La Rosee Catches the Eye With its Innovative French-Asian Fusion Menu
The Flo brand has no shortage of restaurants in Beijing, from high-end stalwart Maison Flo to popular casual alternative F Bistronome. But year-old eatery La Rosee, its name referencing the shining morning dew drops found on flowers, is poised to sparkle bright enough to set itself apart from its sister establishments. For one, this eatery, with only one location at Xidan’s Joy City, has a number of fusion dishes that, like all the restaurants under the Flo umbrella, draw on France’s storied culinary tradition, but also feature a number of special Asian twists. The restaurant recently launched their new winter menu of East-meets-West treats, of which these were some of our favorites:
Codfish Soup (RMB 198)
This item encompasses what La Rosee does best, deftly balancing the cuisine of two hemispheres in unique and delicious fashion. The soup to share has the creaminess of a time-honored French soup recipe while also boasting exotic notes of tom yang gong courtesy of the red Thai curry in the mix.
Skewers (RMB 135 for six)
These meat sticks evoked both kebabs that are ubiquitous in the West as well as a chuan’r-style Chinese casualness. The chicken variety features chunks of pineapple and cheese in between the meat, while the beef chuan'r have more eloquent little bricks of fois gras.
The Hulk Burger (RMB 95)
The combination of common Asian herb ban lan gen and spinach give a striking emerald shade to this tried and true classic hamburger. Though named after the famous big green guy from the Avengers movies, this burger won't leave you angry given that it's packed with hearty, juicy beef. The side of fries inspired by Thai snacks is also a nice touch, meaning that they’re very light and crisp (if a bit dry). The accompanying sauce pairs well for its zippy Southeast Asian spiciness.
Bon Bon beef wellington (RMB 298)
Even though the Hulk burger may sound like a behemoth, it’s dwarfed by this huge and hugely indulgent entree. A cutesy twist on the beef wellington, the Bon Bon beef wellington's crispy outer layer of tofu evokes a candy wrapper and encases layers of beef, more tofu, and mushroom readied in a fashion that’ll remind you of stuffing at a down-home Thanksgiving dinner.
The elegant desserts like a crispy, sugar rush-inducing coconut caramel pandan (RMB 42, pictured above), and a creamy rose shaped mousse (RMB 52) are also worth a mention. Less impressive is the eel avocado and salmon mousse (RMB 38 and 35, respectively) in sushi roll ice cream cones, which are laudably original but too rich and fishy to be wholly palatable. And then there’s the cocktail that comes in a rainbow-colored plastic case with an inbuilt ice crusher and a faux perfume bottle on the side to spray in your cup for added flavor. Suffice to say that one will likely appeal to the selfie-snapping set, but left us yearning for the simple pleasures of the meaty Bon Bon beef wellington.
Minor quibbles aside, the above dishes made for a distinctive, flavorful meal and help place La Rosee as the most exciting and innovative member of the Flo family.
La Rosee
Daily 10am-10pm. 6/F, Xidan Joy City, 131 Xidan North Street, Dongcheng District (6641 0050)
西单北大街131号西单大悦城6楼
Photos courtesy of La Rosee
