It takes about 20 minutes for the kitchen to ready an order of sesame bread, but when the bread ships out with slices spilling off the plate, you know the wait was worth it. Every batch is afforded the option of having green onions kneaded into the dough (a must for more flavor), but the dominant ingredient is of course sesame seeds, which stud the top of the bread so that each slice seems as though it could sprout at any bite. Excellent on its own, the bread is even better when soaked with the liquid leftovers of accompanying dishes, the best of which is the lamb with green onions. There’s no pork on Lotus’ menu (the restaurant adheres to Islam’s Halal standards), but the lamb puts any non-ruminating dreams out of mind. It’s sometimes hard to distinguish between the restaurant’s lamb dishes and some of the beefier plates, but the lamb with green onions is a striking exception, as every tender shred of meat is matched by a crisp cut of green onion. Even under its relatively heavy brown sauce, the lamb seems far leaner, too.

LOTUS CHINESE EATERY 16883 BEACH BLVD | HUNTINGTON BEACH 92647 | 714.848.4940 | OPEN SUN-THURS 11AM-3PM AND 4:30-9:30PM | FRI-SAT 11AM-3PM AND 4:30-10PM | FOOD FOR TWO $20-35

Tags: dinner, halal, Huntington Beach, lotus chinese eatery, lunch