very savory, yellow curry, on the thin and soupy side, with a big stick of cinnamon and star anise simmered in the sauce. The cinnamon and anise are very notable in the sauce, and my mouth has started watering again thinking about it... nom... Anyway. It had pretty standard stew/curry vegetables in it such as carrot and potato. My cutie kept going for the fried rice. Good stuff. =) Even better than the marvelous curry is the gelato and sorbetto. The chocolate macadamia and lillikoi were some of the tastiest ice creams I have ever head, extremely refreshing, and made from coconut milk (non- dairy, which is great for Vegans and lactose intolerant people). One thing I had that I would never order again is the 'Thaitalian' dishes. Fusion is often a means of having a unique and interesting meal, but that was just kind of strange, overly creamy, and the spices were not as complementary to one another as other dishes. Overall, this is an awesome, delicious place to eat, reasonably priced (approx 7-10 dollars for an entree as I recall) and when I go back to Kona I will be thrilled to eat here again.
(5)
cat m.
Good flavors, good food, but prices are pretty high. Green curry chicken was great -- good heat and flavor. Chicken Satay was good but peanut sauce taste like baby food -- mild, sweet, and no real spice to it. Portions are a bit small given the price.
(3)
Alex A.
Had chicken sata, shrimp summer roll and special fish, all were great.
(4)
Stan B.
Overall the food is not bad. I ordered chicken curry. It was pretty tasty. My girlfriend ordered eggplant with basil. It was somewhat plain. The service was not that great. The waitress was hardly moving. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty it took them about 5 minutes to offer any drinks
(4)
Grace E.
I can't say much because we never got to the point of ordering. Its too bad too because I've been really wanting to eat here because of all the reviews but when we first walked in the employees just looked at us like we didn't belong there. The atmosphere of the restaurant was dark and gloomy and it smelled like wet dog. We went here with our 3 kids and it just felt uncomfortable. Maybe we'll try it again without the kids but i doubt it.
(2)
Kay M.
Great veggie place. Thai green curry was unlike any other place. My wife had a Thai curry with a crepe - very creative and tasty. All curry paste ground in house - you can definitely taste the difference in the food. Highly recommended - veggie or not.
(5)
K A.
Not really thai food that you would come expect else where, the ingredients are fresh but they seem to be undercooked for what ever reason including chicken and onions used in the fried rice. If undercooked bland thai food is your thing then this place is for you, but otherwise avoid this place if you are looking to eat thai.
(1)
Monika S.
Living in San Francisco really spoils you for the rest of the world when it comes to outstanding international cuisine. The amazing thing is that with our insane high foodie standards we found some fantastic restaurants on the Big Island. First thing to know about dining on the Big Island; there are no "hip" neighborhoods to find the next big deal. Instead the best meals we enjoyed were from restaurants that have been in strip malls, surrounded by the likes of Costco, Ross and Office Depot. Why would anyone put a restaurant of high standards in a location like that? Simple. That is where the locals shop and where they will be guaranteed visibility. Don't judge a book by its cover, or I guess where it is located in the dusty bookstore. Anyway, Lotus Cafe drew us in with its neon sign claiming organic, local Thai food. Could it be possible? We found the few reviews on Yelp and decided to go for it. The space is simple, cool and it was really quiet the night we were in. The waitress was pleasant albeit a little difficult to understand. I started with the lemon- ginger drink. I almost fell out of my seat; it was so fresh and delicious, if it wasn't a little pricey I would have drank a gallon of it. We had the pad Thai, a tofu peanut curry veggie mix and brown rice. Everything and I mean everything was fresh, not from a bottle and satisfying. The pad Thai was light, the noodles perfect and the sauce was simple and lovely. No MSG in anything. Many people think that only Chinese food is high in MSG, Thai is usually just as bad. It is often in the "curry" mix to enhanced the flavor. Since I am pretty darn allergic to it, I always ask...this time the waitress and the menu offered that info. We also had a banana coconut desert that was yummy. Light and not too sweet. Overall food was amazing....prices are about the same as a decent Thai place in SF, which means a little pricey for the island. The restaurant is totally off the grid; it runs on solar energy and uses mostly compostable to go dishes. We are so glad we discovered it, since it is a few blocks from Costco, the post office, Ceviche Dave's and Snorkel Bobs....all required stops on the Big Island. I hope they make it; I look forward to a return visit in 2 years.
(4)
Lindsay O.
Found this place by accident while on vacation and loved it! We went at 1:30 on a Tuesday and it was quiet but had a few other couples. We got the three-item sampler ($15) and the waitress was great about handling our dietary restrictions. We also had a large banana date smoothie ($7 but worth it), and tofu summer rolls ($8). The sampler came with Indian chicken curry (spicy!!), a delicious vegetable Thai curry, and a really amazing lilikoi-glazed chicken. So Ono! It also came with a cup of rice but we ordered a second one because we were sharing. The food was stellar, atmosphere was cute, and the server was great even though she was handling lunch all by herself. We were very happy!
(5)
emily H.
Eat here. Best Thai food I have had on the Big Island. My parents touted this little cafe as a place I had to try... Upon arrival, I could see why! Local, organic, veg friendly fare made fresh to order in a cute cafe that is solar powered!!! Sign me up. We ordered: * fresh shrimp rolls (my parents loved)- came with 3 fresh sauces: peanut, fresh chili sauce and a fish sauce something rather... * tofu larb- delish! flavor packed with fresh cilantro, chile and lime, served with local lettuce not cabbage, had to ask for a little more, as it wasn't enough to pack all the spicy goodness into * vegi green curry- nice, fresh, simple. not a 10, but definitely tasty. had with brown rice, also have option of jasmine or sticky (i like options!) * pad thai- not the normal orange tamarind soaked flavor many places rely on (thanks). I've been to Thailand, and the taste is right on. *grilled tofu appetizer- i forget what this was called on the menu, and was expecting more of a satay than tofu "steaks". 4 nice sized pieces, in a different sauce- a black soy coconut sauce that reminded me of salty caramel, in a good way. added a little peanut sauce to this and had with rice... Whence I return to Kona, this will be on my repertoire.
(4)
Anoop G.
I wasn't too excited about going here but decided to check it out because one of my colleagues recommended it highly, even though the reviews on Yelp weren't all that great. (The reviews on Happy Cow are better.) The restaurant advertises itself as using mostly organic and local ingredients which, when I read about it on entering, made me excited. They had lots of vegan options as well, and were able to offer several dishes that would meet my requirements of no onions, no garlic. The ambience was good (nice, cozy feel) and the service was OK. So why only 3 stars? The first reason is that I found the dreaded little piece of meat in my vegetarian dish. I guess mistakes happen, but that was a big turn-off. They offered to redo the dish, but I didn't really like it, so I asked for another one of the appetizers that we had just ordered and that I kind of liked. And this time around the appetizer showed up quite burnt so that was a disappointment. Despite the mistake, they did charge for the replacement appetizer...normally I would have expected goodwill to prevail. I've had restaurants take stuff off the check for much less. Additionally, the dish (Kashmiri curry vegetables) was very bland and the vegetables felt like they could have used some more cooking. I guess, even though they use all the right spices, they just don't cook it right. I also had a sample to taste one of their vegan gelato flavors and didn't care for it enough to get an order of it. I applaud them for using local, organic ingredients, but I think the way they put these ingredients together needs some work. It is quite expensive, and while everything in Hawaii tends to be expensive, this is just a bit more expensive than average which raises expectations somewhat.
(3)
Andrea P.
Excellent Indonesian food and a wide variety. The owner says they use no additives, preservatives and only the highest quality ingredients for all sauces and dishes, and totally gluten-free. These people really know how to handle spices and intense flavor with creativity and finesse. If you like any kind of asian food, you'll love this place. Great atmosphere too!
(5)
Somya C.
Slightly more on the pricey side but the food was good. I ordered the vegetable fried rice and loved it.
(4)
griyenga g.
My husband and me recently visited the lotus cafe - We loved the food and wanted to share our review about the place with the world! If you are craving for asian food this is the best experience you could get in a small island in hawaii! We stayed in hawaii big island for 5 days and went here 3 days in a row :) We loved the Yellow curry - typical to sambhar/dal (indian curry) with hot steaming rice - Kashmiri curry - another fantastic curry - coconut crape with veggies and curry - (just like dosas), this is the best treat a veggie can get in this island. We are from New York city and have yet not eaten curry and rice as yummy as this! Fresh vegetables. excellent service and lovely interiors! We recommend this place to everyone who visits the big island ( kona side) and we feel that our HAWAII experience would not have been complete without lotus cafe.
(5)
Gwen E.
Yikes I hate to write a negative review but I thought people should know that I waited 45 minutes for a take-out order last night. The price is definitely on the upward scale (more than most Thai places). The food was good, I'm not toally sure about this, but I think the noodles were fresh and possibly made in house which is great. However, it was slightly bland and it not wow me, especially for the price. Unfortunatley, I won't be coming here again.
(2)
James C.
Food is completly undercooked, the chicken i got was still pink in the middle. I wish i could give this zero stars.
(1)
Mae S.
The atmosphere is odd: it's in a warehouse overlooking the parking lot of Costco. But like everything else on the Kona hillside, if you look past the parking lot at dinner hour, you see the sun setting into the Pacific. Due to its obscure location, I suspect mainly locals have found it so far (it's around 3 months old) -- we heard of it from some new residents. I bet tourists will soon be drawn to its special fusion of health food and Thai/Oriental ingredients and methods. Note: the Thai ice tea has a lot of cinnamon and it's a little too sweet -- the cafe menu advertises NO dairy prods, so I think it's made with coconut milk. But everything else was very delicious. Lots of vegetarian choices, fresh fish, noodles, wraps, dessert pancakes, satay...
(4)
Kathleen Hunter H.
Stunning food - organic, beautifully cooked and presented - worth finding - unusual warehouse location as another reviewer has noted - not cheap but totally in keeping with the quality -
(4)
Anna P.
This place is really good about local, fresh, "real" ingredients. It's not cheap, but the quality is good and that is worth the expense. I don't eat here often, but really enjoy the mango lassi. For 8 dollars it is one of the most expensive drinks I'll ever order, but its so tasty it is completely worth it (people waste that on cocktails without batting an eye). Not sure about the illness claims, another friend told me something similar, but I've never had an issue *knock on wood*.
(4)
Dan R.
I eat here so frequently that I've had the opportunity to eat basically every dish on the menu. I've also attended one of the cooking classes. What sets this restaurant apart it that they make all their sauces from scratch, often incorporating 10-15 herbs and spices per recipe. When possible, the ingredients are grown on Howie Simon's farm, the proprietor of the cafe. Everything on the menu is organic, and local when possible. Also, they just started making raw/organic pies. Try them. After eating hear so frequently, I can honestly say I feel better in body and spirit.
(5)
Malea X.
excellent! no dairy, no fish sauce, no mammals. if the menu item doesn't have chicken or fish, then it's vegan. gotta LOVE that! the food is very good and they have homemade vegan gelato!
(5)
Nico N.
Bought lotus cafe spring rolls and coconut sticky rice at the Saturday farmers market in keauhou. Got two chicken and two avocado springrolls. These were a ripoff! Why? Because the man selling them boasted all veggies were grown in his garden yet the rolls were mostly filled with rice. We were looking for something healthier and at 2 for $6, these weren't worth it. The sticky rice was decent- also a somewhat small portion and baby bean loved it.
(3)
jacquelyn k.
Awesome place!!! I like their food and they don't use GMO!!! Everything is local and organic, the even make their own gelato it's dairy free and super yummy! I would recommend! They also have a Furniture shop where they have a bunch of really unique stuff from Thailand.
(4)
RZ H.
Myself, and two other people at my table (3 out of 4 of us) became violently ill from eating here within just 25 minutes of consuming our food. We were in the middle of our meal when it hit us each individually out of no where! We all ate nothing else in common the entire day but each threw up within 5 minutes of each other after eating here. One woman even had to run out the door to vomit because I was already in the restroom throwing up myself. And, my fiance was in the men's restroom also vomiting! After much review, we think it was some sort of literal poison in the food or severe allergic reaction. Tradition food poisoning takes at least a few hours but because this was instant, our best guess after consulting with doctors was either too much bleach solution in their cleaning process or spoiled rice which can make you sick almost immediately if it is bad enough. The owner is nice but there is simply something wrong with how they prepare their food. Sorry, but we will not risk it again and don't ever eat here.
(1)
Mark C.
There are lot's of Thai/Asian food restaurants in Kona...........but none can compare to Lotus for their originality in both menu and cooking style. They have a penchant for organic, locally grown, healthy and exotic ingredients which just is not the way on the big island........because it usually is just too much work and effort. Not for these wonderful restaurateurs dedicated to delivering taste, healthy/healing food and exciting dining for their customers. Their desserts and home made gelato complete the experience. While dining you can take a stroll thru the large adjacent warehouse full of Asian furniture and home accessories that will add to the feeling you are in Southeast Asia and in another world! The fact they close at 9pm in and of itself is unique on an island where the sidewalks are rolled up at 8pm. This could be one of the most interesting and unique restaurants in the Hawaiian Islands.............Hurray for the island of Hawaii!!!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Dee S.
My order - Veg pad thai, veg green curry. Taste - The best thai food I have ever tasted. The green curry was made from fresh coconut and organic vegetables. The basil addition was just perfect in the dish. Usually the green curry which I had tasted so far had way too much basil in them. Pad thai too tasted good and fresh. Vegans/Vegetarians will go nuts for this place! Cost - $30 for 2 people. Staff and service - Friendly and quick! Do not miss this place!
(5)Rita M.
Have always wanted to try Lotus Cafe and so I went out of my way to get there. After speaking with the counter person I ordered Rad Na, a Thai rice noodle dish with cabbage, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc. It sounded wonderful. Because I needed to get to my office I placed a to go order. They charged me 5% or $0.80 additional for the to go container. I drive the 10 minutes to my office, opened the container to find gummy sticky noodles with a couple of thinly sliced carrots and a few green beans. No cabbage, no broccoli. Definitely not worth the money I spent. I'll stick to TK'S Noodle House in the future.
(2)Pamela W.
The laksa is a dream ... lots of fresh and beautiful organic veggies (kabocha, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts) over rice noodles and a curry that is making me salivate now just thinking about it. A perfectly balanced and full-of-flavor laksa. I also appreciated that they make all of their own sauces and curries right there. It's a vegan (with locally farmed/raised meat options), organic and gluten-free resto that really impresses.
(5)Jigesha D.
I love this place! Found it through yelp, and I liked the service. We had the special which was the mango curry--- amazing! You actually get pieces of mango in it along with the vegetables. We are vegetarians, and they could make anything vegetarian. We also had the pad Thai as well, yummy. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Wouldn't recommend the smoothies though-- sort of bland.
(5)Sylvia C.
No good value for money. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant charged us the price of a three-dollar sign restaurant yet the food portion was pathetically small - 10 tiny chicken pieces in my large bowl of green curry. No doubt the Thai flavour was authentic - that is applaudable since many Thai foods in SF Bay Area are either too sweet or rich. It probably serves organic food as it claims on the menu, but many other eateries in the Big Island serve organic foods anyway since they source their fresh ingredients from Waimea in the North. Just not worth the price.
(2)Kami L.
I ate here about two months ago with my boyfriend. We were so disappointed with the food that I still remember it two months later and finally remembered to jump onto Yelp and write a review. I prefer eating vegan, organic and gluten-free food, so this place seemed perfect. The food was bland and oily. The noodles were stuck together and mushy. I've never had such tasteless thai food. Our pad thai was unrecognizable, didn't look like any pad thai I had ever had. I asked our server to make sure we got the right order and she assured us rudely that it was the pad thai. That's fine if it is done differently here, but if we just want to double check we got the right order, we shouldn't be met with a rude response. We left with a bad taste in our mouths, literally. Rude service. bad food.
(1)Kona L.
Happen upon this place after our Costco run. This a gem of a place, and everything is yummy on this menu. We were a party of 8, so we got to try a large array of dishes! Totally unassuming place, but you won't be disappointed!
(5)Hilary O.
After reading all of the mixed reviews this is what I can tell you. It is not your traditional Thai restaurant. Their focus is all locally grown, vegetarian, etc food. So that in itself makes this particular thai restaurant unique. I actually quite like what I have eaten both at their food truck and in the restaurant. I have definitely had hit or miss items here however the items that I do enjoy are the reasons I continue to come here. It is extremely healthy in the way that they prepare there food. When the item has been bad, its been really bad. I cannot say much good about the service. Its pretty nonexistent honestly, which can be frustrating. Definitely do not go if you are expecting good service. They honestly seem like a group of vegetarian, health conscious people that opened a decent Thai restaurant without ever having worked in a restaurant themselves. They just need to be little more business smart with the service.
(4)Amanda T.
We stopped by this place and found it to be quite good! The food was tasty and their smoothies are unique and very flavorful. I ordered vegetable fried rice with tofu and their special sauce! Very good! The only negative was that their one staff member was not the friendliest but we got her to smile and it turned out ok!
(4)Kaz L.
Excellent and flavorful are the key words to this restaurant. I've been coming here everyday for lunch, I couldn't get enough. Fresh ingredients you can taste and the flavors are right on. And if you like it spicy ask for Thai spicy and you'll be in spicy heaven. Highly recommend this place.
(5)Beth R.
While at a farmers market south of Kona, we happened upon the cafe's food truck. I talked to one of the owners. He was helpful and friendly. I told him the cafe was on my dining list while in the area and that we would soon check it out. A few days later, we did. Loved it! It is tucked away from downtown Kona. The dining environment is pleasant and casual. My husband and I shared a Burmese salad. I can't remember what was in it, but it was incredible. Truly incredible. It would have been a meal for one. It was actually a lot for us to share as a salad, but we managed. I had vegan pad Thai, which was excellent. And I finished it all with a vegan coffee gelato. Heaven on a plate.
(5)Erich B.
Their food truck is better. We ate at the food truck this afternoon and decided to have dinner at the restaurant before we flew home today. We had the steamed Ono which was good but the Ono was a bit overcooked. Great flavor and broth though. We also had the Tom jai yom soup. Quite good. Very clean food. Nice place. A little hard to find but not that much or I wouldn't have come. The owner is manning the truck at the moment so maybe that is why the restaurant wasn't as good. We will return when we are onthe big Island again. If you can find the truck(5 stars) go there otherwise this place is great.
(4)Gil S.
My wife and I finally ate lunch here and were more disappointed than we have ever been at any restaurant. We ordered different dishes, but, both dishes contained an unbelievable 3 and 4 small low grade chicken pieces respectively, along with carrots, cauliflower, & cabbage, one dish also had mango. One bad dish may be an aberration, but both were woefully portion starved and overcooked, the sauce was ok, but, in no way made up for the terrible portions , presentation and ultimate disappointment of a shameful lunch. To add insult to a bad experience it was also outrageously overpriced, particularly given the lack of quality. There are many Thai and noodle house type restaurants, serving much better quality ingredients, far superior in every manner and much more reasonably priced in the Kailua-Kona Area, such as TK Noodle, at much more reasonable pricing save the heartache STAY AWAY FROM HERE
(1)Chelsea A.
Soooo delicious. Ingredients are fresh, sauces have layers of flavors. My husband can always get his "thai hot" here while I can keep it mild to share with the baby. And the vegan gelatos can't be missed! Make sure to save room.
(4)Morgan K.
This place is awful! I would give it a negative rating if I could... We got the following menu items. Tom Yam Ono: No flavor, hardly anything to the soup, there was one little piece of ginger, a few slices of carrots, a couple sliced cherry tomatoes and 4 very small pieces of Ono that were tough and flavorless. The small bowl was $6.95! Total ripoff. Vegetarian Wide Rice Noodles: This dish included a small hand full of vegetables, not even worthy of mention...a clump of flavorless slimy noodles in the middle (couldn't even grab the noodles with a fork because they slipped right off) all in a thick brown sauce. Don't know what the sauce was but once again, no flavor. Oh, and did I mention there were bugs in the noodles! Gross! Vegetarian Eggplant Dish: A few pieces of eggplant in a thin gray sauce with a hand full of assorted veggies. No flavor. Overpriced and flavorless! Not to mention the unfriendly staff. If you want excellent Thai food visit the Spoonful Cafe in Keaau! We ended up going to Costco to get pizza for dinner... .
(1)Nicole A.
I cannot tell you how absolutely great this place is. This place has never compromised on quality since the day it opened. I used to come here regularly just after it opened years ago. I recently returned to Kona for a visit after many years since moving away. This place was the first place I wanted to go back to. I was not disappointed in the least. I love the owners and all the workers. Thank you Lotus Cafe.
(5)Ann K.
We returned with high expectations but the coconut crêpe that comes with my favorite curry was thick, soggy, and starchy. I just ate the curry and left the crêpe. Perhaps there is a different chef. Hopefully things will get back up to the previous standards.
(3)Dania-Maria K.
Came here for lunch with the boyfriend, his mom, his sister, and his sister's friend (both teenagers). We were allowed to choose our seats once we entered, the restaurant seems to also sell furniture! It was incredibly tempting to mozzie on over to that section and browse, but I restrained myself. I didn't have to for long as our food promptly arrived. My boyfriend and I split a green papaya salad, coconut soup with chicken (which wasn't on the menu, but our server had no qualms about getting it done for us, awesome!), and the chef's special tasters . This included three dishes served in small portions with a portion of your choice of rice. One dish was fish with a sweet mango/citrus sauce with cut up carrots, cabbage, and diced avocado. The other was a hearty, spicy dish with coconut milk, chicken, and veggies. The third included shrimp, vegetables, and the sauce or marinade it was in was very light, but seemed to have notes of either chili or paprika (I don't even know if Thai cuisine uses paprika). All three were a great exploration of the huge variety in Thai cooking! We had a blast eating our way through them. I wish I could make mention to what everyone else had, but as you can tell I was enthralled with our order. I highly recommend checking out Lotus Cafe, it has a comfortable, casual setting, and there's great furniture to oogle at.
(4)Arti S.
Small local organic great find with fantastic food! I stopped by here for dinner as soon as we landed on the big island. My boys, husband and mother-in-law... Each one loved what they ordered! They have a iced tea (an iced chai tea) and it is so refreshing and delicious! If you stumble here.. be sure to go in!
(5)Linda C.
Tucked away and hard to find but nice, friendly service. The Udupi pineapple curry was different but a little too sweet after a few mouthfuls. Hubby had the Rad Na noodles which was good. They had a small selection of beers in the cooler but they did have some craft beers. Great gelato. Definitely try it!
(3)Jordan W.
This place is not good - particularly the vegetable wide rice noodles, which were slimy, tasteless, and stuck together in a pool of what tasted like very salty hot and sour soup. I know others have rated this place well (which is why we went), but our meal was not good and was overpriced. If you go, stick to the dishes other diners have recommended.
(1)La' Akea S.
Best food that we found in Kailua-Kona! We were on a family vacation for a week and tried several restaurants but nothing really stood out...until we ran across their food truck at a Sunday Farmer's Market. A-mazing!!!! We are foodies and love ethnic food, so this was right up our alley. The food made such an impression that we went to their restaurant. Great selection with nice, bold flavors. Healthy, tasty, and environmentally conscious. Gluten-free options are available too.
(5)Josh F.
My family and I went to this cafe while on vacation and we weren't impressed. The first thing we noticed was that the food is very overpriced. We each payed $6 for tea I could have mistaken for water. For a family of 4 the bill came out to be over $100 before tip and none of us left overly filled. The service, although friendly, was not wonderful. We drained our water glasses quickly and sipped our teas. We sat for the better part of 30 minutes while our waitress took the orders for a large take out order. There were other workers in the restaurant during this time but they did not do much that we could see. Also, one entree came out almost 10 minutes after the other three. We were about finished when the last entree finally arrived. To top it off, the food was not overly impressive despite our waitress saying repeatedly that we would love it. For the sake of your wallet and patience please proceed with caution.
(2)Shattered T.
The Thai Green Curry was delicious! So was the Thai Drunken Chicken! The prices are reasonable. They could use an air conditioner and it was strange that they were playing Beetles music, but I came here for good food and that's what I got.
(5)T R.
Thai Lite would describe this food. The avocado rolls.. Do NOT think Cheesecake Factory.. Think raw vegan sticky rice paper wraps. The Burmese Salad was yummy! Great dressing! The Pad Thai.... Different..... Not that it wasn't good, but much lighter in sauce, flavor, consistency than most. Been to Thailand 3 times, never had Thai like this. Again... More raw/vegan/lite feel. The 3 of us left full & content but probably would not go back for the food.
(3)Rachita B.
My husband and I ordered the chiang Mai chai, the avocado summer rolls, and the South Indian curry with brown basmati rice. The chai was fantastic -- sweet but with that familiar indian chai spice and flavor! The avocado summer rolls were good but they definitely skimped on the avocados! What's up with that?! They should rename them vegetable rolls!! The rolls came with two vegan sauces -- the peanut sauce was perfectly sweet and full-bodied but the tamarind sauce was too sweet and runny. The south indian curry was interesting -- we asked for tofu in the dish but weren't given any -- and it was $17 to boot. The curry itself was a very watery gravy and a bit too mild. The coconut flavor was solid but the dish overall needed more vegetables than the few broccoli, potato, carrot, and onion slices that were sprinkled inside it. I love curries, vegetarian, vegan, and indian-inspired dishes but I think this dish fell flat of my expectations. I think the restaurant overall would do much better if it improved it's lighting situation -- the place itself is creepily dark! Also, it's super hot inside the place -- about ten degrees warmer than the outdoor temps. Not sure what all that is about. Finally, way too many mosquitoes! With a minor facelift and some better prices, this place would be fantastic. One more thing, the parking area at nighttime is a little scary -- super dark and isolated.
(2)Thanh N.
A bit pricey. The dishes tasted very similar to one another. We ordered the papaya salad, pad thai, and yellow curry. Pineapple turnover cake was good, however. Also, it was very hot in the restaurant. We don't regret trying the place but we wouldn't come back.
(3)Lisa A.
Yelp is so helpful in finding a good restaurant especially when you're out of town. This place is not easy to locate because it looks to be part of an industrial section of town, but the service was fine. The restaurant is noted to be gluten-free, GMO-free, and dairy-free Asian fusion dining. We ordered Pad Thai with Chicken and Grilled Jumbo shrimp. Dishes were fantastic with fresh vegetables and decent sized shrimp (3 skewers). The lemonade was just a tad tart but refreshing. Their gelato was good for being non diary. I wanted to go back a second time but will have to come back on my next trip to the big island.
(4)Alisa C.
We found this place right after landing in Hawaii, right over by Costco. I couldn't have been happier with the food or service! Locally sourced, organic ingredients, in a dedicated gluten free facility, which made me very happy, indeed! My companion is very skeptical of anything "natural", but loved his dishes both times that we went! I found the portions adequate, but if you're super hungry, get an appetizer. The prices were consistent with everything else I've found here in Hawaii, so didn't stand out as being exceptionally high for the area. As far as spiciness goes, it's on a 1 to 4 scale, with 4 as the hottest. I like things hot, so my companion and I both ordered our dishes "3", just to be safe, and found them to have plenty of flavor and heat. We'll be visiting this place again!
(5)Dave T.
Great Passion fruit drink, its a must have if you like Lilikoi and something super sweet. Food is tasty, but portions are too small. We would go back more often if the portions were bigger.
(2)Genesa L.
There are not enough stars for this fabulous restaurant! I am gf, dairy free, soy free & pork free & my hubby is gf. We also eat organic & non gmo. This place fit all of my criteria. Beyond delicious food, the assortment was endless, no need to ask for a gf menu or if it was dairy free. The mangos are like mango pudding & are picked in the owners backyards as much of the produce is. The staff again AMAZING & remembered is from a week earlier. We enjoyed the "chefs choice" on our second visit when my husband & I enjoyed what I like to call a food orgasm ;). If you're in Kailua-kona this is a don't miss!
(5)Nancy Z.
I'm a sucker for Pad Thai. I can't speak to the other dishes this restaurant serves, but I can tell you their Pad Thai is fresh, yummy, and generous. The dish arrives and I always intend to take some home. Instead, I end up eating the whole thing. I just can't help myself. Although I've only eaten at Lotus twice (both times for lunch), I've never walked away hungry....not even close. I like that they have MANY vegetarian options. My friend ordered the fresh squeezed juice. The glass was large enough for us to share. Amazingly good on a hot day. Lotus Café is located in the new industrial area, above Costco, in a metal, strip-mall building adjacent to their import business . They've done a fine job transforming the building's interior into a pleasant space. The prices are in line with all the other Thai restaurants I've been to....$9+ per dish. The place was not very busy and our food arrived quickly. The only complaint, and it's a small one, is both times I've been to this restaurant, we've had to go up and ask for the check after waiting and waiting.
(4)Egor R.
Lotus cafe... Really wanted to like you but couldn't. We had hopes for a healthy meal & wanted to give this a chance despite other poor reviews. We tried vegetarian and non vegetarian options. The latter ones were poorly prepared (undercooked greasy chicken satay, chicken pad Thai strangely flavored, "almost raw" chocolate dessert had a grainy texture). Pricey poor lunch (about $70 for two adults & a child), mediocre service. If you must eat here, the cucumber salad and grilled tofu were both good. Of note, the smoothie we ordered was very, very sweet but once we complained it was promptly replaced with a better version.
(2)Bruce R.
Nice off the beaten path find. Would rate 3.5 but Yelp still doesn't give us that option. Very healthy, locally grown, organic, so big bonus for that. Vellay Appam curry was to die for, would go back just for more of that! Drunken chicken was bland. Pad Thai was excellent. Casual place with nice service and reasonable prices for the Big Island. Definitely worth a trip if you are near Kona and looking to get away from the tourist zone and like healthy, fresh food.
(4)Vadim V.
The food is indeed fresh just like other reviewers stated. However, the yellow curry tasted quite different from the usual - if there is such a thing as "usual". The salad was very well washed. The only server was waiting on one too many tables. It took a while before the menus were handed out. She was thoughtful enough to advise against the Thai coffee as the coffee machine was not working well since this morning. I would go there again when not in a hurry.
(3)Dennis R.
Excellent Thai and Sumatra dishes. Great vegetarian options. Atmosphere was unique. In an industrial park area and attached to an Asian furniture store.
(5)Lowell D.
Since moving to Kona I'd been given several recommendations to check this place out. I'm a pretty health conscious vegetarian who loves Thai food. I kept it simple for this first trip. Vegetarian Fried Rice. My friend got something with chicken. Food came out fast and smelled great. The service was friendly. My only complaint if it qualifies as a complaint is I could have eaten two plates of the fried rice. It was delicious but the portion size seemed a bit lacking. The spicy soy sauce on the side was perfect too! I'll definitely go back but not on an empty stomach
(4)Cara P.
Very fresh ingredients, lots of flavor. We have been here three or four times and have not been disappointed yet. But beware if you ask for spicy....that is what you are going to get.
(4)Solnishka M.
I love this place. Healthy, tasty and flavorful. Clean, organic, non-greasy, I always feel amazing after eating there! One of my favorite places of all times.
(5)Barb B.
Did I go to the same restaurant reviewed by others? The service was terrible! We were the only people having lunch on a Monday afternoon (okay, that should have given me a clue) and we STILL had bad service. The waitress acted as if we were intruding on her private time and, indeed, I did have to go find her in order to place our order and she was eating her own lunch in the back of the restaurant. The food was over priced and very average... I suppose the thinking is that you can double the fee if it's organic but I really have my doubts about the validity of this claim anyway. The wooden, straight back chairs were very comfortable and the whole place did not seem very clean. All in all - I cannot recommend this cafe and am a little peaved at others who did, suckering me into the whole experience.
(1)Shannon S.
This was our first stop and our last stop on our visit to the big island. My guy has a gluten and a dairy allergy so eating out is always a bit dicey. The service was very nice, as someone else pointed out they are "Thai" nice which is quiet and polite not in your face. Our server was nice and helped us with our special order, though it turns out we didn't need to change anything as the soy sauce they use is gluten-free anyhow. I love that the ingredients are real and fresh! The Ginger Lemonade was super tasty with a little kick Serving sizes are not huge, which in my opinion is great since we don't really want to take leftovers OR overeat. When we get a chance to come back to the island we will make sure to stop in here again, and next time I will try the chai gelato
(5)Rachel O.
This was definitely good thai food, but overpriced. The green curry lacked flavor - average at best. The coconut soup was excellent and the papaya salad was good. But the prices seemed very high. Good service.
(3)Michelle L.
Semi-poor service they didn't notice us when we first got in, weren't given silverware until our meals were brought, and didn't get asked if the food was okay. We ordered the fish cake starters which weren't too bad. Our so called 11 spices yellow curry was 10 spices short. It was the worst curry I've ever eaten and improved somewhat by drowning it with salt and pepper. The sauce just seemed to be watered down coconut milk and butter. The shrimp with it was bland. I didn't know you could cook bland shrimp. Won't ever go back!
(1)Alice H.
Simply extraordinary. We met Howie and his team at the Holualoa light festival where they had a food stand set up. We had the avocado vegetable roll and the Pad Thai. The food was so fresh. The flavors delicious. I highly recommend you eat at Lotus Cafe!
(5)Kelly L.
My favorite gluten free restaurant here on the Big Island! Lots of great Thai, Indian and Indonesian options to choose from. Awesome curry and yummy gelato! Worth the trip. Restaurant located near Costco. They also have a lunch truck that you will see out and about, especially at the south Kona Green Market on Sundays. Check them out!
(5)Edward P.
I love the organic food at this place. So clean and yummy not oily. It is top on my list if I am in Kona for the day. Would love some help in exploring different menu options. More food like this please, you can feel it...
(4)Joyce K.
Wonderful tasting, local and organic. Location not great but if you're in it for the food you'll enjoy.
(5)Pilates P.
For the price you really don't get much food. I ordered curried vegetables with rice. It came in a soup size bowl with about 3 vegetables and 3 pieces of tofu. $12.00. The place was not very clean and there was a bug in my water. They brushed it off like it happens all the time. I must admit that the curry was very flavorful. Besides the good curry I will probably never go back. There are much better places on the island.
(2)Ishan S.
The food was not the best ever, I had to excuse myself twice because I felt as if I was going to throw up! My kids liked their shrimp.. I added chili and they told me it was hot after I had it. The ceiling was large and scary and there were patches in the wall. The space was very minimal too. The price can be cut back according to the taste. They don't protect their food, someone can just walk in and take drinks!! Well....you can go if you want, it is a little OK...
(1)Cameron A.
This place kicks ass! Yes, their food is organic, local, good for you, etc, etc, but it is DAMN tasty! The vegan pad thai and pineapple curry was amazingly good. Wish we had discovered this place sooner so that we could have eaten there more than once. I would have eaten all of my dinners there. Our drinks were divine too: lemon ginger and the thai tea with coconut milk. Yum! Thanks for making awesome vegan thai food!
(5)Victoria H.
The coconut rice salad has more flavors than I think I have taste buds for. Absolutely a must try.
(4)Casie O.
This place is always one of the highlights of our visits to Kona. Food is delicious, menu is varied (and has gluten-free, vegan, and sometimes raw options, etc.) service is friendly, atmosphere is inviting and comfortable, AND the restaurant is solar powered, they use local, organic products.
(5)V K.
This place is a paradise for vegetarian lovers. Excellent food and service. We are vegetarians from SF and frequented this place during our stay on Big Island. Freshly prepared soups, yummy appetizers, freshly cut mango and delicious entrees kept bringing us back! Highly recommend :)
(5)l M.
Went for lunch with four finicky kids and everyone found something they loved! We chose the three dish taster plate and all three dishes were distinct and good. Very fresh food. Sticky rice was very good and service was fast. Loved the furniture shop that was attached too.
(4)Victoria W.
Amazing coconut macadamia smoothie! Pricey for a smoothie ($7.50 for 20 oz) but worth it in my opinion. The only downside is they give you a standard straw which is too small for some of the macadamia chunks. I ordered the 11-spice Indian curry and asked for mild, and it arrived way too spicy--I could barely eat it. I asked them if they could adjust it, and they tried, but it was still too spicy. (And I can handle standard Indian food now, so it's not just me.) My partner enjoyed his chef's special. The prices seemed reasonable for made-to-order organic fare. We did the Yelp deal for sorbets (normally $5). Got chocolate macnut and pineapple coconut. They were okay - I wasn't a fan of the chocolate's flavor, and the pineapple coconut's texture was somewhat chunky/icy in areas. (I will admit, however, that I'm extremely spoiled when it comes to sorbets thanks to Scream Sorbet in California.)
(3)Dana S.
This is one of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to. The flavors are great and the food is really fresh. We got tofu larb, the shrimp noodle salad, an Indian-style curry of the day, and a salad dish with chicken I'm forgetting the name of. All were fantastic. When I saw the summer rolls arrive to another table, I immediately had order envy. Those are definitely the on the list for next time. We also tried the gelato, which is made with coconut and soy milks, and barely sweet. It's not classic gelato, but it was tasty. This is great stop straight from the airport--not only is it close, it's the kind of fresh food and relaxing atmosphere you need after sitting on a cramped flight for hours. If you pick your table right, there's even an ocean view.
(5)Corinne L.
I never really write reviews, but felt I had to this time when I saw some poor reviews of what I consider one of the best restaurants on the island. Whenever I am in Kona, whether it be an errand run or the movies, Lotus Cafe is on the docket. The staff is super nice. I'm not sure why people were saying they weren't. The difference is they are quietly nice, they are not your typical in-your-face boisterous fake happy that so many waiters are. If you want advice on menu options, all you have to do is ask. I have never had a less than stellar meal here. I love the Coconut Curry Crepe, and my roommate's fave is the Chicken Mango tango. Their Thai iced tea is authentic and doesn't have caffeine in it (like everyone in the country) and everything is organic. I heard complaints about the prices, but it is all home-made and organic. For the island I'd say these are stellar prices for this type of food. Also very good is the Fried Rice, which to me is usually boring, but the way they do it is delish. Our favorite appetizer is the one with lettuce leaves ginger, onions and peanuts ...where you build your own little leaf wraps...can't remember the name. This is the place I bring people when I want to show off the island a little. Goood stuff!
(5)Michael E.
OMG - Thai snob here saying enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. great ambiance, great service, great food, eco-friendly and 100% solar powered. Did I mentioned the freshly made gelato? Can't remember, did I mentioned the great ambiance, service, and food? Highly recommend!
(5)k k.
It was really good overall. We all tried different dishes, from salads to sate and entrees and everyone loved it. Everything was fresh, the flavors were right on and super tasty. Also, our waitress was very nice and on it. Another nice thing some may like is they used mostly organic and local veggies and organic chicken. Would go back and try it again for sure. Also saw they have a food truck which I'll have to look out for.
(4)Cindy T.
My daughter Brooke is a vegetarian and yoga teacher, so needless to say, she fell in love with this place! The green curry (which they pound on site-doesn't come from a jar!) with tofu and veggies was fabulous. The girl who helped us was super friendly and helpful. We weren't huge fans of the gelato, though. A tad pricey at $5 a scoop! Definitely worth a visit if you like Thai food!
(5)Aileen P.
Stopped by to grab takeout on our way to Mauna Kea. We ordered pad thai and chicken fried rice. The pad thai didn't look anything like the pad thai available at home in California - much less colorless. Although I didn't think much of the appearance, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor upon taking my first bite. The chicken fried rice was not special at all. This is a decent option if you have a hankering for Thai food or if you don't have great Thai food in your local area. Otherwise, this is not a must-try type of place.
(3)Forrest S.
The Lotus Cafe is pretty far ahead of the curve in a lot of ways. They are solar powered, and mostly local and organic, with a great variety or gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and lactose free foods. They cater to nearly everyone's needs, which was great for my friends and I, because one of my friends is vegan, and it is very hard to find a place we can all agree on. As for myself, I have and will always love bacon, gluten and dairy products, but it is great to know that there are restaurants that are willing to cater to so many eating preferences, and I really wish that there were more. As far as the food goes, I was very pleased with it in almost every aspect. I had the fresh Indian curry in a coconut crepe, and it was delicious. The vegetables and tofu were perfectly cooked, and the curry was bursting with so many flavors, and most importantly, it came spicy, and thing few restaurants will do when you ask for spicy. This white boy can handle the Thai heat. For dessert we shared a chocolate mac nut coconut gelato that is hand made, and while it was good, my friend who is a self proclaimed coconut milk ice cream expert, said she has had better. It had more of a sorbet texture than a creamy, gelato texture, which is hard to replicate when you are using coconut as opposed to milk or cream. I found the portions to be hit and miss. I'm a pretty big guy, so I always tend to say this, but I really think that all the entrees should come with rice, especially considering the cost. This place is mostly organic, local and sustainable, and as always, it reflects in the prices and these are really the only reasons why I can't give this place five stars. The food here is wonderful, and they really do a great job at supporting local farms and being sustainable, which I really do admire and hope that more restaurants will do. They also offer cooking classes, which I would love to attend and would like to see more restaurants do. I really hope more restaurants follow suit.
(4)Nina B.
My favorite restaurant in Kona. The chicken skewers are the best Ive ever had. Their shrimp always has flavor unlike some other over- produced shrimp that taste like nothing. The green curry is succulant and also the papaya salad. We love this place and go consistently. It hands down kicks ass. It has won many awards and one being for a leading enviromentaly conscious restaurant. A really really impressive and forward thinking business with hands down the best Thai in Kona. I have tried them all and maybe Lemongrass is a close second however I find it less consistent with quality and tons of sugar/corn syrup in their food. Sure thats yummy but I want the best fuel to give my body as it is my greatest gift. This food has tons of flavor and it comes from the food itself. Love it!
(5)Will B.
It is blatant false advertising to suggest these people serve Indian Food, the Kashmiri dish was overly spiced Thai food mislabeled. Insulting how much they charge for an extra serving of brown rice considering the puny amount they give you with your main dishes (which are supposed to include brown rice). $3.50-hah! Much better Thai place near downtown Kona (Kurti? Curti?), Lotus is too far away, too expensive and terrible service. BTW, I was with locals and they agreed. Never again.
(1)J B.
Lotus, I really wanted to like you. I like that you serve organic, locally sourced ingredients. I like that you have coconut milk ice cream. I like that you have some unusual offerings and interesting drink options including Saki and Maui Brewing Coconut Porter (which is awesome). I am looking for a favorite Thai place on the Big Island and wish so much that you could have been it. The service was not especially friendly and we were treated a little brusquely from the time we entered until the time we left. A group of four people, we ordered four dishes so we got a good sampling of menu offerings. We ordered 1 mild dish, 1 extra spicy dish and two unspecified vegetarian dishes. The mild dish arrived as the spiciest dish, but was also bland...not sure how that is even possible. The dish we ordered spicy had very little spice or flavor. The other dishes were decidedly unmemorable. Meat content was low on both meat dishes we ordered. The meal was quite expensive overall and I cannot say that we really enjoyed the experience to justify this. There are a lot of restaurants in the area who prove that you can have an organic, locally sourced meal that is also delicious and fairly priced. My search for a go to Thai restaurant will have to continue.
(2)Kelton J.
Food was excellent. Service was good to average. I dropped a star because it's so dark and dingy. I really didn't like eating at a place where I felt any second we would be in the middle of a gunfight between Chinese gangs over turf.
(4)Laurence L.
It's really off the beaten path, unless you're shopping at Cosco, in which case, it's just up the street. Nothing much to draw your eye, and parking may sometimes be a little tight, but that's it for negatives! This little gem not only feeds you with food that comes from the heart, it is so healthy that the Heart Association should hold its banquets in the bamboo and South Pacific themed dining room, where a lovely fountain welcomes you, and a resident bird sings! After you fall in love with the food, like the 11-spice curry, or the green curry, or the tom kar kai soup, or their own version of bahn xeo, Ladda and Howard Simon will teach you how to make it for yourself! Pure ingredients, without short cuts or prepared curries, you learn to season to taste, and you learn how to prepare a feast.... then you eat the feast, and you take the secrets back with you to the mainland. Try the ginger lemonade. Try everything. I could live there! It's our first stop when we go to our time share condo, and I prefer it to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel!
(5)Adam A.
Great flavors, especially for Thai and Indian in Hawaii. Very fresh and tasty. Be careful if you go for Medium Spicy, they go by THAI scale, which means Medium is very hot. "Thai Hot" will make you cry. ;) The Thai Iced Tea was delicious... The Lilikoi Nectar was quite sour. Their gelato dessert was lovely.
(4)Rebecca D.
This place is great, and the portions are very large. I wish we had ordered less, because we ate too much and had way too much food leftover. I ordered the chef's choice sampler and told them that I eat fish but not meat. That meant that two out of three sample dishes contained Ono. I love Ono, in fact I think it's my favorite fish. But my two companions also ordered Ono, and the portions were HUGE. I was way Ono'ed out. It wouldn't be a big deal except that it's one of those large fish that sometimes have higher levels of mercury (and I'm ttc). Very nice atmosphere inside, and the food is interesting and very tasty.
(4)John R.
Disappointing. Not really bad, but the food was all surprisingly flavorless and bland -- none of the bright flavors (and sometimes heat) that I love about Thai/SE Asian food. And, as others have pointed out, very pricey, even by Big Island standards. Might be a good option if you have special dietary needs (lots of vegan/veggie options, etc.). But otherwise, I would stick with the other options in town like Orchid or even Rapanui (although it has a bit of a different focus).
(2)Yves R.
This is a real gem, and we found it through yelp on the evening before boarding our plane back home. The food was very fresh, authentic, and tasty. The green papaya salad was outstanding. Everything else was also really good, and I will return on my next trip. My favorite Thai restaurant in Kona is Orchid Thai Cuisine, which has become even better in the last year. I would rate Orchid Thai tastier overall. On the other hand, Lotus Cafe has very fresh and organic ingredients, so try to experience both if you have the time.
(5)Emily C.
We came here twice during our week-long trip to the Big Island -- when my boyfriend was picking up and returning his rental bike at Cycle Station just a block away. We're vegan/strict vegetarian and were drawn to their claims of using "local and organic" produce. Right on! The prices definitely reflect that, but if the food is good it's not out of line. The first time was at lunch, and we were fresh off the plane, and it was pretty much perfect. I had an allegedly Sumatran-style dish with grilled eggplant and tofu served with a great brown rice and a tomato-chili sauce. It was light and tasty and hit the spot. I also had a cup of coffee, which was just OK -- tasted a little overroasted -- but I'm admittedly picky about my coffee. On our second visit, I tried a Thai-style dish featuring "garden vegetables and mushrooms in a ginger sauce." This was a huge disappointment. The garden vegetables were overcooked (and included celery, which I hate, but my boyfriend argued that I can't take off points for my own random vegetable pickiness, even if it's the only one I hate!), the sauce was bland, and the featured mushrooms tasted like reconstituted dried shiitakes -- yuck. The ginger lemonade was nice, though -- VERY gingery.
(3)Heather W.
We come here often to eat in or get take out. It's not the best Thai food I have ever had but it hits the spot and is consistent. We will for sure be going back once every week or two.
(4)Kevin R.
We ate here twice while in the area, and enjoyed the flavors both times. We did dinner the first time, and lunch the second stop. I wanted to try so many things on the menu, so I could see eating here again and again. My only compaint is the prices. For a place so far out of downtown, you might think they could be more reasonably priced. Had the portions been bigger, this wouldn't be such a problem. Though very tasty, you have to expect to spend some money here. Try the gelato for dessert, several flavors if you have a group, they're all amazing.
(4)Erin S.
Great flavors and very fresh food. If you order a dish mild and one person likes a little more spice they have an awesome chili seasoning they will bring to you. I was craving veggies, so I was very happy to be able to order a dish with lots of fresh veggies. They are a bit pricy for the portion size, but it is organic, non-gmo, and locally sourced, so I am a little forgiving of the price.
(4)Rachel L.
Taking Thai cooking classes in a restaurant is a uniquely wonderful experience. Ladda and Howie invite you into their kitchen, explain how to use the ingredients, and share their recipes with you. The three-hour classes pass quickly as you cook, ask questions and take breaks to eat what you've helped prepare. What a treat! My husband and I took three of their classes and had so much fun. We liked the classes so much, we planted galangal root, a kaffir lime tree, lemongrass in our HI garden. We highly recommend this as a great date activity.
(5)David T.
Finally found a healthy and delicious restaurant in the Kona area. We had the chicken and shrimp satay for an appetizer. I had the pad Thai omelet while others in our group had the pad Thai tofu, eggplant with grilled tofu, and the chicken mango tango. The flavors off all the dishes was fantastic, without a lot of chemicals to cover or over power the taste. Left the restaurant full, but not feeling overloaded with hormones or chemicals.
(5)George G.
Somewhere in my mind there has been a dream of a thai restaurant that doesn't use the "thai kit"--bottled sauces with msg so that they can say "no msg added" (because it's already in the sauce!). I finally found it, but it's in Kona. The owners make all their sauces (the pad thai has only three spices--Bragg, tamarind and palm sugar), grow whatever they can, use organic chicken and non-gmo soy/tofu, and are very purposeful, thoughtful and conscious about their cooking. And they're open from morning to night. Last night I sat perusing the menu of the Lotus Cafe wishing they delivered on Oahu. Sadly, until my next visit I'll have to dream of the Shrimp Laksa with the aroma of fresh turmeric; homemade vegan gelato; homegrown ginger lemonade, and more.
(5)Travis T.
If the food had been half priced it would deserve a mediocre 2 star review, but it was insanely overpriced, and was pretty bland to boot. I ordered the drunken chicken. This was not so much chicken as a salad with what could not have been more than a 1/4 chicken breast on top. That was $14 and should have been the salad one may get as an appetizer to a main entree. If I had ordered about 3 of those I may have left and not still been hungry. I'll add that I usually fault places for giving you a ton of food in place of quality. This food is neither quality or value.
(1)Ling W.
Very cool interior with authentic doors and panels, albeit a bit cluttered. Food was diverse and fresh. I found the everything tasted Thai, although some of it was labeled as Indonesian, Indian, Burmese, etc...It may have been my inadequate taste buds. However, when I get something that's Indian, I expect a thick curry! Service was polite. We both liked our meals, but I would not order the vanilla ginger ice cream again, way too strong unless you love ginger!
(4)Max C.
Lotus Cafe is the best Thai/Asian food you will find in Hawaii. All foods are grown fresh on the island in their own garden. They have the most amazing menu with exotic, yet amazing dishes that are above anything you'll find even in large cities. While they do have the common staple dishes, and they are equally as tasty, I highly recommend trying something new.... You won't be let down. I've lived and traveled all over Asia and their food is unique, organic healthy tastes from all over Asia. Ask for the owner Howie, and if he's there ask to try the Thai snack plate. It's amazing! Definitely add this to the list of Todos when on the Big island.
(5)Genevive B.
Perfect place to stop for lunch or dinner while near the Kona Airport. Dinner for two with drinks runs about $50. And organic & local Thai and Indian food is a dream come true. Wish more Asian restaurants were more aware of ingredient quality.
(4)Paul B.
Awsome, healthy, Thai food. Location is out of the way unless you are going to Costso, but catch them at the farmer's market on Sunday for breakfast or lunch. I love the green curry with chicken!
(5)Capprica S.
Delicious food, apparently everything on the menu is Gluten free. Additionally, I love the fact that everything was organic, most things were locally sourced, and all waste gets composted. Considering it is Hawaii, and all of the special things they are doing with their establishment, it was very inexpensive. All that hippy stuff is usually something you have to prepare to pay through the nose for. They seem to only have dark meat, which I despise, but the meals were so good that I ended up enjoying them anyway. What I liked best was Drunken Chicken and one of the Indian Curries with chicken. With Sticky rice. Ridiculously tasty (especially the curry), however, keep in mind that Thai spicy is excruciating even by comparison to Mexican spicy (and I do not mean taco bell). The medium drunken chicken was delicious, even as cold leftovers, but it made me curse and cry like a bipolar sailor. When I came back I was sure to order mild. The drunken chicken has kind of a light, lime and chile and broth flavor to it, and is full of lightly cooked (still crisp, not soggy) vegetables such as carrot shreds and cabbage leaf chunks. The lime leaves used to help season the sauce are probably technically edible, but I don't recommend it because they are really tough. The indian curry was very savory, yellow curry, on the thin and soupy side, with a big stick of cinnamon and star anise simmered in the sauce. The cinnamon and anise are very notable in the sauce, and my mouth has started watering again thinking about it... nom... Anyway. It had pretty standard stew/curry vegetables in it such as carrot and potato. My cutie kept going for the fried rice. Good stuff. =) Even better than the marvelous curry is the gelato and sorbetto. The chocolate macadamia and lillikoi were some of the tastiest ice creams I have ever head, extremely refreshing, and made from coconut milk (non- dairy, which is great for Vegans and lactose intolerant people). One thing I had that I would never order again is the 'Thaitalian' dishes. Fusion is often a means of having a unique and interesting meal, but that was just kind of strange, overly creamy, and the spices were not as complementary to one another as other dishes. Overall, this is an awesome, delicious place to eat, reasonably priced (approx 7-10 dollars for an entree as I recall) and when I go back to Kona I will be thrilled to eat here again.
(5)cat m.
Good flavors, good food, but prices are pretty high. Green curry chicken was great -- good heat and flavor. Chicken Satay was good but peanut sauce taste like baby food -- mild, sweet, and no real spice to it. Portions are a bit small given the price.
(3)Alex A.
Had chicken sata, shrimp summer roll and special fish, all were great.
(4)Stan B.
Overall the food is not bad. I ordered chicken curry. It was pretty tasty. My girlfriend ordered eggplant with basil. It was somewhat plain. The service was not that great. The waitress was hardly moving. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty it took them about 5 minutes to offer any drinks
(4)Grace E.
I can't say much because we never got to the point of ordering. Its too bad too because I've been really wanting to eat here because of all the reviews but when we first walked in the employees just looked at us like we didn't belong there. The atmosphere of the restaurant was dark and gloomy and it smelled like wet dog. We went here with our 3 kids and it just felt uncomfortable. Maybe we'll try it again without the kids but i doubt it.
(2)Kay M.
Great veggie place. Thai green curry was unlike any other place. My wife had a Thai curry with a crepe - very creative and tasty. All curry paste ground in house - you can definitely taste the difference in the food. Highly recommended - veggie or not.
(5)K A.
Not really thai food that you would come expect else where, the ingredients are fresh but they seem to be undercooked for what ever reason including chicken and onions used in the fried rice. If undercooked bland thai food is your thing then this place is for you, but otherwise avoid this place if you are looking to eat thai.
(1)Monika S.
Living in San Francisco really spoils you for the rest of the world when it comes to outstanding international cuisine. The amazing thing is that with our insane high foodie standards we found some fantastic restaurants on the Big Island. First thing to know about dining on the Big Island; there are no "hip" neighborhoods to find the next big deal. Instead the best meals we enjoyed were from restaurants that have been in strip malls, surrounded by the likes of Costco, Ross and Office Depot. Why would anyone put a restaurant of high standards in a location like that? Simple. That is where the locals shop and where they will be guaranteed visibility. Don't judge a book by its cover, or I guess where it is located in the dusty bookstore. Anyway, Lotus Cafe drew us in with its neon sign claiming organic, local Thai food. Could it be possible? We found the few reviews on Yelp and decided to go for it. The space is simple, cool and it was really quiet the night we were in. The waitress was pleasant albeit a little difficult to understand. I started with the lemon- ginger drink. I almost fell out of my seat; it was so fresh and delicious, if it wasn't a little pricey I would have drank a gallon of it. We had the pad Thai, a tofu peanut curry veggie mix and brown rice. Everything and I mean everything was fresh, not from a bottle and satisfying. The pad Thai was light, the noodles perfect and the sauce was simple and lovely. No MSG in anything. Many people think that only Chinese food is high in MSG, Thai is usually just as bad. It is often in the "curry" mix to enhanced the flavor. Since I am pretty darn allergic to it, I always ask...this time the waitress and the menu offered that info. We also had a banana coconut desert that was yummy. Light and not too sweet. Overall food was amazing....prices are about the same as a decent Thai place in SF, which means a little pricey for the island. The restaurant is totally off the grid; it runs on solar energy and uses mostly compostable to go dishes. We are so glad we discovered it, since it is a few blocks from Costco, the post office, Ceviche Dave's and Snorkel Bobs....all required stops on the Big Island. I hope they make it; I look forward to a return visit in 2 years.
(4)Lindsay O.
Found this place by accident while on vacation and loved it! We went at 1:30 on a Tuesday and it was quiet but had a few other couples. We got the three-item sampler ($15) and the waitress was great about handling our dietary restrictions. We also had a large banana date smoothie ($7 but worth it), and tofu summer rolls ($8). The sampler came with Indian chicken curry (spicy!!), a delicious vegetable Thai curry, and a really amazing lilikoi-glazed chicken. So Ono! It also came with a cup of rice but we ordered a second one because we were sharing. The food was stellar, atmosphere was cute, and the server was great even though she was handling lunch all by herself. We were very happy!
(5)emily H.
Eat here. Best Thai food I have had on the Big Island. My parents touted this little cafe as a place I had to try... Upon arrival, I could see why! Local, organic, veg friendly fare made fresh to order in a cute cafe that is solar powered!!! Sign me up. We ordered: * fresh shrimp rolls (my parents loved)- came with 3 fresh sauces: peanut, fresh chili sauce and a fish sauce something rather... * tofu larb- delish! flavor packed with fresh cilantro, chile and lime, served with local lettuce not cabbage, had to ask for a little more, as it wasn't enough to pack all the spicy goodness into * vegi green curry- nice, fresh, simple. not a 10, but definitely tasty. had with brown rice, also have option of jasmine or sticky (i like options!) * pad thai- not the normal orange tamarind soaked flavor many places rely on (thanks). I've been to Thailand, and the taste is right on. *grilled tofu appetizer- i forget what this was called on the menu, and was expecting more of a satay than tofu "steaks". 4 nice sized pieces, in a different sauce- a black soy coconut sauce that reminded me of salty caramel, in a good way. added a little peanut sauce to this and had with rice... Whence I return to Kona, this will be on my repertoire.
(4)Anoop G.
I wasn't too excited about going here but decided to check it out because one of my colleagues recommended it highly, even though the reviews on Yelp weren't all that great. (The reviews on Happy Cow are better.) The restaurant advertises itself as using mostly organic and local ingredients which, when I read about it on entering, made me excited. They had lots of vegan options as well, and were able to offer several dishes that would meet my requirements of no onions, no garlic. The ambience was good (nice, cozy feel) and the service was OK. So why only 3 stars? The first reason is that I found the dreaded little piece of meat in my vegetarian dish. I guess mistakes happen, but that was a big turn-off. They offered to redo the dish, but I didn't really like it, so I asked for another one of the appetizers that we had just ordered and that I kind of liked. And this time around the appetizer showed up quite burnt so that was a disappointment. Despite the mistake, they did charge for the replacement appetizer...normally I would have expected goodwill to prevail. I've had restaurants take stuff off the check for much less. Additionally, the dish (Kashmiri curry vegetables) was very bland and the vegetables felt like they could have used some more cooking. I guess, even though they use all the right spices, they just don't cook it right. I also had a sample to taste one of their vegan gelato flavors and didn't care for it enough to get an order of it. I applaud them for using local, organic ingredients, but I think the way they put these ingredients together needs some work. It is quite expensive, and while everything in Hawaii tends to be expensive, this is just a bit more expensive than average which raises expectations somewhat.
(3)Andrea P.
Excellent Indonesian food and a wide variety. The owner says they use no additives, preservatives and only the highest quality ingredients for all sauces and dishes, and totally gluten-free. These people really know how to handle spices and intense flavor with creativity and finesse. If you like any kind of asian food, you'll love this place. Great atmosphere too!
(5)Somya C.
Slightly more on the pricey side but the food was good. I ordered the vegetable fried rice and loved it.
(4)griyenga g.
My husband and me recently visited the lotus cafe - We loved the food and wanted to share our review about the place with the world! If you are craving for asian food this is the best experience you could get in a small island in hawaii! We stayed in hawaii big island for 5 days and went here 3 days in a row :) We loved the Yellow curry - typical to sambhar/dal (indian curry) with hot steaming rice - Kashmiri curry - another fantastic curry - coconut crape with veggies and curry - (just like dosas), this is the best treat a veggie can get in this island. We are from New York city and have yet not eaten curry and rice as yummy as this! Fresh vegetables. excellent service and lovely interiors! We recommend this place to everyone who visits the big island ( kona side) and we feel that our HAWAII experience would not have been complete without lotus cafe.
(5)Gwen E.
Yikes I hate to write a negative review but I thought people should know that I waited 45 minutes for a take-out order last night. The price is definitely on the upward scale (more than most Thai places). The food was good, I'm not toally sure about this, but I think the noodles were fresh and possibly made in house which is great. However, it was slightly bland and it not wow me, especially for the price. Unfortunatley, I won't be coming here again.
(2)James C.
Food is completly undercooked, the chicken i got was still pink in the middle. I wish i could give this zero stars.
(1)Mae S.
The atmosphere is odd: it's in a warehouse overlooking the parking lot of Costco. But like everything else on the Kona hillside, if you look past the parking lot at dinner hour, you see the sun setting into the Pacific. Due to its obscure location, I suspect mainly locals have found it so far (it's around 3 months old) -- we heard of it from some new residents. I bet tourists will soon be drawn to its special fusion of health food and Thai/Oriental ingredients and methods. Note: the Thai ice tea has a lot of cinnamon and it's a little too sweet -- the cafe menu advertises NO dairy prods, so I think it's made with coconut milk. But everything else was very delicious. Lots of vegetarian choices, fresh fish, noodles, wraps, dessert pancakes, satay...
(4)Kathleen Hunter H.
Stunning food - organic, beautifully cooked and presented - worth finding - unusual warehouse location as another reviewer has noted - not cheap but totally in keeping with the quality -
(4)Anna P.
This place is really good about local, fresh, "real" ingredients. It's not cheap, but the quality is good and that is worth the expense. I don't eat here often, but really enjoy the mango lassi. For 8 dollars it is one of the most expensive drinks I'll ever order, but its so tasty it is completely worth it (people waste that on cocktails without batting an eye). Not sure about the illness claims, another friend told me something similar, but I've never had an issue *knock on wood*.
(4)Dan R.
I eat here so frequently that I've had the opportunity to eat basically every dish on the menu. I've also attended one of the cooking classes. What sets this restaurant apart it that they make all their sauces from scratch, often incorporating 10-15 herbs and spices per recipe. When possible, the ingredients are grown on Howie Simon's farm, the proprietor of the cafe. Everything on the menu is organic, and local when possible. Also, they just started making raw/organic pies. Try them. After eating hear so frequently, I can honestly say I feel better in body and spirit.
(5)Malea X.
excellent! no dairy, no fish sauce, no mammals. if the menu item doesn't have chicken or fish, then it's vegan. gotta LOVE that! the food is very good and they have homemade vegan gelato!
(5)Nico N.
Bought lotus cafe spring rolls and coconut sticky rice at the Saturday farmers market in keauhou. Got two chicken and two avocado springrolls. These were a ripoff! Why? Because the man selling them boasted all veggies were grown in his garden yet the rolls were mostly filled with rice. We were looking for something healthier and at 2 for $6, these weren't worth it. The sticky rice was decent- also a somewhat small portion and baby bean loved it.
(3)jacquelyn k.
Awesome place!!! I like their food and they don't use GMO!!! Everything is local and organic, the even make their own gelato it's dairy free and super yummy! I would recommend! They also have a Furniture shop where they have a bunch of really unique stuff from Thailand.
(4)RZ H.
Myself, and two other people at my table (3 out of 4 of us) became violently ill from eating here within just 25 minutes of consuming our food. We were in the middle of our meal when it hit us each individually out of no where! We all ate nothing else in common the entire day but each threw up within 5 minutes of each other after eating here. One woman even had to run out the door to vomit because I was already in the restroom throwing up myself. And, my fiance was in the men's restroom also vomiting! After much review, we think it was some sort of literal poison in the food or severe allergic reaction. Tradition food poisoning takes at least a few hours but because this was instant, our best guess after consulting with doctors was either too much bleach solution in their cleaning process or spoiled rice which can make you sick almost immediately if it is bad enough. The owner is nice but there is simply something wrong with how they prepare their food. Sorry, but we will not risk it again and don't ever eat here.
(1)Mark C.
There are lot's of Thai/Asian food restaurants in Kona...........but none can compare to Lotus for their originality in both menu and cooking style. They have a penchant for organic, locally grown, healthy and exotic ingredients which just is not the way on the big island........because it usually is just too much work and effort. Not for these wonderful restaurateurs dedicated to delivering taste, healthy/healing food and exciting dining for their customers. Their desserts and home made gelato complete the experience. While dining you can take a stroll thru the large adjacent warehouse full of Asian furniture and home accessories that will add to the feeling you are in Southeast Asia and in another world! The fact they close at 9pm in and of itself is unique on an island where the sidewalks are rolled up at 8pm. This could be one of the most interesting and unique restaurants in the Hawaiian Islands.............Hurray for the island of Hawaii!!!!
(5)Dee S.
My order - Veg pad thai, veg green curry. Taste - The best thai food I have ever tasted. The green curry was made from fresh coconut and organic vegetables. The basil addition was just perfect in the dish. Usually the green curry which I had tasted so far had way too much basil in them. Pad thai too tasted good and fresh. Vegans/Vegetarians will go nuts for this place! Cost - $30 for 2 people. Staff and service - Friendly and quick! Do not miss this place!
(5)Rita M.
Have always wanted to try Lotus Cafe and so I went out of my way to get there. After speaking with the counter person I ordered Rad Na, a Thai rice noodle dish with cabbage, broccoli, carrots, green beans etc. It sounded wonderful. Because I needed to get to my office I placed a to go order. They charged me 5% or $0.80 additional for the to go container. I drive the 10 minutes to my office, opened the container to find gummy sticky noodles with a couple of thinly sliced carrots and a few green beans. No cabbage, no broccoli. Definitely not worth the money I spent. I'll stick to TK'S Noodle House in the future.
(2)Pamela W.
The laksa is a dream ... lots of fresh and beautiful organic veggies (kabocha, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts) over rice noodles and a curry that is making me salivate now just thinking about it. A perfectly balanced and full-of-flavor laksa. I also appreciated that they make all of their own sauces and curries right there. It's a vegan (with locally farmed/raised meat options), organic and gluten-free resto that really impresses.
(5)Jigesha D.
I love this place! Found it through yelp, and I liked the service. We had the special which was the mango curry--- amazing! You actually get pieces of mango in it along with the vegetables. We are vegetarians, and they could make anything vegetarian. We also had the pad Thai as well, yummy. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone. Wouldn't recommend the smoothies though-- sort of bland.
(5)Sylvia C.
No good value for money. This hole-in-the-wall restaurant charged us the price of a three-dollar sign restaurant yet the food portion was pathetically small - 10 tiny chicken pieces in my large bowl of green curry. No doubt the Thai flavour was authentic - that is applaudable since many Thai foods in SF Bay Area are either too sweet or rich. It probably serves organic food as it claims on the menu, but many other eateries in the Big Island serve organic foods anyway since they source their fresh ingredients from Waimea in the North. Just not worth the price.
(2)Kami L.
I ate here about two months ago with my boyfriend. We were so disappointed with the food that I still remember it two months later and finally remembered to jump onto Yelp and write a review. I prefer eating vegan, organic and gluten-free food, so this place seemed perfect. The food was bland and oily. The noodles were stuck together and mushy. I've never had such tasteless thai food. Our pad thai was unrecognizable, didn't look like any pad thai I had ever had. I asked our server to make sure we got the right order and she assured us rudely that it was the pad thai. That's fine if it is done differently here, but if we just want to double check we got the right order, we shouldn't be met with a rude response. We left with a bad taste in our mouths, literally. Rude service. bad food.
(1)Kona L.
Happen upon this place after our Costco run. This a gem of a place, and everything is yummy on this menu. We were a party of 8, so we got to try a large array of dishes! Totally unassuming place, but you won't be disappointed!
(5)Hilary O.
After reading all of the mixed reviews this is what I can tell you. It is not your traditional Thai restaurant. Their focus is all locally grown, vegetarian, etc food. So that in itself makes this particular thai restaurant unique. I actually quite like what I have eaten both at their food truck and in the restaurant. I have definitely had hit or miss items here however the items that I do enjoy are the reasons I continue to come here. It is extremely healthy in the way that they prepare there food. When the item has been bad, its been really bad. I cannot say much good about the service. Its pretty nonexistent honestly, which can be frustrating. Definitely do not go if you are expecting good service. They honestly seem like a group of vegetarian, health conscious people that opened a decent Thai restaurant without ever having worked in a restaurant themselves. They just need to be little more business smart with the service.
(4)Amanda T.
We stopped by this place and found it to be quite good! The food was tasty and their smoothies are unique and very flavorful. I ordered vegetable fried rice with tofu and their special sauce! Very good! The only negative was that their one staff member was not the friendliest but we got her to smile and it turned out ok!
(4)Kaz L.
Excellent and flavorful are the key words to this restaurant. I've been coming here everyday for lunch, I couldn't get enough. Fresh ingredients you can taste and the flavors are right on. And if you like it spicy ask for Thai spicy and you'll be in spicy heaven. Highly recommend this place.
(5)Beth R.
While at a farmers market south of Kona, we happened upon the cafe's food truck. I talked to one of the owners. He was helpful and friendly. I told him the cafe was on my dining list while in the area and that we would soon check it out. A few days later, we did. Loved it! It is tucked away from downtown Kona. The dining environment is pleasant and casual. My husband and I shared a Burmese salad. I can't remember what was in it, but it was incredible. Truly incredible. It would have been a meal for one. It was actually a lot for us to share as a salad, but we managed. I had vegan pad Thai, which was excellent. And I finished it all with a vegan coffee gelato. Heaven on a plate.
(5)Ann K.
We returned with high expectations but the coconut crêpe that comes with my favorite curry was thick, soggy, and starchy. I just ate the curry and left the crêpe. Perhaps there is a different chef. Hopefully things will get back up to the previous standards.
(3)Gil S.
My wife and I finally ate lunch here and were more disappointed than we have ever been at any restaurant. We ordered different dishes, but, both dishes contained an unbelievable 3 and 4 small low grade chicken pieces respectively, along with carrots, cauliflower, & cabbage, one dish also had mango. One bad dish may be an aberration, but both were woefully portion starved and overcooked, the sauce was ok, but, in no way made up for the terrible portions , presentation and ultimate disappointment of a shameful lunch. To add insult to a bad experience it was also outrageously overpriced, particularly given the lack of quality. There are many Thai and noodle house type restaurants, serving much better quality ingredients, far superior in every manner and much more reasonably priced in the Kailua-Kona Area, such as TK Noodle, at much more reasonable pricing save the heartache STAY AWAY FROM HERE
(1)Chelsea A.
Soooo delicious. Ingredients are fresh, sauces have layers of flavors. My husband can always get his "thai hot" here while I can keep it mild to share with the baby. And the vegan gelatos can't be missed! Make sure to save room.
(4)Morgan K.
This place is awful! I would give it a negative rating if I could... We got the following menu items. Tom Yam Ono: No flavor, hardly anything to the soup, there was one little piece of ginger, a few slices of carrots, a couple sliced cherry tomatoes and 4 very small pieces of Ono that were tough and flavorless. The small bowl was $6.95! Total ripoff. Vegetarian Wide Rice Noodles: This dish included a small hand full of vegetables, not even worthy of mention...a clump of flavorless slimy noodles in the middle (couldn't even grab the noodles with a fork because they slipped right off) all in a thick brown sauce. Don't know what the sauce was but once again, no flavor. Oh, and did I mention there were bugs in the noodles! Gross! Vegetarian Eggplant Dish: A few pieces of eggplant in a thin gray sauce with a hand full of assorted veggies. No flavor. Overpriced and flavorless! Not to mention the unfriendly staff. If you want excellent Thai food visit the Spoonful Cafe in Keaau! We ended up going to Costco to get pizza for dinner... .
(1)Nicole A.
I cannot tell you how absolutely great this place is. This place has never compromised on quality since the day it opened. I used to come here regularly just after it opened years ago. I recently returned to Kona for a visit after many years since moving away. This place was the first place I wanted to go back to. I was not disappointed in the least. I love the owners and all the workers. Thank you Lotus Cafe.
(5)Erich B.
Their food truck is better. We ate at the food truck this afternoon and decided to have dinner at the restaurant before we flew home today. We had the steamed Ono which was good but the Ono was a bit overcooked. Great flavor and broth though. We also had the Tom jai yom soup. Quite good. Very clean food. Nice place. A little hard to find but not that much or I wouldn't have come. The owner is manning the truck at the moment so maybe that is why the restaurant wasn't as good. We will return when we are onthe big Island again. If you can find the truck(5 stars) go there otherwise this place is great.
(4)Dania-Maria K.
Came here for lunch with the boyfriend, his mom, his sister, and his sister's friend (both teenagers). We were allowed to choose our seats once we entered, the restaurant seems to also sell furniture! It was incredibly tempting to mozzie on over to that section and browse, but I restrained myself. I didn't have to for long as our food promptly arrived. My boyfriend and I split a green papaya salad, coconut soup with chicken (which wasn't on the menu, but our server had no qualms about getting it done for us, awesome!), and the chef's special tasters . This included three dishes served in small portions with a portion of your choice of rice. One dish was fish with a sweet mango/citrus sauce with cut up carrots, cabbage, and diced avocado. The other was a hearty, spicy dish with coconut milk, chicken, and veggies. The third included shrimp, vegetables, and the sauce or marinade it was in was very light, but seemed to have notes of either chili or paprika (I don't even know if Thai cuisine uses paprika). All three were a great exploration of the huge variety in Thai cooking! We had a blast eating our way through them. I wish I could make mention to what everyone else had, but as you can tell I was enthralled with our order. I highly recommend checking out Lotus Cafe, it has a comfortable, casual setting, and there's great furniture to oogle at.
(4)Arti S.
Small local organic great find with fantastic food! I stopped by here for dinner as soon as we landed on the big island. My boys, husband and mother-in-law... Each one loved what they ordered! They have a iced tea (an iced chai tea) and it is so refreshing and delicious! If you stumble here.. be sure to go in!
(5)Linda C.
Tucked away and hard to find but nice, friendly service. The Udupi pineapple curry was different but a little too sweet after a few mouthfuls. Hubby had the Rad Na noodles which was good. They had a small selection of beers in the cooler but they did have some craft beers. Great gelato. Definitely try it!
(3)Jordan W.
This place is not good - particularly the vegetable wide rice noodles, which were slimy, tasteless, and stuck together in a pool of what tasted like very salty hot and sour soup. I know others have rated this place well (which is why we went), but our meal was not good and was overpriced. If you go, stick to the dishes other diners have recommended.
(1)La' Akea S.
Best food that we found in Kailua-Kona! We were on a family vacation for a week and tried several restaurants but nothing really stood out...until we ran across their food truck at a Sunday Farmer's Market. A-mazing!!!! We are foodies and love ethnic food, so this was right up our alley. The food made such an impression that we went to their restaurant. Great selection with nice, bold flavors. Healthy, tasty, and environmentally conscious. Gluten-free options are available too.
(5)Josh F.
My family and I went to this cafe while on vacation and we weren't impressed. The first thing we noticed was that the food is very overpriced. We each payed $6 for tea I could have mistaken for water. For a family of 4 the bill came out to be over $100 before tip and none of us left overly filled. The service, although friendly, was not wonderful. We drained our water glasses quickly and sipped our teas. We sat for the better part of 30 minutes while our waitress took the orders for a large take out order. There were other workers in the restaurant during this time but they did not do much that we could see. Also, one entree came out almost 10 minutes after the other three. We were about finished when the last entree finally arrived. To top it off, the food was not overly impressive despite our waitress saying repeatedly that we would love it. For the sake of your wallet and patience please proceed with caution.
(2)Shattered T.
The Thai Green Curry was delicious! So was the Thai Drunken Chicken! The prices are reasonable. They could use an air conditioner and it was strange that they were playing Beetles music, but I came here for good food and that's what I got.
(5)T R.
Thai Lite would describe this food. The avocado rolls.. Do NOT think Cheesecake Factory.. Think raw vegan sticky rice paper wraps. The Burmese Salad was yummy! Great dressing! The Pad Thai.... Different..... Not that it wasn't good, but much lighter in sauce, flavor, consistency than most. Been to Thailand 3 times, never had Thai like this. Again... More raw/vegan/lite feel. The 3 of us left full & content but probably would not go back for the food.
(3)Rachita B.
My husband and I ordered the chiang Mai chai, the avocado summer rolls, and the South Indian curry with brown basmati rice. The chai was fantastic -- sweet but with that familiar indian chai spice and flavor! The avocado summer rolls were good but they definitely skimped on the avocados! What's up with that?! They should rename them vegetable rolls!! The rolls came with two vegan sauces -- the peanut sauce was perfectly sweet and full-bodied but the tamarind sauce was too sweet and runny. The south indian curry was interesting -- we asked for tofu in the dish but weren't given any -- and it was $17 to boot. The curry itself was a very watery gravy and a bit too mild. The coconut flavor was solid but the dish overall needed more vegetables than the few broccoli, potato, carrot, and onion slices that were sprinkled inside it. I love curries, vegetarian, vegan, and indian-inspired dishes but I think this dish fell flat of my expectations. I think the restaurant overall would do much better if it improved it's lighting situation -- the place itself is creepily dark! Also, it's super hot inside the place -- about ten degrees warmer than the outdoor temps. Not sure what all that is about. Finally, way too many mosquitoes! With a minor facelift and some better prices, this place would be fantastic. One more thing, the parking area at nighttime is a little scary -- super dark and isolated.
(2)Thanh N.
A bit pricey. The dishes tasted very similar to one another. We ordered the papaya salad, pad thai, and yellow curry. Pineapple turnover cake was good, however. Also, it was very hot in the restaurant. We don't regret trying the place but we wouldn't come back.
(3)Lisa A.
Yelp is so helpful in finding a good restaurant especially when you're out of town. This place is not easy to locate because it looks to be part of an industrial section of town, but the service was fine. The restaurant is noted to be gluten-free, GMO-free, and dairy-free Asian fusion dining. We ordered Pad Thai with Chicken and Grilled Jumbo shrimp. Dishes were fantastic with fresh vegetables and decent sized shrimp (3 skewers). The lemonade was just a tad tart but refreshing. Their gelato was good for being non diary. I wanted to go back a second time but will have to come back on my next trip to the big island.
(4)Alisa C.
We found this place right after landing in Hawaii, right over by Costco. I couldn't have been happier with the food or service! Locally sourced, organic ingredients, in a dedicated gluten free facility, which made me very happy, indeed! My companion is very skeptical of anything "natural", but loved his dishes both times that we went! I found the portions adequate, but if you're super hungry, get an appetizer. The prices were consistent with everything else I've found here in Hawaii, so didn't stand out as being exceptionally high for the area. As far as spiciness goes, it's on a 1 to 4 scale, with 4 as the hottest. I like things hot, so my companion and I both ordered our dishes "3", just to be safe, and found them to have plenty of flavor and heat. We'll be visiting this place again!
(5)Dave T.
Great Passion fruit drink, its a must have if you like Lilikoi and something super sweet. Food is tasty, but portions are too small. We would go back more often if the portions were bigger.
(2)Genesa L.
There are not enough stars for this fabulous restaurant! I am gf, dairy free, soy free & pork free & my hubby is gf. We also eat organic & non gmo. This place fit all of my criteria. Beyond delicious food, the assortment was endless, no need to ask for a gf menu or if it was dairy free. The mangos are like mango pudding & are picked in the owners backyards as much of the produce is. The staff again AMAZING & remembered is from a week earlier. We enjoyed the "chefs choice" on our second visit when my husband & I enjoyed what I like to call a food orgasm ;). If you're in Kailua-kona this is a don't miss!
(5)Nancy Z.
I'm a sucker for Pad Thai. I can't speak to the other dishes this restaurant serves, but I can tell you their Pad Thai is fresh, yummy, and generous. The dish arrives and I always intend to take some home. Instead, I end up eating the whole thing. I just can't help myself. Although I've only eaten at Lotus twice (both times for lunch), I've never walked away hungry....not even close. I like that they have MANY vegetarian options. My friend ordered the fresh squeezed juice. The glass was large enough for us to share. Amazingly good on a hot day. Lotus Café is located in the new industrial area, above Costco, in a metal, strip-mall building adjacent to their import business . They've done a fine job transforming the building's interior into a pleasant space. The prices are in line with all the other Thai restaurants I've been to....$9+ per dish. The place was not very busy and our food arrived quickly. The only complaint, and it's a small one, is both times I've been to this restaurant, we've had to go up and ask for the check after waiting and waiting.
(4)Egor R.
Lotus cafe... Really wanted to like you but couldn't. We had hopes for a healthy meal & wanted to give this a chance despite other poor reviews. We tried vegetarian and non vegetarian options. The latter ones were poorly prepared (undercooked greasy chicken satay, chicken pad Thai strangely flavored, "almost raw" chocolate dessert had a grainy texture). Pricey poor lunch (about $70 for two adults & a child), mediocre service. If you must eat here, the cucumber salad and grilled tofu were both good. Of note, the smoothie we ordered was very, very sweet but once we complained it was promptly replaced with a better version.
(2)Bruce R.
Nice off the beaten path find. Would rate 3.5 but Yelp still doesn't give us that option. Very healthy, locally grown, organic, so big bonus for that. Vellay Appam curry was to die for, would go back just for more of that! Drunken chicken was bland. Pad Thai was excellent. Casual place with nice service and reasonable prices for the Big Island. Definitely worth a trip if you are near Kona and looking to get away from the tourist zone and like healthy, fresh food.
(4)Vadim V.
The food is indeed fresh just like other reviewers stated. However, the yellow curry tasted quite different from the usual - if there is such a thing as "usual". The salad was very well washed. The only server was waiting on one too many tables. It took a while before the menus were handed out. She was thoughtful enough to advise against the Thai coffee as the coffee machine was not working well since this morning. I would go there again when not in a hurry.
(3)Lowell D.
Since moving to Kona I'd been given several recommendations to check this place out. I'm a pretty health conscious vegetarian who loves Thai food. I kept it simple for this first trip. Vegetarian Fried Rice. My friend got something with chicken. Food came out fast and smelled great. The service was friendly. My only complaint if it qualifies as a complaint is I could have eaten two plates of the fried rice. It was delicious but the portion size seemed a bit lacking. The spicy soy sauce on the side was perfect too! I'll definitely go back but not on an empty stomach
(4)Dennis R.
Excellent Thai and Sumatra dishes. Great vegetarian options. Atmosphere was unique. In an industrial park area and attached to an Asian furniture store.
(5)Cara P.
Very fresh ingredients, lots of flavor. We have been here three or four times and have not been disappointed yet. But beware if you ask for spicy....that is what you are going to get.
(4)Kelly L.
My favorite gluten free restaurant here on the Big Island! Lots of great Thai, Indian and Indonesian options to choose from. Awesome curry and yummy gelato! Worth the trip. Restaurant located near Costco. They also have a lunch truck that you will see out and about, especially at the south Kona Green Market on Sundays. Check them out!
(5)Joyce K.
Wonderful tasting, local and organic. Location not great but if you're in it for the food you'll enjoy.
(5)Barb B.
Did I go to the same restaurant reviewed by others? The service was terrible! We were the only people having lunch on a Monday afternoon (okay, that should have given me a clue) and we STILL had bad service. The waitress acted as if we were intruding on her private time and, indeed, I did have to go find her in order to place our order and she was eating her own lunch in the back of the restaurant. The food was over priced and very average... I suppose the thinking is that you can double the fee if it's organic but I really have my doubts about the validity of this claim anyway. The wooden, straight back chairs were very comfortable and the whole place did not seem very clean. All in all - I cannot recommend this cafe and am a little peaved at others who did, suckering me into the whole experience.
(1)Solnishka M.
I love this place. Healthy, tasty and flavorful. Clean, organic, non-greasy, I always feel amazing after eating there! One of my favorite places of all times.
(5)Shannon S.
This was our first stop and our last stop on our visit to the big island. My guy has a gluten and a dairy allergy so eating out is always a bit dicey. The service was very nice, as someone else pointed out they are "Thai" nice which is quiet and polite not in your face. Our server was nice and helped us with our special order, though it turns out we didn't need to change anything as the soy sauce they use is gluten-free anyhow. I love that the ingredients are real and fresh! The Ginger Lemonade was super tasty with a little kick Serving sizes are not huge, which in my opinion is great since we don't really want to take leftovers OR overeat. When we get a chance to come back to the island we will make sure to stop in here again, and next time I will try the chai gelato
(5)Rachel O.
This was definitely good thai food, but overpriced. The green curry lacked flavor - average at best. The coconut soup was excellent and the papaya salad was good. But the prices seemed very high. Good service.
(3)Michelle L.
Semi-poor service they didn't notice us when we first got in, weren't given silverware until our meals were brought, and didn't get asked if the food was okay. We ordered the fish cake starters which weren't too bad. Our so called 11 spices yellow curry was 10 spices short. It was the worst curry I've ever eaten and improved somewhat by drowning it with salt and pepper. The sauce just seemed to be watered down coconut milk and butter. The shrimp with it was bland. I didn't know you could cook bland shrimp. Won't ever go back!
(1)Alice H.
Simply extraordinary. We met Howie and his team at the Holualoa light festival where they had a food stand set up. We had the avocado vegetable roll and the Pad Thai. The food was so fresh. The flavors delicious. I highly recommend you eat at Lotus Cafe!
(5)Edward P.
I love the organic food at this place. So clean and yummy not oily. It is top on my list if I am in Kona for the day. Would love some help in exploring different menu options. More food like this please, you can feel it...
(4)Pilates P.
For the price you really don't get much food. I ordered curried vegetables with rice. It came in a soup size bowl with about 3 vegetables and 3 pieces of tofu. $12.00. The place was not very clean and there was a bug in my water. They brushed it off like it happens all the time. I must admit that the curry was very flavorful. Besides the good curry I will probably never go back. There are much better places on the island.
(2)Ishan S.
The food was not the best ever, I had to excuse myself twice because I felt as if I was going to throw up! My kids liked their shrimp.. I added chili and they told me it was hot after I had it. The ceiling was large and scary and there were patches in the wall. The space was very minimal too. The price can be cut back according to the taste. They don't protect their food, someone can just walk in and take drinks!! Well....you can go if you want, it is a little OK...
(1)Cameron A.
This place kicks ass! Yes, their food is organic, local, good for you, etc, etc, but it is DAMN tasty! The vegan pad thai and pineapple curry was amazingly good. Wish we had discovered this place sooner so that we could have eaten there more than once. I would have eaten all of my dinners there. Our drinks were divine too: lemon ginger and the thai tea with coconut milk. Yum! Thanks for making awesome vegan thai food!
(5)Victoria H.
The coconut rice salad has more flavors than I think I have taste buds for. Absolutely a must try.
(4)Casie O.
This place is always one of the highlights of our visits to Kona. Food is delicious, menu is varied (and has gluten-free, vegan, and sometimes raw options, etc.) service is friendly, atmosphere is inviting and comfortable, AND the restaurant is solar powered, they use local, organic products.
(5)V K.
This place is a paradise for vegetarian lovers. Excellent food and service. We are vegetarians from SF and frequented this place during our stay on Big Island. Freshly prepared soups, yummy appetizers, freshly cut mango and delicious entrees kept bringing us back! Highly recommend :)
(5)l M.
Went for lunch with four finicky kids and everyone found something they loved! We chose the three dish taster plate and all three dishes were distinct and good. Very fresh food. Sticky rice was very good and service was fast. Loved the furniture shop that was attached too.
(4)k k.
It was really good overall. We all tried different dishes, from salads to sate and entrees and everyone loved it. Everything was fresh, the flavors were right on and super tasty. Also, our waitress was very nice and on it. Another nice thing some may like is they used mostly organic and local veggies and organic chicken. Would go back and try it again for sure. Also saw they have a food truck which I'll have to look out for.
(4)Victoria W.
Amazing coconut macadamia smoothie! Pricey for a smoothie ($7.50 for 20 oz) but worth it in my opinion. The only downside is they give you a standard straw which is too small for some of the macadamia chunks. I ordered the 11-spice Indian curry and asked for mild, and it arrived way too spicy--I could barely eat it. I asked them if they could adjust it, and they tried, but it was still too spicy. (And I can handle standard Indian food now, so it's not just me.) My partner enjoyed his chef's special. The prices seemed reasonable for made-to-order organic fare. We did the Yelp deal for sorbets (normally $5). Got chocolate macnut and pineapple coconut. They were okay - I wasn't a fan of the chocolate's flavor, and the pineapple coconut's texture was somewhat chunky/icy in areas. (I will admit, however, that I'm extremely spoiled when it comes to sorbets thanks to Scream Sorbet in California.)
(3)Dana S.
This is one of the best Thai restaurants I've ever been to. The flavors are great and the food is really fresh. We got tofu larb, the shrimp noodle salad, an Indian-style curry of the day, and a salad dish with chicken I'm forgetting the name of. All were fantastic. When I saw the summer rolls arrive to another table, I immediately had order envy. Those are definitely the on the list for next time. We also tried the gelato, which is made with coconut and soy milks, and barely sweet. It's not classic gelato, but it was tasty. This is great stop straight from the airport--not only is it close, it's the kind of fresh food and relaxing atmosphere you need after sitting on a cramped flight for hours. If you pick your table right, there's even an ocean view.
(5)Corinne L.
I never really write reviews, but felt I had to this time when I saw some poor reviews of what I consider one of the best restaurants on the island. Whenever I am in Kona, whether it be an errand run or the movies, Lotus Cafe is on the docket. The staff is super nice. I'm not sure why people were saying they weren't. The difference is they are quietly nice, they are not your typical in-your-face boisterous fake happy that so many waiters are. If you want advice on menu options, all you have to do is ask. I have never had a less than stellar meal here. I love the Coconut Curry Crepe, and my roommate's fave is the Chicken Mango tango. Their Thai iced tea is authentic and doesn't have caffeine in it (like everyone in the country) and everything is organic. I heard complaints about the prices, but it is all home-made and organic. For the island I'd say these are stellar prices for this type of food. Also very good is the Fried Rice, which to me is usually boring, but the way they do it is delish. Our favorite appetizer is the one with lettuce leaves ginger, onions and peanuts ...where you build your own little leaf wraps...can't remember the name. This is the place I bring people when I want to show off the island a little. Goood stuff!
(5)Michael E.
OMG - Thai snob here saying enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. great ambiance, great service, great food, eco-friendly and 100% solar powered. Did I mentioned the freshly made gelato? Can't remember, did I mentioned the great ambiance, service, and food? Highly recommend!
(5)Cindy T.
My daughter Brooke is a vegetarian and yoga teacher, so needless to say, she fell in love with this place! The green curry (which they pound on site-doesn't come from a jar!) with tofu and veggies was fabulous. The girl who helped us was super friendly and helpful. We weren't huge fans of the gelato, though. A tad pricey at $5 a scoop! Definitely worth a visit if you like Thai food!
(5)Aileen P.
Stopped by to grab takeout on our way to Mauna Kea. We ordered pad thai and chicken fried rice. The pad thai didn't look anything like the pad thai available at home in California - much less colorless. Although I didn't think much of the appearance, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor upon taking my first bite. The chicken fried rice was not special at all. This is a decent option if you have a hankering for Thai food or if you don't have great Thai food in your local area. Otherwise, this is not a must-try type of place.
(3)Forrest S.
The Lotus Cafe is pretty far ahead of the curve in a lot of ways. They are solar powered, and mostly local and organic, with a great variety or gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and lactose free foods. They cater to nearly everyone's needs, which was great for my friends and I, because one of my friends is vegan, and it is very hard to find a place we can all agree on. As for myself, I have and will always love bacon, gluten and dairy products, but it is great to know that there are restaurants that are willing to cater to so many eating preferences, and I really wish that there were more. As far as the food goes, I was very pleased with it in almost every aspect. I had the fresh Indian curry in a coconut crepe, and it was delicious. The vegetables and tofu were perfectly cooked, and the curry was bursting with so many flavors, and most importantly, it came spicy, and thing few restaurants will do when you ask for spicy. This white boy can handle the Thai heat. For dessert we shared a chocolate mac nut coconut gelato that is hand made, and while it was good, my friend who is a self proclaimed coconut milk ice cream expert, said she has had better. It had more of a sorbet texture than a creamy, gelato texture, which is hard to replicate when you are using coconut as opposed to milk or cream. I found the portions to be hit and miss. I'm a pretty big guy, so I always tend to say this, but I really think that all the entrees should come with rice, especially considering the cost. This place is mostly organic, local and sustainable, and as always, it reflects in the prices and these are really the only reasons why I can't give this place five stars. The food here is wonderful, and they really do a great job at supporting local farms and being sustainable, which I really do admire and hope that more restaurants will do. They also offer cooking classes, which I would love to attend and would like to see more restaurants do. I really hope more restaurants follow suit.
(4)Nina B.
My favorite restaurant in Kona. The chicken skewers are the best Ive ever had. Their shrimp always has flavor unlike some other over- produced shrimp that taste like nothing. The green curry is succulant and also the papaya salad. We love this place and go consistently. It hands down kicks ass. It has won many awards and one being for a leading enviromentaly conscious restaurant. A really really impressive and forward thinking business with hands down the best Thai in Kona. I have tried them all and maybe Lemongrass is a close second however I find it less consistent with quality and tons of sugar/corn syrup in their food. Sure thats yummy but I want the best fuel to give my body as it is my greatest gift. This food has tons of flavor and it comes from the food itself. Love it!
(5)Will B.
It is blatant false advertising to suggest these people serve Indian Food, the Kashmiri dish was overly spiced Thai food mislabeled. Insulting how much they charge for an extra serving of brown rice considering the puny amount they give you with your main dishes (which are supposed to include brown rice). $3.50-hah! Much better Thai place near downtown Kona (Kurti? Curti?), Lotus is too far away, too expensive and terrible service. BTW, I was with locals and they agreed. Never again.
(1)J B.
Lotus, I really wanted to like you. I like that you serve organic, locally sourced ingredients. I like that you have coconut milk ice cream. I like that you have some unusual offerings and interesting drink options including Saki and Maui Brewing Coconut Porter (which is awesome). I am looking for a favorite Thai place on the Big Island and wish so much that you could have been it. The service was not especially friendly and we were treated a little brusquely from the time we entered until the time we left. A group of four people, we ordered four dishes so we got a good sampling of menu offerings. We ordered 1 mild dish, 1 extra spicy dish and two unspecified vegetarian dishes. The mild dish arrived as the spiciest dish, but was also bland...not sure how that is even possible. The dish we ordered spicy had very little spice or flavor. The other dishes were decidedly unmemorable. Meat content was low on both meat dishes we ordered. The meal was quite expensive overall and I cannot say that we really enjoyed the experience to justify this. There are a lot of restaurants in the area who prove that you can have an organic, locally sourced meal that is also delicious and fairly priced. My search for a go to Thai restaurant will have to continue.
(2)Kelton J.
Food was excellent. Service was good to average. I dropped a star because it's so dark and dingy. I really didn't like eating at a place where I felt any second we would be in the middle of a gunfight between Chinese gangs over turf.
(4)Laurence L.
It's really off the beaten path, unless you're shopping at Cosco, in which case, it's just up the street. Nothing much to draw your eye, and parking may sometimes be a little tight, but that's it for negatives! This little gem not only feeds you with food that comes from the heart, it is so healthy that the Heart Association should hold its banquets in the bamboo and South Pacific themed dining room, where a lovely fountain welcomes you, and a resident bird sings! After you fall in love with the food, like the 11-spice curry, or the green curry, or the tom kar kai soup, or their own version of bahn xeo, Ladda and Howard Simon will teach you how to make it for yourself! Pure ingredients, without short cuts or prepared curries, you learn to season to taste, and you learn how to prepare a feast.... then you eat the feast, and you take the secrets back with you to the mainland. Try the ginger lemonade. Try everything. I could live there! It's our first stop when we go to our time share condo, and I prefer it to the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel!
(5)Adam A.
Great flavors, especially for Thai and Indian in Hawaii. Very fresh and tasty. Be careful if you go for Medium Spicy, they go by THAI scale, which means Medium is very hot. "Thai Hot" will make you cry. ;) The Thai Iced Tea was delicious... The Lilikoi Nectar was quite sour. Their gelato dessert was lovely.
(4)Rebecca D.
This place is great, and the portions are very large. I wish we had ordered less, because we ate too much and had way too much food leftover. I ordered the chef's choice sampler and told them that I eat fish but not meat. That meant that two out of three sample dishes contained Ono. I love Ono, in fact I think it's my favorite fish. But my two companions also ordered Ono, and the portions were HUGE. I was way Ono'ed out. It wouldn't be a big deal except that it's one of those large fish that sometimes have higher levels of mercury (and I'm ttc). Very nice atmosphere inside, and the food is interesting and very tasty.
(4)John R.
Disappointing. Not really bad, but the food was all surprisingly flavorless and bland -- none of the bright flavors (and sometimes heat) that I love about Thai/SE Asian food. And, as others have pointed out, very pricey, even by Big Island standards. Might be a good option if you have special dietary needs (lots of vegan/veggie options, etc.). But otherwise, I would stick with the other options in town like Orchid or even Rapanui (although it has a bit of a different focus).
(2)Yves R.
This is a real gem, and we found it through yelp on the evening before boarding our plane back home. The food was very fresh, authentic, and tasty. The green papaya salad was outstanding. Everything else was also really good, and I will return on my next trip. My favorite Thai restaurant in Kona is Orchid Thai Cuisine, which has become even better in the last year. I would rate Orchid Thai tastier overall. On the other hand, Lotus Cafe has very fresh and organic ingredients, so try to experience both if you have the time.
(5)Emily C.
We came here twice during our week-long trip to the Big Island -- when my boyfriend was picking up and returning his rental bike at Cycle Station just a block away. We're vegan/strict vegetarian and were drawn to their claims of using "local and organic" produce. Right on! The prices definitely reflect that, but if the food is good it's not out of line. The first time was at lunch, and we were fresh off the plane, and it was pretty much perfect. I had an allegedly Sumatran-style dish with grilled eggplant and tofu served with a great brown rice and a tomato-chili sauce. It was light and tasty and hit the spot. I also had a cup of coffee, which was just OK -- tasted a little overroasted -- but I'm admittedly picky about my coffee. On our second visit, I tried a Thai-style dish featuring "garden vegetables and mushrooms in a ginger sauce." This was a huge disappointment. The garden vegetables were overcooked (and included celery, which I hate, but my boyfriend argued that I can't take off points for my own random vegetable pickiness, even if it's the only one I hate!), the sauce was bland, and the featured mushrooms tasted like reconstituted dried shiitakes -- yuck. The ginger lemonade was nice, though -- VERY gingery.
(3)Heather W.
We come here often to eat in or get take out. It's not the best Thai food I have ever had but it hits the spot and is consistent. We will for sure be going back once every week or two.
(4)Kevin R.
We ate here twice while in the area, and enjoyed the flavors both times. We did dinner the first time, and lunch the second stop. I wanted to try so many things on the menu, so I could see eating here again and again. My only compaint is the prices. For a place so far out of downtown, you might think they could be more reasonably priced. Had the portions been bigger, this wouldn't be such a problem. Though very tasty, you have to expect to spend some money here. Try the gelato for dessert, several flavors if you have a group, they're all amazing.
(4)Erin S.
Great flavors and very fresh food. If you order a dish mild and one person likes a little more spice they have an awesome chili seasoning they will bring to you. I was craving veggies, so I was very happy to be able to order a dish with lots of fresh veggies. They are a bit pricy for the portion size, but it is organic, non-gmo, and locally sourced, so I am a little forgiving of the price.
(4)Rachel L.
Taking Thai cooking classes in a restaurant is a uniquely wonderful experience. Ladda and Howie invite you into their kitchen, explain how to use the ingredients, and share their recipes with you. The three-hour classes pass quickly as you cook, ask questions and take breaks to eat what you've helped prepare. What a treat! My husband and I took three of their classes and had so much fun. We liked the classes so much, we planted galangal root, a kaffir lime tree, lemongrass in our HI garden. We highly recommend this as a great date activity.
(5)David T.
Finally found a healthy and delicious restaurant in the Kona area. We had the chicken and shrimp satay for an appetizer. I had the pad Thai omelet while others in our group had the pad Thai tofu, eggplant with grilled tofu, and the chicken mango tango. The flavors off all the dishes was fantastic, without a lot of chemicals to cover or over power the taste. Left the restaurant full, but not feeling overloaded with hormones or chemicals.
(5)George G.
Somewhere in my mind there has been a dream of a thai restaurant that doesn't use the "thai kit"--bottled sauces with msg so that they can say "no msg added" (because it's already in the sauce!). I finally found it, but it's in Kona. The owners make all their sauces (the pad thai has only three spices--Bragg, tamarind and palm sugar), grow whatever they can, use organic chicken and non-gmo soy/tofu, and are very purposeful, thoughtful and conscious about their cooking. And they're open from morning to night. Last night I sat perusing the menu of the Lotus Cafe wishing they delivered on Oahu. Sadly, until my next visit I'll have to dream of the Shrimp Laksa with the aroma of fresh turmeric; homemade vegan gelato; homegrown ginger lemonade, and more.
(5)Travis T.
If the food had been half priced it would deserve a mediocre 2 star review, but it was insanely overpriced, and was pretty bland to boot. I ordered the drunken chicken. This was not so much chicken as a salad with what could not have been more than a 1/4 chicken breast on top. That was $14 and should have been the salad one may get as an appetizer to a main entree. If I had ordered about 3 of those I may have left and not still been hungry. I'll add that I usually fault places for giving you a ton of food in place of quality. This food is neither quality or value.
(1)Ling W.
Very cool interior with authentic doors and panels, albeit a bit cluttered. Food was diverse and fresh. I found the everything tasted Thai, although some of it was labeled as Indonesian, Indian, Burmese, etc...It may have been my inadequate taste buds. However, when I get something that's Indian, I expect a thick curry! Service was polite. We both liked our meals, but I would not order the vanilla ginger ice cream again, way too strong unless you love ginger!
(4)Max C.
Lotus Cafe is the best Thai/Asian food you will find in Hawaii. All foods are grown fresh on the island in their own garden. They have the most amazing menu with exotic, yet amazing dishes that are above anything you'll find even in large cities. While they do have the common staple dishes, and they are equally as tasty, I highly recommend trying something new.... You won't be let down. I've lived and traveled all over Asia and their food is unique, organic healthy tastes from all over Asia. Ask for the owner Howie, and if he's there ask to try the Thai snack plate. It's amazing! Definitely add this to the list of Todos when on the Big island.
(5)Genevive B.
Perfect place to stop for lunch or dinner while near the Kona Airport. Dinner for two with drinks runs about $50. And organic & local Thai and Indian food is a dream come true. Wish more Asian restaurants were more aware of ingredient quality.
(4)Paul B.
Awsome, healthy, Thai food. Location is out of the way unless you are going to Costso, but catch them at the farmer's market on Sunday for breakfast or lunch. I love the green curry with chicken!
(5)Capprica S.
Delicious food, apparently everything on the menu is Gluten free. Additionally, I love the fact that everything was organic, most things were locally sourced, and all waste gets composted. Considering it is Hawaii, and all of the special things they are doing with their establishment, it was very inexpensive. All that hippy stuff is usually something you have to prepare to pay through the nose for. They seem to only have dark meat, which I despise, but the meals were so good that I ended up enjoying them anyway. What I liked best was Drunken Chicken and one of the Indian Curries with chicken. With Sticky rice. Ridiculously tasty (especially the curry), however, keep in mind that Thai spicy is excruciating even by comparison to Mexican spicy (and I do not mean taco bell). The medium drunken chicken was delicious, even as cold leftovers, but it made me curse and cry like a bipolar sailor. When I came back I was sure to order mild. The drunken chicken has kind of a light, lime and chile and broth flavor to it, and is full of lightly cooked (still crisp, not soggy) vegetables such as carrot shreds and cabbage leaf chunks. The lime leaves used to help season the sauce are probably technically edible, but I don't recommend it because they are really tough. The indian curry was very savory, yellow curry, on the thin and soupy side, with a big stick of cinnamon and star anise simmered in the sauce. The cinnamon and anise are very notable in the sauce, and my mouth has started watering again thinking about it... nom... Anyway. It had pretty standard stew/curry vegetables in it such as carrot and potato. My cutie kept going for the fried rice. Good stuff. =) Even better than the marvelous curry is the gelato and sorbetto. The chocolate macadamia and lillikoi were some of the tastiest ice creams I have ever head, extremely refreshing, and made from coconut milk (non- dairy, which is great for Vegans and lactose intolerant people). One thing I had that I would never order again is the 'Thaitalian' dishes. Fusion is often a means of having a unique and interesting meal, but that was just kind of strange, overly creamy, and the spices were not as complementary to one another as other dishes. Overall, this is an awesome, delicious place to eat, reasonably priced (approx 7-10 dollars for an entree as I recall) and when I go back to Kona I will be thrilled to eat here again.
(5)cat m.
Good flavors, good food, but prices are pretty high. Green curry chicken was great -- good heat and flavor. Chicken Satay was good but peanut sauce taste like baby food -- mild, sweet, and no real spice to it. Portions are a bit small given the price.
(3)Alex A.
Had chicken sata, shrimp summer roll and special fish, all were great.
(4)Stan B.
Overall the food is not bad. I ordered chicken curry. It was pretty tasty. My girlfriend ordered eggplant with basil. It was somewhat plain. The service was not that great. The waitress was hardly moving. Even though the restaurant was nearly empty it took them about 5 minutes to offer any drinks
(4)Grace E.
I can't say much because we never got to the point of ordering. Its too bad too because I've been really wanting to eat here because of all the reviews but when we first walked in the employees just looked at us like we didn't belong there. The atmosphere of the restaurant was dark and gloomy and it smelled like wet dog. We went here with our 3 kids and it just felt uncomfortable. Maybe we'll try it again without the kids but i doubt it.
(2)Kay M.
Great veggie place. Thai green curry was unlike any other place. My wife had a Thai curry with a crepe - very creative and tasty. All curry paste ground in house - you can definitely taste the difference in the food. Highly recommended - veggie or not.
(5)K A.
Not really thai food that you would come expect else where, the ingredients are fresh but they seem to be undercooked for what ever reason including chicken and onions used in the fried rice. If undercooked bland thai food is your thing then this place is for you, but otherwise avoid this place if you are looking to eat thai.
(1)Monika S.
Living in San Francisco really spoils you for the rest of the world when it comes to outstanding international cuisine. The amazing thing is that with our insane high foodie standards we found some fantastic restaurants on the Big Island. First thing to know about dining on the Big Island; there are no "hip" neighborhoods to find the next big deal. Instead the best meals we enjoyed were from restaurants that have been in strip malls, surrounded by the likes of Costco, Ross and Office Depot. Why would anyone put a restaurant of high standards in a location like that? Simple. That is where the locals shop and where they will be guaranteed visibility. Don't judge a book by its cover, or I guess where it is located in the dusty bookstore. Anyway, Lotus Cafe drew us in with its neon sign claiming organic, local Thai food. Could it be possible? We found the few reviews on Yelp and decided to go for it. The space is simple, cool and it was really quiet the night we were in. The waitress was pleasant albeit a little difficult to understand. I started with the lemon- ginger drink. I almost fell out of my seat; it was so fresh and delicious, if it wasn't a little pricey I would have drank a gallon of it. We had the pad Thai, a tofu peanut curry veggie mix and brown rice. Everything and I mean everything was fresh, not from a bottle and satisfying. The pad Thai was light, the noodles perfect and the sauce was simple and lovely. No MSG in anything. Many people think that only Chinese food is high in MSG, Thai is usually just as bad. It is often in the "curry" mix to enhanced the flavor. Since I am pretty darn allergic to it, I always ask...this time the waitress and the menu offered that info. We also had a banana coconut desert that was yummy. Light and not too sweet. Overall food was amazing....prices are about the same as a decent Thai place in SF, which means a little pricey for the island. The restaurant is totally off the grid; it runs on solar energy and uses mostly compostable to go dishes. We are so glad we discovered it, since it is a few blocks from Costco, the post office, Ceviche Dave's and Snorkel Bobs....all required stops on the Big Island. I hope they make it; I look forward to a return visit in 2 years.
(4)Lindsay O.
Found this place by accident while on vacation and loved it! We went at 1:30 on a Tuesday and it was quiet but had a few other couples. We got the three-item sampler ($15) and the waitress was great about handling our dietary restrictions. We also had a large banana date smoothie ($7 but worth it), and tofu summer rolls ($8). The sampler came with Indian chicken curry (spicy!!), a delicious vegetable Thai curry, and a really amazing lilikoi-glazed chicken. So Ono! It also came with a cup of rice but we ordered a second one because we were sharing. The food was stellar, atmosphere was cute, and the server was great even though she was handling lunch all by herself. We were very happy!
(5)emily H.
Eat here. Best Thai food I have had on the Big Island. My parents touted this little cafe as a place I had to try... Upon arrival, I could see why! Local, organic, veg friendly fare made fresh to order in a cute cafe that is solar powered!!! Sign me up. We ordered: * fresh shrimp rolls (my parents loved)- came with 3 fresh sauces: peanut, fresh chili sauce and a fish sauce something rather... * tofu larb- delish! flavor packed with fresh cilantro, chile and lime, served with local lettuce not cabbage, had to ask for a little more, as it wasn't enough to pack all the spicy goodness into * vegi green curry- nice, fresh, simple. not a 10, but definitely tasty. had with brown rice, also have option of jasmine or sticky (i like options!) * pad thai- not the normal orange tamarind soaked flavor many places rely on (thanks). I've been to Thailand, and the taste is right on. *grilled tofu appetizer- i forget what this was called on the menu, and was expecting more of a satay than tofu "steaks". 4 nice sized pieces, in a different sauce- a black soy coconut sauce that reminded me of salty caramel, in a good way. added a little peanut sauce to this and had with rice... Whence I return to Kona, this will be on my repertoire.
(4)Anoop G.
I wasn't too excited about going here but decided to check it out because one of my colleagues recommended it highly, even though the reviews on Yelp weren't all that great. (The reviews on Happy Cow are better.) The restaurant advertises itself as using mostly organic and local ingredients which, when I read about it on entering, made me excited. They had lots of vegan options as well, and were able to offer several dishes that would meet my requirements of no onions, no garlic. The ambience was good (nice, cozy feel) and the service was OK. So why only 3 stars? The first reason is that I found the dreaded little piece of meat in my vegetarian dish. I guess mistakes happen, but that was a big turn-off. They offered to redo the dish, but I didn't really like it, so I asked for another one of the appetizers that we had just ordered and that I kind of liked. And this time around the appetizer showed up quite burnt so that was a disappointment. Despite the mistake, they did charge for the replacement appetizer...normally I would have expected goodwill to prevail. I've had restaurants take stuff off the check for much less. Additionally, the dish (Kashmiri curry vegetables) was very bland and the vegetables felt like they could have used some more cooking. I guess, even though they use all the right spices, they just don't cook it right. I also had a sample to taste one of their vegan gelato flavors and didn't care for it enough to get an order of it. I applaud them for using local, organic ingredients, but I think the way they put these ingredients together needs some work. It is quite expensive, and while everything in Hawaii tends to be expensive, this is just a bit more expensive than average which raises expectations somewhat.
(3)Andrea P.
Excellent Indonesian food and a wide variety. The owner says they use no additives, preservatives and only the highest quality ingredients for all sauces and dishes, and totally gluten-free. These people really know how to handle spices and intense flavor with creativity and finesse. If you like any kind of asian food, you'll love this place. Great atmosphere too!
(5)Somya C.
Slightly more on the pricey side but the food was good. I ordered the vegetable fried rice and loved it.
(4)griyenga g.
My husband and me recently visited the lotus cafe - We loved the food and wanted to share our review about the place with the world! If you are craving for asian food this is the best experience you could get in a small island in hawaii! We stayed in hawaii big island for 5 days and went here 3 days in a row :) We loved the Yellow curry - typical to sambhar/dal (indian curry) with hot steaming rice - Kashmiri curry - another fantastic curry - coconut crape with veggies and curry - (just like dosas), this is the best treat a veggie can get in this island. We are from New York city and have yet not eaten curry and rice as yummy as this! Fresh vegetables. excellent service and lovely interiors! We recommend this place to everyone who visits the big island ( kona side) and we feel that our HAWAII experience would not have been complete without lotus cafe.
(5)Gwen E.
Yikes I hate to write a negative review but I thought people should know that I waited 45 minutes for a take-out order last night. The price is definitely on the upward scale (more than most Thai places). The food was good, I'm not toally sure about this, but I think the noodles were fresh and possibly made in house which is great. However, it was slightly bland and it not wow me, especially for the price. Unfortunatley, I won't be coming here again.
(2)James C.
Food is completly undercooked, the chicken i got was still pink in the middle. I wish i could give this zero stars.
(1)Mae S.
The atmosphere is odd: it's in a warehouse overlooking the parking lot of Costco. But like everything else on the Kona hillside, if you look past the parking lot at dinner hour, you see the sun setting into the Pacific. Due to its obscure location, I suspect mainly locals have found it so far (it's around 3 months old) -- we heard of it from some new residents. I bet tourists will soon be drawn to its special fusion of health food and Thai/Oriental ingredients and methods. Note: the Thai ice tea has a lot of cinnamon and it's a little too sweet -- the cafe menu advertises NO dairy prods, so I think it's made with coconut milk. But everything else was very delicious. Lots of vegetarian choices, fresh fish, noodles, wraps, dessert pancakes, satay...
(4)Kathleen Hunter H.
Stunning food - organic, beautifully cooked and presented - worth finding - unusual warehouse location as another reviewer has noted - not cheap but totally in keeping with the quality -
(4)Anna P.
This place is really good about local, fresh, "real" ingredients. It's not cheap, but the quality is good and that is worth the expense. I don't eat here often, but really enjoy the mango lassi. For 8 dollars it is one of the most expensive drinks I'll ever order, but its so tasty it is completely worth it (people waste that on cocktails without batting an eye). Not sure about the illness claims, another friend told me something similar, but I've never had an issue *knock on wood*.
(4)Dan R.
I eat here so frequently that I've had the opportunity to eat basically every dish on the menu. I've also attended one of the cooking classes. What sets this restaurant apart it that they make all their sauces from scratch, often incorporating 10-15 herbs and spices per recipe. When possible, the ingredients are grown on Howie Simon's farm, the proprietor of the cafe. Everything on the menu is organic, and local when possible. Also, they just started making raw/organic pies. Try them. After eating hear so frequently, I can honestly say I feel better in body and spirit.
(5)Malea X.
excellent! no dairy, no fish sauce, no mammals. if the menu item doesn't have chicken or fish, then it's vegan. gotta LOVE that! the food is very good and they have homemade vegan gelato!
(5)Nico N.
Bought lotus cafe spring rolls and coconut sticky rice at the Saturday farmers market in keauhou. Got two chicken and two avocado springrolls. These were a ripoff! Why? Because the man selling them boasted all veggies were grown in his garden yet the rolls were mostly filled with rice. We were looking for something healthier and at 2 for $6, these weren't worth it. The sticky rice was decent- also a somewhat small portion and baby bean loved it.
(3)jacquelyn k.
Awesome place!!! I like their food and they don't use GMO!!! Everything is local and organic, the even make their own gelato it's dairy free and super yummy! I would recommend! They also have a Furniture shop where they have a bunch of really unique stuff from Thailand.
(4)RZ H.
Myself, and two other people at my table (3 out of 4 of us) became violently ill from eating here within just 25 minutes of consuming our food. We were in the middle of our meal when it hit us each individually out of no where! We all ate nothing else in common the entire day but each threw up within 5 minutes of each other after eating here. One woman even had to run out the door to vomit because I was already in the restroom throwing up myself. And, my fiance was in the men's restroom also vomiting! After much review, we think it was some sort of literal poison in the food or severe allergic reaction. Tradition food poisoning takes at least a few hours but because this was instant, our best guess after consulting with doctors was either too much bleach solution in their cleaning process or spoiled rice which can make you sick almost immediately if it is bad enough. The owner is nice but there is simply something wrong with how they prepare their food. Sorry, but we will not risk it again and don't ever eat here.
(1)Mark C.
There are lot's of Thai/Asian food restaurants in Kona...........but none can compare to Lotus for their originality in both menu and cooking style. They have a penchant for organic, locally grown, healthy and exotic ingredients which just is not the way on the big island........because it usually is just too much work and effort. Not for these wonderful restaurateurs dedicated to delivering taste, healthy/healing food and exciting dining for their customers. Their desserts and home made gelato complete the experience. While dining you can take a stroll thru the large adjacent warehouse full of Asian furniture and home accessories that will add to the feeling you are in Southeast Asia and in another world! The fact they close at 9pm in and of itself is unique on an island where the sidewalks are rolled up at 8pm. This could be one of the most interesting and unique restaurants in the Hawaiian Islands.............Hurray for the island of Hawaii!!!!
(5)