Flo’s New Asia Cuisine

Flo’s New Asia Cuisine

788 Baseline Road

Tempe, AZ 85283

First to Review

This is the newest in the chain of restaurants owned by Flo. This is my preliminary review, as the restaurant has only been open for two days and like all new places it has a few things to work out.

I arrived at 6:30 and was seated immediately. I was offered a libation and ordered a Diet Coke, the only diet drink on the menu. I would have ordered Iced Tea except that the only sweetener available was what many restaurants have removed from their tables in favor of Splenda. Unfortunately, the carbonator on the soft drink line was not working properly and my Diet Coke was mostly syrup and water.

The restaurant was nice looking, but was all hard surfaces making for a somewhat noisy environment. The addition of some soft hangings or some carpet would ameliorate the amount of sound.

First ordered were Spicy Wontons and Chinese Lettuce Cups. The wontons had good texture and I loved the very light wrapper around it. The flavor was very light as was the spice but I would order it again. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the lettuce wraps. My plate contained a half head of lettuce which was not taken apart at all, so my first order of things to do was to tear apart a half head of lettuce. In doing this a number of the leaves broke apart, leaving me with broken leaves to place the contents on and later drip down my hands. The filling did not impress me as it seemed to lack flavor which the accompanying sauces could not make up for.

Next was the Hot and Sour soup. A lovely bowl of properly gelatinous soup swimming with all sorts of goodies including very fresh shrimp. I added some vinegar and chili oil and it tasted just like I remember from China. This soup was dynamite! I'd have loved a bit of Ogo in it but it was a great soup.

Next was Kung Pao Chicken. One of the ingredients in it was zucchini which was a nice surprise since so many places use celery. A second nice surprise happened when I was served both white and brown rice. While white rice is traditional in oriental cookery, the brown rice is a nice addition for those who prefer a healthier option or prefer the nutty taste of it. The chicken was cooked to perfection, but once again the dish seemed to lack in the flavor department. It seemed to be lacking the heat and flavor that should be part of the dish, as well as the peanuts that I could not find.

I was brought Ma Po Tofu to try. It was made with regular peppers, and while the ingredients were all there, none of the heat was. I wish it had been made with real Szechuan peppercorns which would have made it an authentic dish even if it had to cost more.

Last was the Chocolate Wontons. Half wontons cooked till hardened then covered in a dark chocolate sauce plated with a slice of orange and dusted with powdered sugar. I appreciated the interplay of the orange and chocolate, but there was no way to eat it without getting my fingers dipped in chocolate too. Not that that is necessarily bad for a chocolate lover, but getting cleaned up afterward without a wet nap is a problem.

Overall, as a new opening there are a few problems to be ironed out, especially in the flavor area. Most of the food seemed cooked beautifully but lacking all sorts of seasoning. While Flo is noted for healthy variations in her food, she is not known for lack of flavor and I am hoping that this will be worked out by my next visit in a few months. If I had to sum up the food in one word it would be fresh. The food was anything but tired and worn out and the use of nice fresh ingredients was apparent.

The restaurant seemed spotless. The wait staff was a little confused but that is to be expected in a new opening. The cashier needs to know that sitting on the counter where the register is does not look nice and is unacceptable.

I'm giving 4 stars for quality of ingredients and for service in a new environment. Next time I hope to give 4 stars for flavor as well.

As my readers know, I do not accept free meals, and after paying for my dinner I found that the charge on my card had been voided and the meal had been comped. In keeping with my precepts, I have donated the cost of the meal to a local charity.