Golden Lotus: Authentic Chinese Restaurant in Central Florida

Chinese cuisine has been an integral thread of the American cultural tapestry since the gold rush days in California, with Chinese rail road laborers setting up shop and making “chop suey” dishes out of everything they could find. This all changed when in 1972 President Richard Nixon visited China for the first time bringing new attention and interest for all things Chinese, especially for authentic Chinese food.

Golden Lotus restaurant owner Jackson Lo started his career around this time many decades ago beginning in Hong Kong. He is now a builder of Chinese restaurants throughout the Central Florida area and also owner of the famed Szechuan restaurant near Walt Disney World. Golden Lotus is the restaurant he created to bring authentic Chinese food to Central Florida.

Golden Lotus restaurant is hidden in a plaza on the southeast corner of Sand Lake Road and John Young Parkway, only a few miles away from the Florida Mall. The wait staff here is attentive and kind, having been at the service of Golden Lotus for many years, a loyalty that is not found in many other restaurants.

Golden Lotus specializes in Cantonese and Szechuan dishes, serving dim sum until 4pm daily. They have helpful menus with pictures of dim sum, items on them to aid those of us who may be confused what a fried taro dumpling or shrimp rice paste looks like. Their dim sum is among the best in Central Florida, with fresh ingredients and skillful preparation.

Beef Chow Fun Noodles

A specialty at Golden Lotus is their beef chow fun noodles, hand made right on the premises from scratch, giving the noodles its unique texture and taste not found in any other restaurant in Orlando.

Tea Smoked Duck

Another specialty is the tea-smoked duck which takes hours to make. The duck is first salted and spiced inside, then hung over night. The duck is then dry smoked with Chinese tea leaves using wood chips over hours to absorb the flavors into the duck.
Their Szechuan wontons are a spicy treat, with just the right amount of kick. They also serve noodle soup bowls starting at $6.95, a great meal for a great price. I’ve had their beef noodle soup on a previous occasion and can attest to their heartwarming flavors and beefy aroma.

Golden Lotus is a restaurant full of tasty surprises and authentic dishes made with care. Visit them soon for a fantastic Chinese meal for an affordable price.