704 Fourth St, San Rafael CA 94901
(415) 465-5808
Parking: street parking
Hours: Buffet Lunch – Mon to Sat 11:30am to 2:30 pm, Dinner – Mon to Sat 5pm to 9:30pm, Sun 5pm to 9pm
http://www.lotusrestaurant.com/
Last Visited: June 11, 2006
Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 to 5 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$$
Lotus is located in the heart of downtown San Rafael. After coming off the freeway and onto Fourth Street, it’s one of the first restaurants you’ll see. The beautiful decorative door is eye catching as you walk up to the restaurant. You might also pass by the Lotus home furnishings store just a few doors down. Gautum recommended this place, so it’s officially Indian approved for authenticity and flavor.
Walk into Lotus through the waiting area and you’ll see the bar. We were promptly greeted and brought to our table which was alongside the bench seating against one wall. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with colorful and brilliant Indian wall hangings and statues including gold elephants, gold vases, and large statues of women in a prayer position. On the right side of the restaurant is the buffet table (which is not in use during dinner). The tables are spaciously placed and covered with pink tablecloths. The dishes are all printed with a pink and green flower pattern. The light yellow columns softly stand out amidst the white and pink in the room. A peek at their very professional website will show you what they’re all about. The best part of the atmosphere was the skylight, which they opened up so that the blue sky could be seen and if you desired, you could watch the clouds float by. It was perfect for our summer evening visit.
As we were seated, we were brought menus and our tealight candle was lit using a match. Our server promptly filled our glasses with ice water.
- Vegetable Samosas – Two samosas, triangular shaped pastry, are stuffed with spiced potatoes and peas and served with two sauces – one tamarind and one mint. The pastry is deep fried until golden brown and crispy. This is a healthy serving. One person per samosa is perfect for an appetizer, or one person can eat both samosas for a hearty meal. The spices are strong, but can be tempered with the sweet red tamarind sauce or by the cool mint sauce. Very good. $4.50
- Chicken Biriyani – The chicken biriyani is comprised of Basmati rice cooked with zucchini, carrots, green beans, green peas, cashews, golden raisins, and spices. The menu states that cauliflower is in the mix, but today, it was broccoli. The ingredients are combined for a strongly flavored combination of spices and vegetables. All of the meat is dark meat, which is perfect for me. It was served with raita, a homemade yogurt with spices and fresh cucumber shreds. The raita cools down the spices for a nice balance. I would liken it to chicken fried rice, but in a smaller portion and more intense flavors. Good. $13.95
- Rogan Josh – I wanted to select a lamb dish and asked the waiter for a suggestion. Rogan Josh is lamb cooked until tender in a spicy curry sauce. The dish itself is small, but it’s packed with flavor. The lamb was perfectly done until fork tender and infused with the flavor of the curry packed into each bite. Very good. $13.45
- Naan – This flatbread is available stuffed, but we selected it plain. Warm and served in a bread basket, it’s a nice accompaniment to the dishes above or any full flavored dish. $2.50
The environment is nice and the level of service and professionalism is superb. The only area of improvement for service is to have the general waitstaff smile – in general, they all looked very serious. When we left, the staff thanked us – a nice touch, as the farewell greeting at restaurant seems to have disappeared with so many other things. Lotus is a great place for authentic and delicious cuisine, and even better when you can watch the sky as you dine under the stars.
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