Restaurant Review - Fusion
WHEN it comes to eating out in Raheen, the problem remains that we locals are largely stuck in a knot of speed bumps and access roads bled dry of any discernable choice or flavour.
In that sense Fusion restaurant, directly above Collins' Bar, is a hidden gem in a suburban jungle.
Being familiar with the hangover-drowning capabilities of its take-away menu, and living less than eight minutes walk from the place, it was a means of natural evolution to finally decide to sit down and fully sample what our neighbourhood oriental restaurant had to offer.
Being without a wife and currently between girlfriends, the An Other position at my table was raffled amongst my gaunt, flippant housemates.
After a violent struggle it was Lord Huggsworth of Hazel Grove who won out, and handily so, for he is the only one of us with a lady to answer to and as such was eyeing up the joint as a potential place to entertain herself.
He was impressed. The restaurant is warm, tastefully decorated and spacious enough to avoid the feeling that That Man Over There is listening to you.
Once we were seated, the owner Theresa introduced herself. A warm and chatty woman, she explained that the depth and variety of the Fusion menu was derived from a clear vision of blending the best of Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese cooking. The result is an encyclopaedic selection of dishes which are all open for negotiation if you wish to substitute one ingredient for another.
A handy options for vegetarians, I thought briefly, before deciding how much cattle and poultry I wished to inhale.
For a starter I chose strips of fillet steak with onion and pineapple, which is served red hot at the table and then drizzled with a sweet barbecue sauce, the whiff and crackle of which almost made me giddy. The meat was tender, while the sauce and vegetables were a riot. It was, already, the best dish of the night.
Huggs ordered Vietnamese spring rolls, which came with a spicy szechuan sauce that was a presence in itself. The rolls were appetizing and light, but the sauce grabbed all the attention, with a kick strong enough to let you know where it is, but subtle enough not to dominate.
If Huggs could eat it with his Weetabix, he probably would.
The wine list was reasonable, with choices ranging from an Australian Semillon Sauvignon for €16.90 to pleasant sounding Italian reds for up to €29.00.
But being the uncivilised louts that we are, Huggs and I each opted for a Yanjing beer, which is described on its bottle as being "the beer of high official manifestations" in China. It did indeed taste like Politburo, if Politburo is chilled, light and sweet.
As for a main course, and despite Theresa's attempts to push the Thai Sea Bass, I opted for roast duck stuffed with deep fried minced prawn, served with rice and a crab meat sauce, which cost a rosy €18.
Huggs chose the apparently popular chicken satay, which came skewered with mushrooms and peppers on a hot platter like the steak before it.
The duck and prawn combination worked very well, and the crab meat sauce, akin to the szechaun, was quiet yet substantial in its own right.
The helpings of chicken and vegetable in the satay were generous enough to satisfy Huggs, who had spent the previous 31 hours of his life in various states drunk and silly and was in need of feeding.
The dessert menu was less encyclopaedic, with a handful of options from home made cakes to ice creams. I did not find this a problem, as I had eyed up the homemade banoffi pie from a distance. Huggs was slightly disappointed, however, clearly wanting more time to ponder before choosing a slice of house special Oreo cake. The Banoffi was delicious, all soft and glazed, though Huggs was not as content with his Oreo, which was a little heavy for his taste.
But this did not lessen the sense of satisfaction that came away from having an impressive three course meal on your doorstep for around €40 a head, including drinks.
As Huggs remarked on leaving, you can treat herself to a bit of swank, drink your fill of Chinese Politburo and still be home in time to watch Usain Bolt break a world record. A pleasant way of life in a suburban jungle.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Limerick
Monday 21 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 13 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South
