Lotus Tea House

It’s unfortunate that a membership is required to eat at the restaurant however given the quality of the food and service there, it’s definitely not something I mind paying. If you can go a few times a year, I think the membership cost justifies it since the prices are $ 7 per item. And plus you get to eat in a temple! Their menu is fairly simple and doesn’t have a lot of options (there are more tea options than meal dishes). You order meal tickets at the front desk when you first enter and each item on the menu is worth one ticket. We ordered the lemon ginger tea and the vegetarian Laksa noodles. Food didn’t take too long to come and our waitress responded very quickly to our requests despite it being busy.
The tea was really flavourful and unlike anything I’ve ever had before. The ginger taste wasn’t overwhelming and the lemon honey balanced it out well. There isn’t a lot in the little pot but you can ask for free refills of hot water. The Laksa noodle is the best I’ve had in Canada, the broth was the right amount of sour and spicy and some of the tofu accessories tasted better than meat counterparts I’ve had before. Initially the portion size looked a little small but at the end, I realized it was just the perfect amount because I left not hungry nor bloated.
The other noodle dishes also looked delicious as well and I plan on returning to try the rest of their teas/​noodle dishes.

My colleague told me that there is an amazing place to get laksa, and I was surprised when we pulled up to a Buddhist temple (also — where did this beautiful temple come from?! So random!)! We went in, and found that we had to pay a $ 30 membership fee for the tea house… unusual to say the least, but because my colleague had been there before, the receptionist waived the fee for this time around and let us go in. Whew!
We ordered some almond tea and laksa noodles, and they were AMAZING. Wow. Perfect for a cold winter day. The noodles also came out super quickly — probably a minute after we sat down. The tea was perfect — not too sweet, a great almond aroma and slightly milky.
Based on the other items on the menu and how good the food was, I’m entertaining the membership…

Um… How come no one mention anything about the $ 30 a year membership?
I thought I went to a gym because I heard the word membership. $ 30 a year was not bad because if you go often its only few dollar extra each meal.
I used to come here to eat occasionally because the food was quite amazing and I like their taro milk tea. However, recently the receptionist told me as of their new policy, only member can buy food tickets for the restaurant, so I just went elsewhere to eat…
I guess you just need to find a person who is member and get tickets for you
Since, nowadays it needs a membership in order to eat, I give them 3 stars because I can’t justify myself spending extra $ 30 to just eat couple times a year. It is quite discouraging for me to go anymore…

When my Canadian friend asked me, do you want to eat laksa noodle, I enthusiastically nodded yes. I expected to be taken to some little SE Asia eatery, but was surprised when we ended up parking at a temple. I am no stranger to Fo Guang Shan, they have two temples in Florida; in fact I associate them with delicious authentic Chinese food — at least that was partly what drew me to their Sunday services in the beginning…
It’s a tranquil, calming place to eat in, service is courteous. It’s a small menu, with some noodles and other snacks. Food is healthy and delicious. The laksa may lack the aroma of crab or shrimp but tasty in a different way. My favorite though, as others have mentioned, is their fruit tea. I’ve never tried any tea so delicious! There are real chunks of fruit inside and the flavor is just slightly sweet and not overly sour. We kept drinking and the staff kept refilling till we steeped all flavors out.

This little café attached to Fo Guang Shan temple, serene and quaint, is a welcome reprieve from suburbia. I’ve been here several times now, and leave with a happy heart and a happier belly.
Everything on the menu is $ 7. You pay for individual lunch tickets at the front desk before entering the café. If you think to yourself «hm, $ 7 for lunch… I don’t need tea», don’t be crazy. Get the tea. They have quite a few options (the almond, fresh fruit, and taro teas are exquisite). If you are still debating on the tea, take a friend and split a pot. You won’t regret it!
My favourite item on the menu is the famous vegetarian curry laksa with yellow noodles, tofu, bok choy and fishcake. The portion is very filling, and the coconut spiced broth leaves your stomach groaning with happiness.
It is truly a pleasure eating at Lotus Tea House. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.