Lotus Pad: Remote Taiwanese Haven

Is all the good Taiwanese food in Downtown Flushing? Lotus Pad suggests otherwise. Nestled within a strip mall, this oasis offers somewhat of a weekday Taiwanese lunch and dinner retreat. For one, parking was aplenty! Just before 1:00 P.M., Flushing Food set up camp right by the front doors of 25-25 Parsons Boulevard:

Service and atmosphere here was nothing short of accommodating. Lotus Pad’s main dining space gave off an warm but airy feel. For larger parties, Lotus Pad offers a semi-private dining table and two private dining rooms.

Our party of two settled into a dining booth for four as Teresa Teng crooned “你怎么说” overhead. Meanwhile, our waiter, Charlie, zipped between tables, only lingering to tell self-deprecating jokes.

  

Still in a bit of shock from the ample parking and friendly surroundings, we placed some typical Taiwanese orders. First up was $7.95 oyster omelet (hézǐ jiān, or 蚵仔煎). Lotus Pad serves up this Taiwanese favorite over sautéed spinach and gelatinous rice. A hefty glop of vibrant red sweet-and-hot sauce (tián làjiàng, or 甜辣醬) covers the top of your omelet. If one of your guests doesn't like sweet-and-hot sauce, request it on the side.

Next up was the winner: the $8.95 crispy taro roll (sūcuì yùtou juǎn, or 酥脆芋頭卷). We finished this plate first, and only common courtesy kept us from fighting over the last two pieces. The oh-so-crispy golden crust paired beautifully with the nutty, melt-in-your-mouth taro filling. While we’re generally partial to taro, there was something uniquely rich and smoky about this taro dish:

Just like words, pictures do not do Lotus Pad's crispy taro roll justice.

Those in a noodle-y mood can request Lotus Pad’s Taiwanese-style noodle soup (tāngmiàn, or 湯麵). Despite its appearance, this noodle soup dish is much lighter than other Lotus Pad offerings:

Finally, our $7.50 pork chop over rice (páigǔ fàn, or 排骨飯) arrived!* Daikon and pickled mustard greens, and a tea egg flanked the thin layer of pork chop housed on top of stir-fried rice. Similar to the crispy taro roll, the pork chop’s inviting crispy outer layer belied the juicy tastiness waiting inside.

May Flushing Food suggest: trying the well-loved $3.95 scallion pancakes (cōng yóubǐng, or蔥油餅) and—read this slowly!—the $10.95 “ants climb on the tree” (mǎ yì shàng shù, or 螞議上樹).

* The default for this dish is white rice, but Lotus Pad offers the brown rice option. We opted for brown rice.

Media credits: Helen Y.

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