The politics of choosing a national flower is a serious business. Countries have descended into bitter debate over which species of flora best symbolizes their national character, from the passion of the Spanish carnation to the supposed resilience of Dominican caribwood. Failing to name a flowery national emblem is to risk being unofficially associated with weeds or pungent bog-dwellers. Unthinkable.
So in 2011, the Government of Vietnam – undoubtedly driven by this very fear – put the matter up for public vote. The country’s Ministry of Culture released a detailed report outlining 13 selection criteria (clearly a worthwhile use of public money) and the people chose emphatically in favor of the lotus flower, a symbol of purity, enlightenment and the country’s national airline.
This decision will have come as sweet relief for Seoul-based Vietnamese restaurant chain, Flor de Loto (that’s Spanish for ‘lotus flower’ should you be wondering). And perhaps buoyed by this new seal of officialdom, its first Chinese franchise has arrived in Wangjing, at the heart of Beijing’s Korean community.
The chain’s reputation in Seoul appears to have preceded it. When we visit, barely a month after opening, the smart, modern space is already filled with a lunchtime crowd of young moms and other well-to-do types. But while the elegant lotus has been declared fit to represent the good people of Vietnam, can Flor de Loto truly represent the qualities of its namesake flower?
The lotus is known for its enduring beauty, despite the muddy waters from which it emerges. It might be harsh to describe the slightly faded Ulo Park complex as ‘muddy’, but the restaurant is markedly nicer than its surroundings; an accessibly classy decor of natural light, clean lines and metallic surfaces balancing against deep, dark wood. The high table, sat beneath a line of hanging glasses, is exactly the sort of spot where a pan-Asian Sex and the City quartet might enjoy a glass from the restaurant’s wine selection (draft beer is available for the less fabulous).
As for the flavors? We begin with jasmine tea (the national flower of both Tunisia and Pakistan, incidentally), which is wonderfully floral, for lack of a better word. The menu of Vietnamese fare spans pho, rice, noodles, hot pots and curries. Each dish we try is exceptional. The tom yum pho (RMB77) retains the essential sourness that restaurants often recoil from, the yellow curry (RMB92) is suitably spicy and complex, and the sauteed beef (RMB105) proves dangerously moreish.
Being a symbol of health, the lotus is probably best embodied by the DIY spring rolls (RMB198, feeds many pictured top), which are a stroke of dining genius. Arrange your selected ingredients (from beef, ground pork, apple, pineapple, tomato, shrimp, egg and a vibrant color wheel of fresh vegetables), dip your rice paper in hot water and roll it all up. Every combination we try is delicious (although whether this is due to our impeccable flavor groupings or the freshness of the ingredients and peanut dipping sauce remains unclear).
On that fateful day of voting in Vietnam, the people chose wisely when opting for the flor de loto. We suggest you do the same.
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Photos supplied by Flor de Loto
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