New Southside Eatery Offers Authentic Chinese and Vietnamese Cuisine
Review and photos by Adrian Lysenko
Although Lotus Restaurant is a relatively new establishment on the south side, the idea has been developing for years. “In our home, our kitchen was designated a gathering place for friends and family,” says owner Tunaye Than. “We eventually reached a point where we looked at each other over a crowded dinner table and said, ‘What if we did this for a living?’”
Along with his wife, Trieu Tran, Tunaye opened the restaurant in September, serving their specialty of Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. “We wanted to create a space where food acts as a bridge to community. Hospitality is a shared passion for us and we realized that our distinct strengths, one of us focusing on the culinary creative side and the other on the guest experience and operations, made us the perfect team,” he says. “More than just serving food, we wanted to build a neighbourhood.”
Both husband and wife worked at Mr. Chinese Restaurant and Lucky’s Restaurant for many years, and this culinary experience is apparent on Lotus Restaurant menu, with dishes like chop suey, chow mein, and egg foo young. But they also honour their Vietnamese heritage by serving Thunder Bay’s beloved noodle bowl, pho, and the pièce de résistance: bánh cuốn. Unique in the city, bánh cuốn (meaning rolled cake) is a traditional Vietnamese dish of delicate steamed rice sheets filled with savoury minced pork and mushrooms; fried shallots and tofu on top add another delicious flavour profile, as do the fresh, sliced cucumber and greens (I recommend pouring their house fish sauce over everything).
With both classic and modern Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, Lotus Restaurant is a great addition to Thunder Bay’s international culinary scene.