The year was 1999. Beijing established an Olympic Bid Committee for the upcoming 2008 games, a certain religious group was declared illegal and legislation was passed to give universities more autonomy, ushering in much needed reforms to China’s undergrad system. It was also the year Brasserie Flo first opened its doors to an underserved Francophile community. Since then, over one million customers have crossed Brasserie Flo’s threshold for French favorites like goose liver, snails and bouillabaisse. Beijing’s dining scene is a fickle mistress, but I recently stopped by Brasserie Flo to sample their 11th anniversary menu (RMB288 for four courses), which will be featured for the entire month of September, in celebration of one of the few establishments that have stood the test of time.

I’m a sucker for seafood soups so the traditional Marseille fish soup with rouille sauce was right up my alley. BF’s version is a salmon, shrimp and scallop-garnished hearty puree that tastes of the ocean and as with the other fish soups I’ve tried at BF, the rouille, garlic crouton and shredded cheese, were served on the side so each diner can create their own favorite combination of flavors. The wild mushroom soup with meaty boletus mushrooms and delicate black truffle slices is hardly a lesser alternative. The creamy, robust concoction was a bold answer to staid cream of mushroom soup.

I can’t turn down foie gras in any form, so the goose liver-fig terrine with port wine reduction was like angel piss on the tongue (I mean that in a good way). Garnished with fresh fig, the rich terrine could have benefited from a bolder sweet or acidic note, but the artful presentation made for a beautiful plate. The alternative selection, niçoise salad, was a cornucopia of textures with al dente potatoes, green beans, salty kalamata olives and anchovies intermixed with seared-medium tuna belly and salad greens to form any number of perfect bites.

As a card-carrying carnivore, the Australian beef tenderloin with buttery mousseline potatoes, bone marrow and snails Burgundy-style in Perigourdine sauce is an easy entrée choice. Served with a complementary demi-glaze, the tender filet lasted but minutes on the plate. The poached Norwegian cod atop salted cod fish mashed potatoes was paired with a tangy tomato-basil sauce, and proved a lighter option for the main course.

I don’t lust over chocolate like many of my female counterparts, but Brasserie Flo’s trilogy of chocolate is enough to change the mindset of the most decisive dessert connoisseur. The "entremet" (code for ridiculously dense and delicious dark chocolate brownie) with orange peel, mousse in a chocolate sheath and decadent cocoa sherbet pegged my dark-chocolate-meter to red. The precisely executed Baileys crème brûlée, macaroons garnished with a waterfall of red fruits and house made rum raisin ice cream sampler was an excellent, alternative for those with anything less than a strident commitment to the cocoa bean.

One unsung aspect of Brasserie Flo is the capable, efficient, English-speaking staff. Armed with a wine key, bread crumber and a keen attention to detail it’s easy to see how this quaint Parisian bisto can last for over a decade in a constantly changing dining scene. Don’t miss out on a prime opportunity to sample this long-lived, award-winning restaurant’s greatest hits on their special 11th anniversary menu.