Overlooking the pool in the hotel, stands Lotus Court with its glass façade and a fiery label spelling the restaurant’s name, tempting diners inside with a promise of ultra-fine Chinese cuisine. As you enter, the tantalising aroma of fried seafood welcomes you as you take in its bewildering red accents. Contemporary Chinese chandeliers and lanterns appeared to be suspended above us, as we took our seat on a round glass-topped table. Intricately-crafted wood shutters offer seclusion to the dining areas, injecting a rustic vibe to the place, characteristics of Zen elements. Sifting through the wood-framed menu, we found the sections to be quite extensive, offering varieties of chicken, mutton, duck and seafood. We kick-started our feast with Prawn Tempura and after much contemplation decided to rest our case on Mutton Soup. Our first orders arrived promptly with piping out Prawn Tempura fried to perfection, – the batter rendering a balance of mild spices, not overpowering the prawn’s natural flavour. I wish we had not listened to our server’s recommendation on mutton soup, which arrived next – a big bowl of mutton broth with whole tomatoes, basil, plain noodles and chunks of meat. The soup, although wholesome, had an oily aftertaste, and our company of two just had a few swigs. You feed with your eyes first and our first entrée was exactly that – a big serving dish of GongBao Chicken which arrived with chef’s recommended Golden Fried Rice. It turned out to be a spicier rendition of the usual Kung Pao Chicken – the scrumptious stir-fried chicken was seasoned in chili pepper with peanuts and chews adding a welcome crunch to each morsel. Utterly engrossed in our GongBao Chicken, we had almost forgotten about our second entrée, until it arrived on the table – Lotus Court’s Special Sambal Prawns. At first glance I was left struck to find thinly-sliced cucumber in a prawn gravy, along with dried chili pepper, diced carrots and mushrooms. It turned out to be the highlight on our table. King-sized prawns, tossed in delectable sambal sauce infused with lemongrass stalks and spring onion trimmings won us over. I liked how the prawns in particular had a smoky taste, with hints of cucumber renewing its overall taste. Both the gravies paired with garlic flavoured rice made for a delectable combo. At this point, the showstopper of our early lunch arrived – a tray laden with crabs surrounded with dry curry. Crabs were cooked to perfection, the sweet taste and delicate texture of meat, meddled with mildly-spicy gravy elevated the flavours.

Location: Club Road, Movenpick Hotels, Karachi
Average cost for 2: Rs 3500 to 4500 approx.

TASTE

If your taste buds crave satiation from an authentic Chinese grub, this place will not disappoint you. There is a lot to explore here for Chinese cuisine lovers.

SERVICE

With attentive wait staff and prompt service, you are well taken care of.

AMBIENCE

From the lanterns glowing in red to the intricately-crafted wooden seclusion – the ambience leaves blend of modern and oriental impressions.

PRESENTATION

All dishes were served in old-school yet sleek manner. Bowls laden with gravy made for colourful snaps.

VALUE FOR MONEY

With a fulfilled promise of serving a feast of Chinese cuisine, it makes it worth the money. It is appreciated that good-servings of all dishes were served.