Lotus Palace :: Genuine Vietnamese Food/Bar

Vietnamese food is my absolute favorite genre of food. It is the food of my people, afterall. This being the case, my search for a decent Vietnamese restaurant started once my jet lag wore off. I have heard horror stories about the sorry state of Vietnamese restaurants in Tokyo, but lucky for me, a more than decent Vietnamese restaurant resides in my neighborhood, Akasaka. Lotus Palace is a full-service Vietnamese restaurant and offers all the Vietnamese staples: Phở, Bun, Spring Rolls (Cha Gio), Curry and bánh xèo. They market their bánh xèo as "Vietnamese Okonomiyaki" which I found amusing and clever. Their bánh xèo is very authentic and also very filling. Be prepared to share if you order it because it is HUGE.

Their other dishes are equally as satisfying and authentic. My ears picked up a lot of Vietnamese chatter in the kitchen which is a good sign. My test of a good Vietnamese restaurant is their Nước mắm, or fish sauce, and I was pleased that Lotus Palace makes theirs just right - just enough sugar and vinegar to cut the fishiness, but not too watered down. The Phở may not be as hearty as a bowl from San Jose or Orange County, but it does the trick. My only complaint about Lotus Palace is the absence of Banh Mi which I miss so much. If anyone knows of a Banh Mi shop in Tokyo, please please please let me know.

Lotus Palace Akasaka
2-14-1-1F, Sannou-Kaikan Bld. Akasaka
Open Daily 11am-11pm
Chiyoda Line, Akasaka Station (Walk down Akasaka Dori towards Sotobori Dori)

Lotus Palace Ikebukuro Tobu Spice
1-1-25-1 1F, Nishi-Ikebukuro
Open Daily 11am-10pm
JR Yamanote, Marunouchi, Fukutoshin, Yurakucho, Ikebukuro Station