Fusionista Restaurant and Spa — Restaurant in Gauteng

Fusionista is as unique on the inside as it appears from the outside. From its ultraviolet-lit fish tanks to its astro-turf carpeting and fake bamboo partitionings, the place is Kitsch Central. I have driven past many times, and finally found an occasion to visit, and with its high rating i thought my partner and I were in for a treat. Unfortunately not. The menu is so comprehensive, it lands up being an exhausting read. As a starter my partner had some steamed pork dumplings. The pastry was a good texture, and served beautifully in a two-tier bamboo steamer, with lemon grass shoots at the bottom which filled the room with a gorgeous aroma. The filling was a bit on the dry side, but we decided to overlook it. The tastiest element of the dish was the sweet, sour and herby dipping sauce. I had a "sushi donut" to start; the rice was well cooked and the toppings were fresh, but other than that unremarkable. Again, the dipping sauces were the most exciting aspect of my starter. We ordered 2 main courses: the sizzling duck and the Thai lemon grass and coconut Ramen soup. The portions were generous. The "sizzling" duck was served on a silver platter heated by tealight candles. Perhaps I expect too much, but I would have appreciated the authenticity that comes with a thick cast-iron plate. The skin of the duck was crispy, but the flesh dry and flavourless. The sauce was essentially just oyster sauce and button mushrooms, really nothing exciting or authentic. Also, at almost R200 a dish, I expect rice to be served with it, but we had to order and pay for that separately. The soup was tasty for the first few mouthfuls and the noodles well cooked. The broth was overly sweet, lacking balance and the moreish heat that I expect from Thai soups.

The service was friendly and quick.

I wanted to suppress my disappointment with the fact that we went out on a Monday night, but the restaurant prices itself to be competitive with some of the more high-end Asian restaurants in Johannesburg and I therefore expect it to be on the same kind of level, regardless of which day of the week it is. While the food was not outright terrible, it lacks the refinement required to justify its price. The underlying "fusion" theme is either very difficult to find in the menu items or it is as off the wall as the decor (see the divider dedicated to Asian Pizza).

I unfortunately...

I have mixed feelings considering the overwhelming amout of very positive reviews

I decided to try the restaurant as I happend to be in the area & remembered a friend had recommended it to me a while ago - as I was new to Jhb & looking for authentic east asian cuisine.

Decided to go for their popular crab curry - it was okay and perhaps I should have tried it with the green curry instead of red. It was a little too sweet for my liking & had no hints of spice whatsoever. Overall it was okay and I am willing to give it another visit and try another dish. The pricing I feel is fair considering the portions but I wouldn't consider it a fine dining restaurant

The only real negatives for me would be the smaller things. I noticed I wasnt offered the rice paper/prawn chips not sure what exactly they are & when I brought this up the response I got was that customers request this. I would assume they are complimentary as two tables joined around where I was sitting and they received theirs very shorty after being seated. As someone who was visiting for the very first time & wouldn't know of this particular request - I don't know why it wouldn't be brought up? Whether you pay for them or not.

The 2nd would be I was sitting in a smaller section & only when another table joined were the lights brightened. I didn't have an issue because again, it was my first time and I just thought that was the aesthetic they wee going for. It was a bit disappointing. I think the cocktails are just sort put together & they don't have a mixologist in-house.

*Following the response I've lowered my rating from...

This was a very disappointing attempt.

We attempted going to Fusion grill today, looking for some good Thai food, and over the years this place has a good average rating.

Unfortunately most the good ratings are from years ago, and that was clear today.

The place looks very dated, and in serious need of an overhaul.

We are one of only 2 diners in the restaurant over lunch, so a bit eerie but we have seat. We are told the only thing they don’t have, is duck, and they are going to the shops now to go buy duck - not a problem.

We ask if we can order wine, we are told they don’t have any white wine as suppliers want cash for wine orders and they don’t have cash. The owner offers to go buy some - ok, no problem. Owner says they had a party that went on until 5am the night before, and the drinks were all drunk.

Waiter comes over to the table, he is either drunk or so overly tired as he can’t even concentrate. We order, Vietnamese spring rolls. Told they don’t have it. At this stage our sense of humour failed us. We got up and left. Sadly don’t think we will go back until a major...