Came here for a friend's birthday and we were a party of about...20 I believe. The staff was definitely friendly, helpful, and provided good service. I feel sorry for him because he was the only one helping and he had to deal with 19 girls. So we gave him a lot of slack and tried to be easy on him as much as possible.
The food was okay, but on the pricy side. The green tea creme brule was pretty good and a bit addicting (I love green tea). I ordered the tempura and it was like any other tempura, but there was a lot which is the good thing about it. The tacos were cute but not worth the price.
Any amount of praise I do for this establishment is less. One fine evening, me and a friend decided to venture out to try a new Shisha joint....and we came across Lotus.
Upon entering, I immediately fell in love with the place because of the seating area which is laden with beautiful persian rugs and pillows for your comfort. Now THAT is how a hookah experience should be. I have been here so many times that the employees know exactly what I want!.. My favorite flavor is 'DJ Mixx' which costs about $20 but totally worth it.
Unlike other hookah places where the throat starts to itch after half an hour...the quality of hookah at Lotus is so good that the thick smoke will last for 4 or 5 hours (no exaggeration)! This place is my second home...my temple.... my enclave..... my den....
I have to agree with some of the reviews here in that this place could be the "it" location if the management would provide a bit of extra support to the stuff.
As a late 20's SC Alum, my friend found this place for a buddies birthday. We were a group of about 20. The Shabu Shabu is about $20 for 19 pieces and the Sushi Rolls were about $10-$14 each. The food isn't bad here and the layout is pretty spacious and decorated nicely.
My big issue with this place is that the 2 times I've been here, it's understaffed. I can clearly see the staff working their asses off. We recently went on a Sat night where the entire back area was services by 1 or 2 people max. These guys were great in terms of their attitude but let's get these people some help! I mean I get it, it's off season with no school at USC but if you want to be a busy spot no matter what time of the year, you have fix these things.
Parking is also a joke here. There's no signs to where that back parking is and even with that, it's a good amount of a walk. Put some large signs up, light it up better for safety and that's you're extra star. Staff more people and you're a 5 star spot.
It's almost there. Just a few fixes with more avail staffing and again, you're it.
cute laydown hookah joint, house blend 99mm, difficult parking meters, must order $20 hookah or $20 food (2ppl). Don't except much in hookah quality but its a great chill atmosphere.
Great for those 27+ year olds getting away from large crowds, long lines or waits to chill places.
Parking: Apparently they have their own parking in the back.
Possible venue for a bday.
Lotus is almost there. When we first moved nearby a little over two years ago, the food was borderline inedible and the place was empty.
Bit by bit, however, the place has improved. It has all the makings of a killer neighborhood hangout - vibe, drinks, and (recently) excellent late night food. Four stars is currently generous, but absent bad decisions, it'll be there shortly.
Pluses: Nate the server (short, piercings, talkative - you'll remember him). He's hilarious, and trust his recommendations. He also sells the place - "come back next week...we'll have x new thing worth checking out...," which is always true. Also, the bouncers. They consistently have a clever remark that adds a little something beyond "ID please." Between these folks, feels like home.
Minuses: It's unclear to me how one could generate this level of employee turnover. Beyond a few stalwarts, no one - even those who really add something - seems to survive working with the manager, who visibly ruins morale (and the service) every time he walks through the door.
Redux: if the key employees weather the storm, this is a great place to be.
Before the times of alcohol and late nights, my vice was hookah (yuck!). I used to smoke every night and tried practically every hookah lounge in the Valley (even more yuck!). I remember sitting around smoking hookah and having a deep conversation with patrons if hookah and sushi would pair well together. The reviews were mixed, but now I got to give it a go.
But, I don't forget my roots and every so often I love to grab some hookah with friends. We were drawn here by a Groupon ($15 for $30) which makes its much more affordable. The sushi is slightly overpriced for the quality. In other words, the sashimi tasted fishy rather than buttery but it was still enjoyable. If you're a huge sushi fanatic and you idolize Sushi-gen in Little Tokya as much as I do than Lotus doesn't even come close.
The show stopper: Spicy Yakisoba. It was so delectable with sautéed veggies and unverified spices. It was unusually a great pairing with my hookah
Hookah: 5 stars! They perfectly pack the head, you'll definitely get a head change, and it doesn't burn too quickly. If you're feeling adventurous try Rose, Guava, and Mint as your hookah flavor.
Staff is great, can be a little inattentive.
Coming August 2013 all you can drink for $25. Woo!
And there's a Happy Hour
Happy hour is the winner! With sake and food!The best spring rolls I've ever tried for sure!! The service was excellent! The only minus was that on very hot day, the place was pretty warm inside even though was told that AC was on... It maybe was only on the day we were there, idk. If we are around again, definitely gonna stop by.
Review Source:When you walk in you're immediately greeted by a red carpet leading you to the restaurant area. Dang, fancy. There are 2 separate areas - one for Hookah and another for dining. The tables are big and have a lot of room but if you have to sit on a stool or bench for your meal, it's less comfortable. I actually liked their electric stove installed on their tables as opposed to gas stoves. Cool. TVs everywhere and projector screens at the lounge area.
Service is great, but the food is less than perfect. Everything seemed to lack in flavour. I think this place is more for your Hookah needs rather than food, although the miso soup is pretty good!
The Good:
Sushi- awesome!
Hookah- even better!
sushi + hookah = OMMMGGG YESSSSSS
which is why I had to come here for my birthday!
the sushi was standardly delicious, and the hookah was very well packed.
HOWEVER,
service was HORRIBLE. last time I went, the asian waitress lady literally only came twice, once to take our order (which took forever) and once to get her check & tip (which was very prompt, of course) so.... eh. i've been here twice and I haven't been back since the last time, which was a few months ago. hopefully they replaced her with someone more competent who actually cares to do their job. Â she was really terrible though, it's the only thing keeping me from wanting to go back, especially since I drive pretty far to go to other lounges, and this one is right around the corner from my house. hmmm. I might give it another try, hopefully the next time won't be such bad service.
anyways, this place is worth a shot. if you have bad service though, it seems to be usual, but if you don't mind the bad service, then this place is great, because Hookah & Sushi are a wonderful combination. Their tea is also really great, and comes in these awesome authentic tea kettles.
Another thing keeping me from going back- the alcohol selection. Since my boyfriend and I don't drink beer and aren't sake fans either, we had wine, but it really just wasn't good. They only have weird wines that taste like cough syrup. I understand they don't have the liquor license yet, but it would be nice to at least offer BJ's or Smirnoff wine coolers, or at least a nice Moscato or something. (Just a thought ;) )
overall: 3 stars is pretty accurate. Give it a shot, but don't expect good service.
Was going to give this place a 2 star but because service was good, I think it deserves a 3. Came here last night for a friend's birthday dinner. The place is in a ghetto neighborhood in LA and finding parking was a bit difficult. Â The restaurant's lot was actually located behind the restaurant and you had to walk around the streets to enter.
When you first walk in, you are surrounded by the smoke coming from the hookah lounge. You wouldn't suspect its a sushi restaurant! But after entering the lounge, you reach another door that is the entrance to the back of the restaurant. The restaurant interior design is nice and fancy, but the food itself is "A-OK." Â I ordered a DJ Spider roll that didn't seem as fresh as I'd expected. I've been to way too many sushi places to know what is considered a good spider roll. Â Also, rolls are on the pricey side. Plus, no happy hour? :( That's a bit depressing.
But when you check in on yelp you get a free miso soup so that's always nice!
We also tried out their green tea mochi(complimentary for the birthday girl) and their crème brûlée which were actually tasteful.  Sweet and satisfying.
Overall, food is decent quality, but service is great. Â Our waiter was very nice and willing to help serve all our needs since there were so many of us. Â It's always great when they are nice and compliment your shirt too haha.
I suggest coming here for the hookah but not really for the food. You can find better sushi elsewhere!
Went for happy hour last friday. The place looks like a converted warehouse with a really spacious lobby area and multiple kick back booths for hookah madness. Moving through the lobby towards the rear is the bar/restaurant. No hookah for us so I cant comment on that  but we did get our drink/grub on. We ordered some edamame, seaweed salad, spring rolls 2 orders of sushi (Vegetable and cucumber roll) and 2 large sakes. Everything was good but I especially enjoyed the spring rolls as they were nice and crispy but not greasy at all. Cooked to perfection. The overall enjoyable experience earned a return visit.
P.s.Check your bill. We had to have it corrected twice.
We love this place! my boyfriend and I come here when we meet up with friends, to watch a game or to just relax and eat some sushi and smoke hookah together. I've held off on writing this review (selfishly) because I don't want it to get too crowded :[ but they deserve this 5 star review and more.
Review Source:I've been meaning to write a review on this place for quite some time now but haven't had the time to do so until now. The whole concept of sushi and hookah bar might be a bit different from what most people are used to but for someone who loves both, it is a fantastic combination! I'll give you guys the breakdown why I gave this place 5 stars.
Sushi:
For what it is, it's pretty good. My friend tried their new roll, Lotus on Fire, and she said it was good. Usually, I'm boring and I only eat cucumber rolls (yes I know! It's not exactly sushi but hey! I'm allergic. Sad truth.) SO I'm not exactly a good judge for sushi but from the experience of the people I brought to Lotus, they seem to like their sushi.
Hookah:
It's quite rare to find a nice hookah lounge where the hookah is actually good! Trust me. I've tried quite a few of them. Most of the hookah from other hookah lounges would die within 30 mins and that's with only 2 people. The hookah here are tasty, thick smoke, last for about an hour (give or take) and the workers are attentive to make sure you don't get that harsh smoke on your throat. I usually get the DJMIX and 9MM but last night I tried this new brand called "Fumari - Ambriosia" recommended by the nice worker who helps us like always, Robin. Ambriosia was a fantastic recommendation because it was fruity and it's a bit hard to describe but the taste would just keep you wanting more and more. I was smoking with a friend from 12:30AM-1:45AM and their flavour was still going. So I absolutely recommend that.
Worker:
When you walk in, you are firstly greeted by their security guard to check your ID, since you have to be at least 18y/o to enter because it's a hookah lounge. Once you've been checked, you are good to go. He will sit you down in one of the many couches they have and a server will be with you shortly. Robin and Jerry mostly served us last night. Robin with the recommendation on hookah was super friendly! If you ever need someone to help you with anything, I would ask for Robin. Â And Jerry took our order and delivered the food to us. We were always asked if everything was OK and their hookah attentiveness was ON POINT. Not a harsh smoke or any problem with it.
Overall, this is a place I definitely would recommend to all of my friends and come back to over and over again. Hope this review helps you guys! (:
I came here on Saturday with my family. We reserved a table, we had our hookahs going, appetiezers and drinks. Two of my cousins purchased the 20 dollar wristband for unlimited drinks. My sister and I asked could we taste the drinks after we did one of the employees told us that because we did not have the unlimited drink wrist bands we could not share those drinks and if it happened again then we would be asked to leave.We understood and complied with that respectful request. Not 3 minutes later did the "manager" Bruce come and ask us to leave. No not ask he did everything but pick us up and throw us out himself. There was no reason for this disrespect. We were paying customers. We were not loud or rowdy. Bruce would not let us say a word. He talked over us and continued to get louder and louder until he was literally yelling. Now I'm pretty sure we were all over 21 so I don't know why he was scolding us like we were children. He even threatened to call the police which was OVERBOARD. We caused no problems. Our only "problem" was being minorities per one of their employees. We had someone follow us to our car to apologized and say and I quote "the only reason he acted like that was because you were black". I felt like I was back in segregation days and I used the white only bathroom . I have never been treated like that in my life. I spoke with the other manager on duty and all she could say for Bruce was he is under a lot of stress! What?! So please when u book your reservations ask how Bruce is feeling. If he isn't having a good day neither will you.
Review Source:The customer service is terrible! My boyfriend and I went on a Saturday night and paid $10 to get in. We sat at the sushi bar for 30-40mins and could not get the attention of any of the servers- I was waving a menu as servers walked by. We decided to leave but tried to get the door fee back. They refused but asked what they could do. I told them please refund our $10, we'd like to eat somewhere else. They said they wanted us to go back to the sushi bar! What? I explained we only wanted our money back and to leave. They refused to give it back and we left because we couldn't take how ridiculous this was getting. So we paid $10 to wait inside at a sushi bar. Thanks for such spectacular customer service! Your management should be proud.
Review Source:Parking was extremely supple on a Monday night. The location is a bit random, it is hidden in the quiet and still streets by the high rise condos near USC.
The security/door guy was friendly and so sweet. He is really very accommodating!
As soon as you walk in, you are greeted with the sweetest aromas from the hookah area, I can still smell it in my head as I write. There are projection screens to watch the game with lush couches to relax as if you are the queen of... Egypt. lol.
You then walk into the second corridor to see a beautiful setup for dining. There are a handful of tables for non-shabu diners.
We ordered a Happy Roll which was suggested by the server. The quality of the sushi was average, it was warm and the meat didn't taste very fresh. Good thing we ordered a veggie shabu to share. For $5 additional, you can share with someone and get a whole setup that includes rice, ponzu & goma sauce.
The shabu experience was great, veggies were all really fresh and it even included KALE! The noodle was poor in quality and not very memorable. I personally waited for the noodle and soup but was really disappointed. I was looking for fresh noodles with a chewy consistency but didn't get it...
I will be back soon...
We looked at the website and the food looked so good we just had to come and try it. It was really good. Â We tried the shabu_shabu and it was awesome. The vegetable plate was fresh and had lots of varieties. Â I had eaten shabu other restaurants but here the quality and the price surpasses the rest. Â O and the sashimi sampler is great too.
As for the service, it is wonderful too . Our server was Gerry and he really took care of us.
They have the biggest hookah garden I have seen! It feels like out doors but its indoor. You could lounge around for hours and would not feel rushed.
We are definitely going to go back again!
Sushi... shabu shabu... and hookah? Â Such a strange combo, but it works! Â This place is surprisingly nice and has a really chill environment. Â My coworkers and I walked over after work for happy hour. Â The sushi isn't the best quality, but it's cheap. Â Plus, during happy hour the sake drinks are buy one, get one free!
Review Source:I was told about this place by a friend of mine, and I did a little research online to see if I can see any pictures of the place or even the menu. I saw some pictures of the food, and I was instantly sold. It's not often you hear of a Sushi/Shabu-Shabu joint near USC which is just on the outskirts of J-Town. When we arrived, the bouncer asked us for our ID's which was surprising that they actually checked ID's when some places are too lazy to do that. We were greated by the host, and directed us to their dinning room where there was a bar set up strictly for Shabu Shabu. We eached ordered the amount of meat we liked, and I also ordered the Morocan Mint Tea. When the food came out, I was shocked on the quality and freshness of vegetables and the meat. I've also had their Lobster Bisque which is amazing, also their Spicy Yaki-Soba Udon is really good and has a great kick to it. Their Banana Tempura is a bit of a fusion between a Banana Foster mixed in with Japanese Tempura batter is highly recommended.
The hookah lounge however is very impressive. I have not seen a lounge where you can actually sit/lay back/or recline while smoking hookah on an authentic Persian rug. Also their ventalaiton system and the combination of it being close to having it classified as outdoors really eliminates the smell of the coals and burning flavor as your smell at a typical hookah lounge. You can literally walk of the lounge not smelling like a hookah yourself. The hookah's are a little above your typical hookah lounge price, but the quality is surely there and it is worth the extra couple bucks. I've already smoked a couple of flavors from there, and even though Mint is still my number 1, the Johnny Depp falvor isn't bad either. It's got a minty kick to it, but the Pirate Bay flavor over powers it. Also, being that it's a fruity mix, it won't last very long. I mean will last for about an hour tops depending if you have multiple people smoking out of it. I can get about 2.5 hours smoking the mint flavor which is enough to watch the Lakers game or any of the games they're showing.
Overall, my experience at Lotus has been one of the best. It's amazing how they can incorporate Japanese Fushion Cuisine and hookah together under one roof and just having it blend together. This is a very class place to go, espicially if you're on a date because of the intimate atmosphere not just in the dinning room, but in the lounge as well. The service staff is very helpful and very friendly. They will always come around to check up on you and coals are brought to you without even asking for it. This is a place that deserves the highest amount of stars due to its excellence in food/lounge/service.
Sushi, hookah, and drinks all in one place what more do you need? might i add the large screen to watch your favorite game! nice spot for a date, very comfy seating with pillows and all that. not busy during the week and dont know what the weekend looks like but its by USC so i would think it gets busy. but a overall good spot to try and very chill. hookah flavor suggested by tips, sex with trojan ; ) and the apple martini sojus are bomb, small lil cup but overall good, so is the sashimi. Also, bring your quarters for street parking, i think theres a complex you can pay at to park near by but not sure.
Review Source:5 Stars for Robin!!!
He is extremely friendly, helpful, and genuinely sweet. He really represents Lotus well and deserves a promotion. Thank you Robin for your kindness.
The atmosphere here is chill and great for hanging out. Super laid back. I've had the sushi before and it is decent.
Food = 3
Ambiance = 4
Service = 3.5
Total = 3.5
Lotus has an interesting concept, putting hookah, sushi, and shabu under the same roof. I love the chill atmosphere of the cafe. Although I haven't tried the hookah area yet, my 2 experiences with the food portion have been that the sushi is below average and the shabu is above average. Also, the first time, I had a super attentive server, while the second time, my server was not-so attentive. Overall, I believe this place still has the potential to grow, once is smoothes out the inconsistencies.
Very chill spot near USC. Parking always sucks in that area because of the apartments and freeway.
Came in and had the 9mm since everyone seemed to like it, pretty good. forgot the name of the drink but it was sake, nd red bull, AWESOME.
Most laid back atmosphere ive been to. everyone there seems to have had a hard day until they got to lotus. Â you walk in and see everyone layin down talking and smoking that good! lol
I was looking for a nice place to sit down and have a nice dinner away from the fast food joints around Tuscany. Â
I saw this place was mostly known for the hookah, but since it was really the closest, we decided just to go in for the food, which was probably not the best idea. Â
The service was super slow. Â We waited for our sushi for about 45 mins to an hour for the food. Â All we ordered was sushi and some appetizers, all which didn't need to be cooked in any way. Â
In sum, go here for the hookah, I suppose. Â Other restaurateurs: we need a more upscale place to eat around the neighborhood!
So... here it goes. Nestled in the midst of the USC bustle lays Lotus.
What can i say except for WHAT THE SHENANIGANS WERE THEY THINKING?
   SUSHI.. okay  SHABU SHABU... okay  HOOKAH... okay...
                strange, strange, and stranger.....
Basically....Why this works:
DING!
1. You are looking for something casual to eat before hanging out with your friends.
DING!
2. Happy Hour & you kinda wanna get hammered
DING!
3. You need somewhere to chill out to sober up Â
DING!
4. Youre looking for something to do after your just ate and drank with your friends
  Venue: wow.... Its kind of strange how nice it is.
  Menu: Strange eclectic mix right? Asian fusion that works
  Price: Fair
  Ambiance: Lounge, its like you're hanging out at a friends house
            I'm totally a fan of EDM so i enjoyed ever moment of it.
[ Â TIP ]
-Do come during Happy Hour: 5-7pm (bogo Sake)**
-Do try the Trojan and Shrimp Tempura Roll
-Do try and get cute friendly Robin as a server
-Do try hookah flavor: Sex with a Trojan
-DONT HAVE SEX WITH A TROJAN
My friend suggested we check out this place, and to be honest, I thought hookah, sushi, and japanese food was the weirdest thing ever... but lotus totally pulled through!
The place is charming! Loved the design. The atmosphere is totally chill.. made me want to eat sushi and smoke hookah, you know? Get the 9MM hookah.
My friends loved the baked scallop roll, happy roll, and trojan roll (I guess because they're by usc? boo). I was digging the fresh ones.
COOL FACT! One free refill on Tuesday nights!!! yay!
OH! AND THE SERVICE! the service we got was amazing. the guy didnt bother you too much but never under-serviced us either. let's just say there was always water in your cup and your hookah was fresh. we had a GUY named ROBIN. Ask for him if he's there.
We bought a Groupon deal on this place. Â It's hidden on the streets of USC area. Â Ok so here is my ratings
A+ : the place; when you first walk in, it's an open room of couches for those who would like to smoke hookah. Â There's a red carpet that leads to the dinning area in the back. Â It's really dim, chill and a bit of romantic in the hookah area. Â The only problem is you can't have drinks in the area, only food. Â The couch looks so inviting, I really wanted me and the hubby to grab a couch and just do a romantic dinner but we couldn't L(
F : Dinning area: after saying all that, we wanted to drink so we were escorted to the dinning area in the back. Â This area was small, only 6 larger booth and a couple of bar stands. Â Still intimate, until we were sat at the bar stand. Â The bar seats from one to the next was spaciously away which is great for single guests but not for us because we wanted to be closer. Â The manager told us we couldn't get a booth (even though it was empty) because it's ONLY for larger parties. Â My honey had to stand and eat his food bc the booth was so uncomfortable. Â Our waiter seem new so we didn't blame him but the manager could have come over to offer any other suggestions to make our night better.
A : Shrimp Tempura roll - it was like any other roll, nothing too special but it satisfied my sushi craving
C : Sake Cosmo - I didn't like it cause of the taste of sake they used, this was a bad idea on my part, should have known better.
I would like to come again because they would be a nice hang out with drinks but the only place to drink is in the back and it's not comfortable so we probably won't be back. Â Should I ever pick up the pleasure of smoking then I will come here but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Great ambiance. I was digging the whole zen thing going on...but that was immediately destroyed by the party of 30 doing sake bombs next to us. I literally felt like I was at a frat party. But Lotus is not to blame for the crowd they bring in.The food is average and they don't have a full bar.
The hookah lounge is really dope though. The large lounge beds make this place look like a club and they blast EDM on their speakers. Unfortunately kids, Lotus does not allow alcohol in the hookah lounge.
This is a cute hidden spot with hookah and sushi....so let's get to the point..
I went on a Friday night, it was not busy at all. I wanted to try the hookah but it was freezing outside so I opted for inside. I ordered something simple...tempura rolls and dragon rolls. The tempura were good but the dragon were ok. I also ordered tea and it  had a weird gym sock taste and I just left it. The prices are affordable and the atmosphere welcomes a good time.
I will return to try that hookah and have more tempura rolls!
me: so i thought about it and I've decided that lotus isn't that good
V: Â lolol
me: Â i do want to try the hookah though
V: Â me too. I didn't like my food that much though
V: Â i think the ambiance is very nice
me: Â yeah. the waiters were nice too
V: Â but the food was meh and the sake was small
me: Â agreed. it doesn't deserve 4 stars
V: Â sounds like we just made a joint yelp review
I stumbled into Lotus On Flower last weekend because I was trying to wait for Endeavour to arrive at Exposition Park. Â I scored a free parking spot right outside this place and at first, thought it was a club. Â The patio area is sooo pretttty. Â There are strings of lights and large, cushy seats that make you feel like a VIP when you walk in. Â I was told that the outdoorsy area was mainly for people to smoke hooka and that when when I noticed some of the couches scattered about.
If you want shabu shabu, you would have to sit inside cuz obviously they can't move a stove outside for you lovely folks. Â :)
I took a look at their menu and everything was reasonably priced. Â Their sushi menu had things that were under $10 and I was so hungry, I wanted to order everything! Â The waiter who gave me a mini-tour of the place was really nice and didn't make me feel like an unwelcomed guest even though I was looking a bit haggard from a long day. Â
I'd definitely come with a group of friends to hang out. Â It's cool that they are opened until 2AM on Saturday.
After a great night night at Boiling Crab, I came here with a bunch of friends. They signed up for hookah and we got a huge area with a big rug and pillows. The back area is more fro drinking and food, which is all for the best as it also allows you to be loud.
I was in the front area for 10 minutes and the vibe and mellowness were enough to knock me out for 20 minutes (in a good way!). I may not smoke hookah but I sure love the smell.
Woke up and headed toward the back for a quick snack of Kara-age chicken (aka...fried chicken) and some beer with other friends. Aside from one shallow employee, the entire experience at Lotus was exceptional, even for a non-smoker.
The Ambiance they set up here is carefully maintained. Not-quite-hipster, but just trendy enough to make you feel like you are in a cool place with cool people.