One of the things I lament about Tianjin is the lack of high quality, high end restaurants that cater for the fine dining palate. That is because the market here is so much smaller than Beijing and Shanghai. However, I was happy to discover Brasserie Flo and while the 100+ sized restaurant cannot be called fine dining in the strict sense of the word, for us in Tianjin, it is indeed fine dining! I have had the absolute pleasure of visiting them a couple times in a few weeks and after my most recent visit, I am compelled to share my brunch experience.
The Brunch Menu
There are two brunch options. One menu is priced at 788RMb while the other is 388RMB. I was quite content with the latter, having recently tried the degustation menu here. One obvious difference in the two menus, is the quality of the beef, with the 788 menu featuring M3 beef. The 388 menu is just great for brunch as it affords you the wonderful French flare with which the Flo brand is synonymous.
Brunch starts with a glass of the restaurant's house champagne, Moët Chandon Brut NV - it is sold by the glass, so not a bad way to start the day - after all, it is brunch. I am old school when it comes to the pouring of champagne. I think it deserves to be respected; to be loved, and Linger, one of the supervisors on the day, allows me to revel in his adoration of the champagne as he pours it. It is theatre, and I love it.
Before the main course is served, I am served an amuse bouche - a very generously sized one. Langoustine and crayfish topped with caviar would have left me thrilled because here was something unexpectedly homely about it. I think it is the surprising literal warmth of the dish that brings a smile to my face. The oyster, in a mango and bell pepper sauce with raspberry caviar pearls has me wanting another. But that is what an amuse bouche should do, right? Make you want more? The oyster amuse bouche is a microcosm of what I love about Flo - the cooking technique. It had been so long since I had caviar pearls, so you can imagine my joy when they burst in my mouth and scream 'freshness'. A perfect start.
As I await my first course, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Nina Simone have me staring out the window and tapping my toes and taking, while taking away from the present reality of covid tests and masks. If you love old school jazz, the playlist at Flo will bring more than a smile to your face. My musings are interrupted by a fabulous looking Winter dish. I can never understand when restaurants keep using Summer fruits despite the season. Looking at that burrata, sitting atop a bed of orange and blood orange, with basil oil peeping through here and there, I cannot not help but take a deep breathe and thank Boreas, the de facto Greek god of Winter! Who needs Spring when Winter is so richly blessed in its own right? As for the dish, the caper sauce, almost compote-like, brings a delicious sourness to the dish, nicely balanced by the sweet orange. Lastly, look out for the citrus jelly. What a lovely Winter dish.
Escargots is one of the most iconic symbols of French food, so it is no surprise that it is an option on the menu. By the way, I love that every course has an alternative. Choice. Nice. There are no surprises here. Herbed butter and mushrooms. Classic. Make sure to ask for extra baguette for dipping. It is such a cliché, but what a must-do cliché.
For my main course, I forego the arctic char, not a bad fish at all being of the salmon family, and have the Beef Fillet, served with mash and vegetables. I have the black pepper sauce on the side. I find the beef slightly overcooked, but the centre is quite beautifully done. my feeling when It comes to beef is, unless it is a highly marbled piece of meat, beef is beef! Sadly, beef is grossly overpriced in restaurants over here, so I am happy with my nicely presented beef fillet - it satisfies that craving I had for beef. Oh, and don't forget that for 388RMB, this is a fantastic menu item.
Service
There is certain charm about the service. While it is not always as precise and on the mark as you would find at a top restaurant in Shanghai, it is incredibly warm, real and not at all fawning. The only thing worse than no attention is too much attention, but I think they have the balance right here. I would choose that any day over snotty, nose in the air service where I can't even have a conversation with a waiter or waitress. On the day that I visit, Linger and Charles took care of me. Throughout my visit, is toped up without prompting - something that matters a lot to me. With regards to the pace of each course, it was pretty much right on the mark, but the timing is not cast in stone, so fee free to ask courses to be hurried or slowed down. On a side note, I would like to see the restaurant de-crumb the table before the main course. The bread is absolutely beautiful here and crumbs naturally make their way on to the table.
For dessert, there are two great choices and both are French classics, but I opt for my personal favourite, the Chocolate Fondant, but with a nice twist as it is marbled, bringing chocolate and raspberry together. It is dessert richly textured with a chocolate biscuit base and hazelnuts adding real bite to the dessert. There are a lot of elements on the dish, but they work well together. That raspberry sorbet, by the way, could be a dessert on its own. Delicious. However, I would like to see darker chocolate used but I know the local market would decry that! Overall, a smartly balanced desert that taps on the sweet, sour and crunchy elements. A super dessert!
Wine
Dessert is paired with an excellent dessert wine from Entre-deux-Mers, the Chateau Bel-Air Saint-Croux-du Mont 2018. While I traditionally do not opt for dessert wines with desserts, if they are French or South African, I gladly have a glass. In fact, the wine pairing is very impressive overall. The 4 wines offered have an average score of 3.8 on Vivino and if I am paying 168RMB for that, I would choose it again and again. All too often wine parings under 200RMB tend to functional, rather than about stirring an emotion. I challenge anyone to find a better 4 course wine pairing for that price in Tianjin. Well done to the Flo group sommelier for this pairing is more than just value for money.
The Verdict
Go! When I tried the degustation menu a couple weeks earlier, I said to myself that Flo is an occasion restaurant - good for a birthday, anniversary or a day to feel special because it is pricey, especially for Tianjin. However, after trying their brunch menu, I see myself visiting more often because it is, and I am not shy to say this, affordable. Secondly, and this is the ultimate motivation for coming, the skills used in preparing some dishes are just such a change from what one usually sees in Tianjin. Finally, service from the heart is always something that can sway me to visit a place again and again - I always say that a poor dish served with a kind heart tastes better than great dish served begrudgingly. In closing, for those yearning for a 'finer' dining experience in Tianjin, this is for you.
Essentials
Brasserie Flo
Italian Style Town
Tianjin
+86 (022) 26 62 66 68
Brunch
388RMB or 788RMB
Wine pairing 168RMB
Brandon Stoltenkamp
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