Thursday, August 20, 2009

Fusion 108 (Huntersville)

About a month ago I ran across Fusion 108 in Huntersville, just off of Gilead by the Harris Teeter. I made a mental note to try this place again soon. Unfortunately, my mental notes are frequently lost. So, it wasn't until a few days ago, when I can across a coupon in a mailer, that I remembered that I wanted to try this place.

Fusion 108 advertises itself as a Chinese and Thai restaurant that uses "fresh, natural ingredients, lean white meat and flavorful Chinese and Thai spices ... Our dishes combine traditional, delicious Chinese stir-fry with fragrant spices. Enriching our menu, we also serve distinctive Japanese Habachi Grill."

I've gotta admit, I was a little hesitant to try Fusion 108. My rule of thumb is: a restaurant that serves too many styles, doesn't get any of them right. As you will soon read: I was wrong -- VERY wrong.

My wife and I entered Fusion 108 and were immediately seated in one of the three booths. This is a small restaurant; probably no more than 20 tables. The interior is done with warm colors of dark browns and mustards. At the front is a long counter top that also serves as a window into their substantial kitchen. I saw many take-out orders pick-up their orders here.

We looked over our menus and I had a hard time deciding. Did I want the mongolian beef? Maybe the orange beef? What about the chow mein? They do have a lot of options -- and all of them sound delicious. I eventually settled on the Egg Roll (pork), and the Thai Red Curry Coconut with beef and white rice. While my wife ordered the Thai Spring Roll (pork and shrimp) and the Pad Thai with chicken.

The first thing to arrive were the rolls. Both were deep fried (STILL HOT!) and crispy. In my haste, I burned my tongue, but I'd rather the food come out piping hot than cold. My pork egg roll came with duck sauce and was thicker and more substantive than the spring roll ordered by my wife. Her roll came with a spicy red pepper and vinegar sauce. But both were good, flavorful, and filled with assorted vegetables (aside from the meats). An excellent way to start the meal.

Shortly after we finished the rolls, our entrees arrived. My Thai red curry looked good, and the aroma was intoxicating. The curry was a reddish brown color, spicy, and very thick and creamy -- something that caught me by surprise. The slices of beef were lean and tender. However the meat wasn't the star of this meal -- it was the vegetables. This entree was loaded with zucchini, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, sweet peas, and the occasional water chestnut. The veggies worked well with this dish, adding flavor and a crunchy texture with every bite.

My wife's pad thai was fantastic. Served with the standard flat and thin rice noodle, this chicken pad thai was topped with finely chopped peanuts, and had a great tangy vinegar zest to its flavor. The tender chicken was served in strips that were easily picked up with the noodles in every bite.

Not only was the food good, but the servings were huge. We only ate about 1/2 of our entrees, this means that we both have lunch to later today. Also, though we went with coupons in hand, our order only came to about $23 (including tax), so we didn't actually get the dollar amount high enough to use the coupons. Next time we'll either have to order more, or add a drink or two.

Fusion 108 is one of the few restaurants that tries to serve several different styles of food, and masters it. My assumption was wrong. Now to prove how wrong I was -- I'll need to go back again, and again, and again . . .

Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 12/15

Price: $$ (including tip, and no drinks it came to about $14 per person)
Kid friendly: Yes, they have a kids menu.

Conclusion: This little restaurant is almost hidden by it's much larger neighbor Killington's Pub. But the food, atmosphere, and service here are great. Unfortunately, it was mostly empty when we visited - but I hope more people try it out and learn what a gem this place really is.

Restaurant Info:
Fusion 108
Rosedale Shopping Center
10010 Rose Commons Dr
Huntersville, NC 28078
p) 704-992-0808

3 comments:

  1. This restaurant is awesome. My husband and I go all the time. We have not tried the Thai food but the chinese food and tempura are on point.

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  2. I'm glad to hear that the other styles are good too! IMHO, this is one of the most under-rated restaurants in the area.

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