9th April 2007
Fusion - How to...
Being a Fusion restaurant with a huge New Zealand influence I was bound to get here at some point. But it was much much more than I was expecting. Having worked with some of Peter Gordons chef's and even waited on him at a New Zealand restaurant I knew I was in for a treat of exotic and rear ingredients from Asia to NZ, France and Spain.
Downstairs is a no booking tapa's bar that does a relaxed breakkie with tall tables and giant Samoan tapa cloths on the wall. Upstairs is as formal as I've been in London. It's intimate with starched white tablecloths and interested waiters. Silver cutlery and I'm not sure what else because there was nothing there to distract me from the food.
We started with beautiful home made bread, I chose the cardamon seed, crunchy on the outside just warm on the inside, and with the creamy New Zealand butter! I was ready to grab the basket the butter off the other tables and go hide in the cupboard with my jacket to finish it off.
It was so hard to decide with the long descriptions, and it was hard to imagine how they would come out. So help from the waiter was required and he was knowledgeable beyond call and guided us to the:
Crispy spiced nori soft shell crab on avocado sesame puree, pickled tomato, hijiki and peanut sprout salad with wasabi tobikko ginger dressing. (13.40)
Crab, black cardamom, coconut and galangal laksa with lime leaf marinated squid, a fried crab dumpling, crab tomalley, green tea noodles, crispy shallots and coriander. (11.80)
It was divine and almost challenging food, with the intensity of flavour from the crab, and the richness of the laksa. The presentation was stunning, and the combination of ingredients intriguing. We choose to just have starters and move straight onto desert because we felt well satiated after our starters (and I'd just come back from Marrakech with funny tummy).
Desert was ok I went for the rhubarb (surprise surprise) which was described as Chinese liquorice panna cotta with kalamansi lime jelly, baked rhubarb and a coconut crisp. It was refreshing and the rhubarb so so tender it didn't quite blow me away but it was really nice. He went for steamed ginger pudding and spiced pineapple with Chai ice cream and black vinegar spiced syrup. Which we decided was more of a winter comfort desert. I wish I had gone for the hot peanut butter centred chocolate fondant with a crushed peanut wafer and celery sorbet. Which plays with that good traditional NZ party food of peanut butter in celery stalks.
For me the highlight was the wine selection, around 50 of New Zealand's best we went for one of my personal favourites from home 2005 Mt Difficulty, Bannockburn, Central Otago (40.00), a gutsy chocolaty number with berries plus.
This place is definitely a treat for homesick kiwi foodies and those who would like to sample the best New Zealand has to offer. With the 3 Providores representing us you can see what inspires us to be such fierce little food warriors.
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