The Japanese seaweed nori may not sound appealing to many Americans, but it’s a big part of traditional cooking. You can find it in all sorts of dishes, notably in a lot of the sushi found at Flo’s Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue. Much of the time it’s nothing more than a simple, unassuming strip of vegetation designed to keep the fish from falling off the rice, but there’s more to this humble weed than you may realize. Indeed, nori is a very valuable part of the Japanese diet.

The health benefits of nori are many, particularly as they apply to your circulation. It’s popular as a meatless source of protein and iron, allowing vegetarian diners to maintain healthy blood cells. It’s also rich in potassium, which is good for regulating sodium levels and preventing high blood pressure. A high soluble fiber content slows the rate at which food is absorbed into the bloodstream, so people with who are having trouble managing their blood sugar can also benefit.

Embrace a little seaweed into your life at Flo’s today, and reap the benefits of a healthier circulatory system for years to come!

Do you like scallops? Flo Japanese restaurant in Bellevue does! In scallops, we have a seafood that has a light, pleasing taste and appeals to even those who are not a fan of the “fishier” tasting denizens of the sea. If you’re not a big fan of fish, then, and you still want to benefit from the great health benefits offered by seafood, let us recommend the scallop as an alternative.

Like most other forms of seafood, you can expect to find low calories, low fat, and a good dose of omega-3 fatty acids. This is just where scallops start, however; not only are they a heart-healthy source of protein and vitamin B12, but they also serve to help you sleep better. This is because they contain tryptophan. This is an amino acid that the body converts into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important to getting a good sleep cycle. Eating a few scallops in the evening can therefore help you meet the sandman head on when it’s time to settle down. So order up some scallops at Flo Japanese Restaurant and turn in for a restful night’s sleep!

If you’re an oyster enthusiast, we’ve got good news for you. First of all, our Bellevue Japanese restaurant offers a fine dish of Washington Panko oysters, breaded and deep-fried for your pleasure. Secondly, you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in your favorite shellfish; like much of the food we get from the ocean, oysters are quite beneficial to your health!

Not only are oysters a low fat and low cholesterol source of protein, they’re also a valuable source of zinc. This mineral doesn’t get as much attention as many other vital nutrients, but zinc is an important part of every cell in your body. Zinc is used to repair your DNA, provide energy to the body, and fight infections. In men, it’s needed in the production of testosterone, which can explain the reputation oysters enjoys as an aphrodisiac. A deficiency of zinc is attributed to many problems, like low energy, inhibited growth, and a decreased ability to heal.

Do yourself a delicious favor today, and come down for a plate of oysters at Flo Japanese Restaurant!

Need a good dessert wine? At Flo’s Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue, you can’t beat a bottle of Choya ume plum wine. This is a wine made by mixing sugar and sake or another alcoholic drink with the juice of an unripe ume fruit. The Japanese call this drink umeshu, and many rank it among the best tasting wines in the world.

Though the juice-like sweetness of umeshu comes recommended with many dessert dishes, the drink started its career as a medicine. Indeed, the health benefits of the ume fruits are such that people continue to enjoy it as much for their health as for its taste to this day. The calcium aids in healthy bone structure, the potassium helps regulate blood pressure, and the natural fruit acids are good for aiding metabolism and facilitating a healthy digestive system. It has also been observed that the fruit is rich in antioxidants and may be a powerful weapon against the development of cancer cells. Try a glass at Flo’s today; you may be surprised that something so delicious could be so healthy at the same time!

Long before it reached Flo Japanese Restaurant in Bellevue, the shiitake mushroom was revered for its great taste and medicinal properties. Its history as a food item goes back to prehistory, with its first recorded use landing as early as AD 199 in its native China. The Chinese and, later on, the Japanese have been cultivating the mushrooms for over a thousand years, using it not only as a food but as a remedy for disease, an agent to empower the chi, and a means to battle the effects of old age.

Though ancient medicine lacked the finer tools of modern day, we are now able to discover that many of shiitake’s famous benefits are indeed rooted in scientific fact. Shiitake has been found to contain valuable nutrients and powerful anti-oxidants, serving to balance bodily nutrition and fight the aging effects of free radicals. Substances in shiitake can also lower cholesterol, prevent platelet aggression, and prevent cancer tumors. Indeed, it would seem that the doctors of the old East knew what they were talking about!