Los Angeles - March 24, 2006

Taking the Bloom off the Rose

Blossom Restaurant

Sex ed class really tainted flowery language for you. Bodies blossomed, breasts were budding, and, according to Big Mouth Betty, eventually you’d have to trim the lower hedges.

Ew. You’ve never looked at garden clogs the same way since.

Fortunately Blossom restaurant is on the scene to shift associations. The owners of Chinatown art crowd hub Via Cafe have taken Vietnamese food in a fresh direction.

Specialties include healthy traditional pho, light and tasty spring rolls, and dinnertime pork chops with tomato rice. Plus, like a traditional wine list, each tea (like Silver Dragon jasmine and antioxidant-rich white) complements the flavors in certain dishes. Healing properties are just an added bonus.

So it’s safe to embrace horticultural lingo once again.

Now if only you could quell that fear of hoes.

Blossom Restaurant, 426 South Main Street, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, at Winston Street, Downtown (213-623-1973 or blossomrestaurant.com).