Best meal Mel's had in AGES

I’ve never been a fan of fusion cuisine ever since somebody made me a prawn chow mein burrito during my university days. I love burritos, I love a prawn chow mein....but together, jeez, no.

For me, the general problem with fusion cuisine is the fact that it goes against the classics and it doesn't allow you to utilise ingredients that naturally pair well together. Some of the best dishes in the world come from simple ingredients which grow side by side in the wild - think pigs in orchards, or marsh lamb and samphire.

So when I was invited to try some of the dishes at Hale Country Club’s Fuzen restaurant, I was a little apprehensive. Not only because the name give me flashbacks of that 1999 burrito, but also because I rarely venture to the gym.

I needn’t have worried. It turns out Fuzen simply fuses Pan Asian dishes with British ingredients. It also mixes a laid back approach with table clothes, fine dining standard service and a beautiful décor. In Japan, this style of restaurant is known as an Izakaya - you get top notch food, but you can dress down and bring the kids. Not suggesting you go in your onsie, but unlike a fine-dining establishment which is a tad pretentious and stern, here you can relax.

The menu is vast but easy to navigate and subtly covers all bases. If you want a light lunch you have appetisers, salads and sushi. Fancy an adventurous tour of Japan; go for robatayaki or sashimi. If you have the children with you; wings, ribs or burgers.

We plucked for a few ‘small plates’ which consisted of Spicy Sesame Tuna Tartare, Glazed Chicken Gyoza, Pork King Ribs plus a Slammin Salmon signature sushi roll.



With any type of tartare, this is a great opportunity to showcase the quality - especially with tuna, and this was a fine fish that would be proud of its sacrifice.

Served with diced mango and cucumber splinters - it started off clean, then the tang from the mango gems tickled you, finally ending with a warm glow from the radish. I then tried the ribs which thankfully came with a hot towel. These were certainly king-sized and had a mighty shine from the black bean glaze and a lovely cracking shard for texture. The umami levels were out of this world and left a clean bone on the ceramic plate - not only because I loved the sauce so much, but also because of the excellent cooking. Best ribs I’ve ever had - easily.



In the past I’ve always found sushi a bit....meh. Okay to eat, but apart from an all-you-can-eat I once had in Melbourne’s South Yarra suburb, I’ve never been full or totally satisfied from sushi. That was until yesterday when I had Fuzen’s signature salmon roll. Soft avocado, crunchy tempura flakes, meaty fish, fiery mayo, strong coriander and the most beautiful baked sweet crab. One bite and I went into some kind of catatonic state of sushi euphoria.



Two minutes later, I was back in the room crying out for that feeling again. Between that sushi moment and the chicken gyoza (which blew me away with the level of flavour), I am convinced they used some kind of black magic. I can’t tell you how good those two dishes were.



Right, onto mains. It was clear that they could 'do' Japanese so opted for the Thai dishes. A red curry with salmon, purple broccoli and crab was first. Hard to make a curry look elegant, but this certainly looked beautiful and was as good to eat as it was to look at. Crispy skin, perfectly cooked fillet sitting on a fragrant sauce packed with the traditional flavours you’d expect in a red curry. The crab was strong in flavour and stood up to the vibrant sauce - also went well with the poached egg.



My green curry was full of tender nuggets of slow cooked lamb shoulder with perfect meat to fat ratio sitting in a lime green sauce. This sauce was more lime than coconut, which I liked - highly intensive actually as if a caipirinha had fallen in. A sweet, then sour dish that grew in heat. The accompanied sticky rice with spring onion was a lovely clean side to offset the powerful sauce but no match for the other side which was a lamb spring roll. Crispy shell bulging with tender soft lamb; dazzling and should be a starter/bar snack.



Both mains were complete dishes if you know what I mean, and would please any diner who enjoys Thai food. Not the most traditional Thai examples I’ve had, but that’s the point I suppose. This is fine, accomplished cooking presented in the most beautiful way with modern flair. Nothing you’d expect to see on a roadside café on the outskirts of Bangkok served on a banana leaf. You can dress as if you're at the roadside café, but you'll get refined cookery that has clearly been tried and tested to get right.

I really enjoyed my meal at Fuzen. Open to all, if it was in Spinningfields it would have a two week waiting list - no doubt. It is a true hidden gem - not physically, you don't have to walk through a gym to get to it, but more in the mind. I realise you wouldn't naturally think of a country club for dinner (similar to a hotel), but you really should - honestly, it is one of the best I've had.

I’d recommend this wonderful restaurant to anybody who appreciates a fine plate of food - whether you're a Pan Asian lover (not literally) or just up for a good meal. Both stunning to eat and to look at, you’ll impress anyone when heading for Fuzen. I, for one, will be going back several times with friends and family as a result of the photos I've shown.

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Posted: Friday 30th October 2015
ID: 10213 - 1410