mmm-yoso!!! – that's the name of this blog. It's just food that we have enjoyed. Kirk, ed(from Yuma) and Cathy are the main bloggers, although some others occasionally participate. Today, it's Cathy's turn.
Hi. There's a new Mandarin-Szechuan restaurant in the same location as a now closed Mandarin-Szechuan restaurant in Santee. I enjoyed Flaming Wok for many years, but it closed and Red Lotus took over.
Red Lotus is an ABCDE (American Born Chinese Dining Establishment) because as soon as you sit down, 
A bowl of fresh fried crunchy bits and plate of 'dipping sauce' are brought out to your table. But those are fresh fried crunchy bits and the sauce is somehow not too sweet and has some vinegar-y tartness and is quite pleasant. 
The egg drop soup ($5.75), not salty, very deep flavored chicken stock and swirled with egg and not cornstarch thickener, is excellent. 
A nice view from our table…while we were waiting.
Ma Po Tofu ($7.50). Very nice heat, very good pork and a good, fresh, firm tofu.
No. Not just a chicken dish.
Chicken egg foo young ($7.50). Crispy, moist, flavorful with crispy bean sprouts, onions topped with a great, not salty, un-gloppy gravy. 
Of course, there are lunch combo specials, daily from 11:00-3:00. 
These come with a cup of soup and the requisite fried crispies and nuclear red colored sweet thick yet somehow tasting made from scratch dipping sauce. 
The spicy honey shrimp lunch special ($5.95) includes rice, egg roll, cheese wonton and this -light, crispy, fluffy batter- deep fried juicy large shrimp, glazed with a sweet-hot sauce. 
Really- see the shrimp to batter ratio? It's good.
The hot spicy chicken ($4.95-all shrimp dishes are $1 more) wasn't too spicy, the sauce is smooth and has plentiful white meat stir fried with a thin crisp crust which lets the chicken stay juicy yet have a pleasant light crunch of a crust. This was with fried rice.
All in all, this is a very good selection for Santee. There are many ABCDE dishes (shrimp with lobster sauce, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Double Happiness) which are all done very well. Fresh ingredients and quality cooking. I suppose it is more stereotypic Americanized Chinese, but it's really well done good food. A very short drive or long-ish walk with going uphill to get home for me.
A Plus!!! You get Fortune Cookies here, too. Really easy Chinese Word Fortune Cookies.
The Red Lotus Mandarin & Szechuan Cuisine 9888 Magnolia Avenue (At Mast, in the Albertsons Center) Santee 92071 (619)596-3749 Mon 4:30-9:30, Tues-Sun 11:00-9:30