Cafe Flora is a true breakfast and lunch hidden gem, unless you work in the Reflections IV office park just off South Lynnhaven Road.
Here, tucked in the tidy, tiny space on the first floor of one of the buildings that make up the complex is the family-run restaurant that mostly serves office workers. But don’t let that stop you from a visit when you are in the area.
The menu is expansive, and there were many things that caught my attention.
I came for lunch, but noted the breakfast menu, including bagels, omelets, plates with eggs and meats, sandwiches and more. I’m planning on coming back to try some of those out.
The lunch bill of fare is varied with a number of salads and an assortment of soups. There’s a focus on sandwiches including barbecue, burgers, housemade chicken, egg, or tuna salad, paninis, a Reuben, and tuna melt. In all, there’s more than a dozen sandwiches, all crafted in-house.
But I’m always on the lookout for something unique, and tucked in the corner of the menu are a number of items with a nod to the owner’s Korean heritage.
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The eat: Bibimbap, $9.99
Bibimbap is a versatile Korean dish. The name translates to “mixed rice,” which makes it highly customizable. Always present is the rice, but there’s usually a mix of vegetables present, typically strategically placed by colors and cuts to complement each other.
Meat is another component you will often see, usually beef. The dish is often spiced up with a chile paste or sauce, and you are likely to see a fried egg on top.
The bibimbap at Cafe Flora fits those guidelines. Here a generous serving of rice is served with chopped, well-seasoned beef. Around the perimeter are a number of vegetables, among them bean sprouts, carrot, lettuce, mushroom, and spinach. An unusual addition is gosali, which is akin to fiddlehead ferns. An egg crowns it all.
Note: You do not pick around the plate and eat each component individually. Use your chopstick and mix it up, so that a little bit of everything is enjoyed in each bite. Also, in this way, the egg yolk becomes a rich sauce of its own.
Speaking of sauces, the housemade sriracha sauce is truly something special. Savory, spicy, and sweet, it’s highly addictive. I’d like to grab a bottle and use it in bloody marys at home.
There’s three sushi rolls available too, including Kimbap, Spicy Crab Roll, and California Roll, all priced at $8.99. We ordered a California Roll to share as an appetizer. This was a fresh rendition of the classic, with artificial crab, avocado, and cucumber wrapped in nori and enrobed in sushi rice. It’s delicious. Served alongside was seaweed salad, pickled ginge, and wasabi soy sauce.
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The drink: Water
There’s no beer, spirits or wine at Cafe Flora, nor would I expect there to be.
Instead there’s a soda machine and a cooler with grab-and-go colas, juices, other soft drinks, and water.
The restaurant is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Cafe Flora is in the Reflections IV office park at 200 Golden Oak Court, Virginia Beach. Call 757-340-3249.
Patrick Evans-Hylton, [email protected]
