Noodles! Have I mentioned my favorite food group, carbs? Lotus, the local Vietnamese restaurant has got its fair share of noodles, and this week I had the most delicious pho here. Lotus has been on my list of places to try for months. I’ve been asking my friends about what to eat there, and spring rolls, mandarin fries and pho have been the consistent recommendations.

I love pho. Midwestern girl warning, we don’t have pho where I come from. I never even knew what pho was, or how to pronounce pho (FA) until I came to California. In case you’re wondering, all we do is ice fish and eat hot dish in the midwest. My bestie Mse introduced me to pho, making it for me several times in her home. “What is this? What is it called? How do you pronounce it? OMG it’s sooo good.” That’s my learning curve.

Lotus is the only restaurant in SLO serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine. I went with my dining partner MJ, who’s always down for a good eating session. He opted for two entrees,  which made me happy! More for this hungry kitten to try! We started with the Fresh Pork Spring Rolls, and yes, they were just as good as all my friends claimed. Fresh cilantro, mint, cucumber, bean sprouts, and rice noodles with your choice of protein or vegetarian. These spring rolls vanished in about twenty seconds between two people, so I’d also use that as an indicator of of exactly how good they were.

For an entrée, I had the Rare and Cooked Beef Pho, it was soooo yummy. The broth had an abundance of savory flavor and there was beef on beef in the portion size. Did I mention noodles? Yeah, those noodles went on for miles. I tried MJ’s Vietnamese Roasted Chicken, described as “crispy roasted chicken marinated in lemongrass, ginger and garlic blend”. The chicken was divine, crispy, tender, melt in your mouth flavor explosion. Lastly, I tasted the Garlic Fried Rice, garlic, veggies, meat, and yum yums. Overall, every thing about this meal was delicious. I’d come back in a heartbeat.

As a bonus, the ambiance at Lotus has a great vibe. It’s chill, and hip with eye catching decor and a fantastic playlist keeping the mood upbeat. Happiness is in the details, and the little things at Lotus kept a big smile on my face.