Brasserie FLO Joins the Beijinger's Dining Hall of Fame
At the Beijinger's 2016 Restaurant Awards Ceremony earlier this week, we invited representatives of Beijing's F&B industry to recognize their peers and induct members into the Dining Hall of Fame.
Brasserie FLO, a consistently high-quality French brasserie located on Xiaoyun Lu, was one of four venues elected to join the elite hall inaugurated in 2015 to recognize those that have provided meritorious service to the city of Beijing for more than seven years.
With its enormous windows, high ceilings, brass fixtures, and chandeliers, Brasserie FLO serves French classics in a stunning environment full of natural light, and boasts a 17-year history in Beijing.
Perhaps it came as no surprise that the team once again walked out of the Beijinger's annual Reader Restaurant Awards this year with an armload of awards: Outstanding French (Upscale), Outstanding Service (Non-Chinese, Upscale), Outstanding for a Romantic Meal, Outstanding Restaurant of the Year (Non-Chinese, Upscale) and, finally, Best Al Fresco Dining.
Flo's presence in Beijing pre-dates all but the most senior of long-term expats, first opening in 1999 on the East Third Ring just across from the Sanlitun embassy district. Since that time it has consistently been considered one of the finest French restaurants in the city, regularly walking away with top awards in our annual reader restaurant poll.
Flo's Executive Sous Chef is Andy Choy, who was inspired by Gordon Ramsay to become a celebrity chef, and a love for food stretching back to his childhood. Brasserie FLO's chef, David Thiery, is a native of Marseille, France's gastronomy epicenter who was already on the path towards becoming a chef by the age of 15.
Brasserie FLO is famous for its oysters, flown in fresh from Brittany, France. As is common with brasseries in France, the etalages de fruit de la mer, or seafood counter for those yet to have mastered French, is located by the entrance of the restaurant, and not only boasts oysters, but also includes Dublin Bay and French Pacific Paradise prawns, whelk, crab, shrimp, and South African rock lobsters.
Brasserie FLO's fine dining is not only consistently reliable for its high-quality ingredients and classic French dishes, but is also known among Beijing's foodies for its visiting specialist chefs from France and regular dining events that keep the city's dining scene abuzz. Examples of recent events include a visit by Michelin-starred chef Frédérik Bizat earlier this year, who added an Asian twist to an otherwise French menu. Last year the focus was on foie gras, with foie gras ambassador chef Daniel Chambon preparing a menu especially.
If you've managed to miss out on the Flo experience in Beijing, now's your time: the restaurant is preparing for Goût de France, or Good France, a yearly global event celebrating French food, where they'll be hosting a specially prepared menu on March 21.
Brasserie FLO's menu will come in at RMB 668, with a choice between two mains. One of their famous Rougie foie gras, and another is the gratinated pacific scallop carpaccio with marinated French mushrooms and truffle butter sauce.
For slightly more casual dining, Café FLO, run by the same group, provides an alternative to its big sisters across various locations throughout Beijing. While still honoring high quality, prices are lower and the atmosphere a little more laidback. Café FLO also came out a winner at the 2016 Reader Restaurant Awards, taking home Outstanding in Best French (Casual).
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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos courtesy of Brasserie FLO
