Lotus Cafe & Bánh Mì Sandwiches

Actual Rating: 4.5

I came here twice and enjoyed both of my meals. This cafe has a wonderful ambiance and very trendy decor.  The owner personally explained to me the different sandwiches with his fancy iPad, but I opted for the sunny-side beef banh mi the first time and the honey-grilled pork the second time.  I loved both sandwiches, but I think I enjoyed the honey-grilled pork a little more.  The bread was oh-so-fresh and the ingredients just blended so well at every bite. The second time, I also ordered the shrimp spring rolls to share with a friend. The reason I docked 0.5 was that the casing of the rolls might have been too fresh because the rolls easily came apart. BUT it was still very good - fresh ingredients, good portion of shrimp.

The Lotus Café is a small sandwich shop in the University Village neighborhood.  It serves Vietnamese-style meat and vegan specialties and sandwiches called Bánh Mì that are made with a French style baguette.

On a recent visit our party of three started by sharing the Shrimp Spring Rolls.  Our main dishes consisted of the Honey Grilled Pork sandwich, the Sunnyside Beef sandwich, and the Pork House Noodle salad.  Everything was extremely well prepared, fresh and uniquely flavorful.

Also, I had an Original Coffee that was delicious.  This is a café au lait made with Café Du Monde coffee and chicory (from the famous coffee shop of the same name in the French Quarter of New Orleans) and brewed in the Vietnamese way using a "phin" (filter).

The Lotus Café serves outstanding food at extremely reasonable prices.  It simply is one of the best sandwich shops in town.

I was so excited when lotus finally opened! I've done catering with them for school related events before it opened. Food was always delivered fresh, and I was completely satisfied. Location is close to uic, so it's definitely walkable for many students. The atmosphere is student friendly with delicious Vietnamese coffee, wifi, and nice benches to study on. The place is very clean, including the bathroom, which is a big win for me. The decor is admirable. Gives you a small piece of the Vietnamese culture.

And the food!! There's so much I still have to try, but so far I've had the sunny side beef, pork, and the original vietnamese pork belly sandwich. All three are awesome! It's not the typical American sandwich with lettuce and cheese, etc. Instead theres fresh green cilantro, pickled daikon, and grilled meat! They cook they're meat literally one minute before they wrap it up and give it to you. They even have siracha hot sauce out for you. So far with what  I've tried, l could say that it is Vietnamese food, but maybe with a twist. One of the co owners is a nutritionist, and they're always open for opinions, so I trust their food.

Proportion wise, the sandwich is not like "oh my gosh I'm so full!" But it's definitely enough to satisfy you, which is the healthier way to eat. The meat, vegetable, and bread ratio is satisfying for me also. I'd hate an uneven sandwich. There's also other things everyone should try. Different Vietnamese appetizers and salads for example.. Or they have very vietnamese drinks also. I love love love their sugar came drink. It's fresh! They put the sugar cane in and juice it right in front of u! And it's actually good for you.

To sum it up, this place is very friendly, clean, healthy, and delicious!  If you like to try new things, this place is going to guarantee you a good experience.