Trying to land a big fish at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack

Fillet of Sole with Yellow Chive at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

When you eat out with others, including members of your own family, you'll inevitably need to compromise.

On Saturday night at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack, my wife put her foot down: No whole fish.

I stopped eating meat and poultry more than four years ago, and we've always enjoyed steamed whole fish with ginger and scallion, and reasonable prices at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

The waiter said the kitchen had whole flounder and whole striped bass, one of the best-eating fish around. 

Shrimp & Tofu in Shrimp Roe Sauce was good, but the sauce sounded more interesting than it was.

We brought home leftover Chinese Broccoli sauteed with fresh garlic, and the crunchy, bright-green vegetable was delicious eaten cold the next day.

Wife wants fish fillets 

I looked over the menu's extensive seafood selection, looking for dishes we haven't tried in the many years I have patronized Lotus Cafe.

I picked Fillet of Sole with Yellow Chive ($17.95), Shrimp & Tofu in Shrimp Roe Sauce ($15.95), and Chinese Broccoli with Fresh Garlic ($9.95).

I tried a few pieces of the sole, which was lightly floured, and it tasted fishy, but my wife and mother-in-law said the fish tasted fine to them.

We didn't finish the sole and I mentioned my concern to Philip Su, one of the owners, and he took the plate back to the kitchen to speak with the chef.

He returned to say the fillets were definitely fresh. Still, he deducted the price from our bill.

Curious, I asked him the size of the fresh whole striped bass available, and he said 2.5 pounds, adding the whole flounder was even bigger.

Lotus Cafe, a BYO, uses 100% vegetable oil and no MSG.

Lotus Cafe, 450 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack, in the Home Depot Shopping Center; 201-488-7070. BYO, large parking lot. Open 7 days. Reservations recommended on weekends.

Lotus Cafe feast is my calm after the storm

Filet Mignon Casserole with Chestnuts and Cellophane Noodles at Lotus Cafe.

Sizzling Jumbo Shrimp with Asparagus in Sweet White Sauce.

Lotus Cafe in Hackensack is celebrating the Year of the Snake (4711) with a special prix-fixe menu -- a bountiful four-course dinner for $28 per person.

You won't find snake on the Chinese New Year's menu -- which is being served through Feb. 24 -- but the food is seductive, nonetheless.

Late Saturday afternoon, after we had cleared our driveway and sidewalks of more than a foot of snow from a nor'easter, we set out for the unassuming BYO, which is only a couple of miles away.

I brought a chilled bottle of sparkling Spanish white wine that I bought in late December, but didn't open on New Year's Eve.

Fillet of Flounder in Ginger Sauce with Snow Pea Leaves.

Braised Half Tangerine Duck on soft pancakces.

After I popped the cork, the four of us started our meal with an appetizer of Lobster Spring Roll and  5-Spice Chicken Skewer.

I don't eat chicken and asked for two spring rolls (a $2 supplement), but was rewarded with twice as many tender, fresh lobster bits among the vegetables.

The second course was soup, either Pork and Winter Melon Consomme or Seafood Hot and Sour Soup, both delicious.

The special menu offers four entrees, and we ordered one of each. The portions were generous enough to be shared:

Filet Mignon Casserole with Chestnut and Cellophane Noodles, Fillet of Flounder in Ginger Sauce with Snow Pea Leaves, Braised Half Tangerine Duck and Sizzling Jumbo Shrimp with Asparagus in Sweet White Sauce.
 

An appetizer of Lobster Spring Roll and 5-Spice Chicken Skewer.

Seafood Hot and Sour Soup.

Tender Snow Pea Leaves in a bowl of brown rice.

Owner Philip Su personally removed the duck meat from the bones, and plated it on top of thick, soft pancakes -- Peking duck style.
 
I gorged on the beautifully cooked flounder, tender snow-pea leaves and jumbo shrimp, and plucked chestnuts, caramelized tangerine skin, mushrooms, garlic and cellophane noodles from the other entrees.

This was another unsually good, belly busting meal from Lotus Cafe, a small, unassuming restaurant that has been pleasing customers for decades.

Ice Cream Filled Sweet Rice Mochi.

The front of the dining room at Lotus Cafe.

I have two small complaints: The spring roll was deep fried, but not drained properly, and tasted oily. 

I asked for fruit instead of ice cream for dessert, but the restaurant didn't receive its order of lichee and pineapple that day. 

Lotus Cafe, 450 Hackensack Ave., in the Home Depot Shopping Center, Hackensack; 
201-488-7070. 

BYO, large parking lot. Reservations recommended on weekends.

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Where $22 buys a tasty six-course meal

Seafood and Tofu Casserole at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack.

Lobster and Cream Corn Soup.

Few celebratory meals are as satisfying as a multi-course Chinese banquet, but you don't have to assemble a large group to enjoy such a feast at Lotus Cafe in Hackensack.

The BYO serves Dinners for Four, Six and Eight -- 6-, 8- and 10-course price-fixed meals for $69 to $160, plus tax and gratuity.

We had a delicious Dinner for Four on Monday night -- 5 courses of seafood, tofu and vegetables, plus dessert -- for about $22 per person, including tax and a 20% tip.

We couldn't finish the food, and I enjoyed the leftovers for dinner at home on Tuesday.

Filet of Sole with Ginger and Scallion.

Crunchy Chinese Broccoli sauteed with fresh garlic.

We've been going to Lotus Cafe for years, so I asked owner Philip Su if he could modify the Dinner for Four menu to eliminate dishes with pork and chicken, and give us only seafood.

We started with Lobster and Cream Corn Soup -- instead of Chicken & Wild Bamboo Soup -- and our  Lotus Mooshu Delight, served wrapped in thin rice pancakes, was made with shrimp instead of shredded pork.

Then we had the Seafood and Tofu Casserole (shrimp, scallop, squid and fish cake), Filet of Sole with Ginger and Scallion, and Chinese Broccoli (see photos).

The restaurant upgraded the usual dessert of Litchi and Pineapple to three big scoops of ice cream and orange sections.

We brought a half bottle of red wine to have with the meal, along with unlimited tea and small bowls of white or brown rice. 

An individual bowl of the egg-drop soup with vinegar.

Lotus Mooshu Delight is crowned with an egg crepe.

Hoisin Sauce for Lotus Mooshu Delight can be added before noodles, tofu, vegetables and shrimp are wrapped in pancakes. At rear, chili paste and Chinese vinegar.

If you can get 10 people together, Lotus Cafe will serve you a 12-course feast --  the Formosa Banquet -- for $268.

Ten to 12 people can order the 12-course Lotus Banquet for $338.

From the Dinner for Four to the Lotus Banquet for 10 to 12, each meal offers contrasting flavors and textures from one of the best Chinese restaurants in North Jersey.

Here are some of the dishes on the Special Prix Fixe Dinner and Banquet Menu:

Emperor's Pork Loin, Crispy Aromatique Duck, X.O. Beef Casserole, Paradise Chicken, Giant Meat Ball Casserole, and Five Delicacy Cold and Hot Appetizer Platter.

Lotus Cafe, 450 Hackensack Ave., in the Home Depot Shopping Center, Hackensack; 201-488-7070.

BYO, open seven days, parking lot, reservations recommended on weekends and holidays. 

Web site: Lotus Cafe