While waiting for your meal at Flo’s Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue, why not order up some edamame to snack on? These boiled soybeans are a common appetizer in many Japanese establishments, popular not only for their taste but for their nutritional value as well.

What makes edamame special is that it is a “complete protein”. This means that it features all nine of the essential amino acids. Edamame is the only vegetable that can boast this property, which explains why soy based products are a popular vegetarian alternative to meats. A half cup of edamame gives you over eleven grams of protein, not to mention a healthy dose of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin C, and some B vitamins.

Edamame is boiled while it is still in its shell, and frequently mixed with salt for flavor. Diners pop the bean out of its shell with their teeth and discard the inedible husk in the provided bowl. Try it out for yourself at Flo Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar.

There’s nothing like a good sake. That’s why we stock our Japanese restaurant in Bellevue with a wide assortment of bottles, ready to make every night special with another take on the brew’s distinct, satisfying taste.

But what is sake, exactly?

Though liquors like sake are frequently referred to as “rice wine”, there is some ambiguity as to whether it is more of a wine or a beer. On one hand, being made from a fermented grain puts it in league with the beer family. It also doesn’t benefit from being aged the way many wines do, and is best enjoyed within as little as a year of bottling. On the other hand, its non-carbonated nature and its taste make it feel more like a wine, and its average alcoholic content of 17% is more akin to the wine family.

In the end, it’s probably best to accept that the labels we put on our drinks are not exactly hard and fast. Sake is part of a unique phenomenon all its own, and discussing the particulars of this phenomenon is best left to the spirit-addled minds of barstool philosophers. Should you ever feel the need to join in the debate, of course, you’re always free to take a seat and grab a glass at Flo’s Sake Bar!

Custom platter created just for you by our Chef

Feeling adventurous? Come by Flo Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue for some omakase sashimi. Just set a budget, and our head sushi chef will put together a special sashimi meal just for you!

The term “omakase” roughly translates to “It’s up to you”. When you order an omakase meal, you’re giving the chef license to make you whatever he feels like. If you’re not particularly picky, this is a great way to get the best possible sashimi spread. Not only is the chef likely to prepare some of his own personal specialties, but he’s also picking from the best and freshest fish currently available. So come on down for some omakase! You’ll be glad that you did.

Tips on Eating Sushi

Do you have trouble eating sushi?  Are you trying it for the first time, and don’t know where to start?  Take a lesson from Flo Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue!  Partaking of this delicious and culturally rich dish should be as easy as it is satisfying, if you only observe the following tips:

• It’s common in Japan to eat sushi with your hands.  Some of the fusion-style rolls can be covered with sauces and sticky roe, so you may want to learn how to use chopsticks, but otherwise you should have no hang-ups about treating sushi as a finger food.
• Always eat an entire piece of sushi in one bite, if you can.  Not only is this the best way to enjoy the full combination of flavors, but it’s also the best way to assure that your roll doesn’t fall apart.
• Go easy on the soy sauce.  A tiny dip should be enough to enhance the taste without overpowering it.  Using too much soy sauce can be seen as an insult to the sushi chef, and it can also dissolve the sushi rice.
• If you’re eating nigiri-sushi, dip it into the soy sauce so that you coat the fish instead of the rice.  Eat nigiri-sushi with the fish facing you tongue.
• Your sushi will often come with tiny slices of ginger.  This is there to taste between bites of sushi, so as to cleanse the palate.

In today’s health-conscious world, people are looking more to fish and flax to give them the omega-3 that they need. Fish are, of course, the favored source here at Flo Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue. Perhaps our brand of cuisine might make us biased towards the bounty of the ocean, but there are also legitimate scientific reasons that you should be getting your fatty acids from seafood.

The biggest difference between the omega-3 supplied by seafood and that provided by plants like flax is that seafood features EPA and DHA fatty acids, while flax contains what is known as ALA. EPA and DHA are the crucial types of omega-3, and ALA is only valuable for its potential to be converted by your body into EPA and DHA. The omega-3 found in flax is therefore less readily available, and requires your body to do more work before it can partake of its benefits.

Additionally, there has been some inconclusive evidence that flax can contribute to prostate cancer. Though further research is required on this topic, men in particular may wish to favor seafood as a source of omega-3 until more is known about this possible link. Until such a time, you are always welcome to get your fatty acid fix at Flo.