Fuzio

Fuzio is an ambitious project, an attempt to bring some fine dining to Ekkamai, and it nearly pulls it off. At night, the rooftop restaurant wouldn’t look out of place in downtown Manhattan. Great views, subtle mood lighting and subdued jazz tunes create a sophisticated atmosphere aided by the ambient glow from the surrounding high-rises. Smartly dressed, attentive waiters glide between the well-spaced tables and comfy leather booths, though the flat screen TV tuned to the Chic Channel almost spoils the overall effect. The menu is equally sophisticated and offers up well-presented Italian classics, but a look at the prices and you realize this is not a place for a cheap date (though the thrifty can take advantage of their reasonable four-course lunch deal). Appetizers are the usual suspects: buffalo mozzarella and tomato, carpaccio of chilled beef and the fresh if a little bland imported yellow fin tuna, which is livened up slightly with olive oil, capers and anchovy dressing. Order a pasta to share, as we did, and the servers are trained to ask if you’d like the kitchen to divide the dish onto two plates. With our spaghetti with mud crab with garlic and chili, we were also given a choice of spiciness. Unfortunately, despite our answer of “not very,” the chili totally overpowered the taste of the crab—and the pasta was a few minutes past al dente. The results are equally mixed on the main dishes. The snowfish in “crazy” water has a nice texture and is a generous portion, but the broth, while delicious, is similarly too strong for the fish. Where Fuzio does excel is with steaks. The aged Angus t-bone is a particular treat, perfectly cooked and extremely tender, though a bit more pecorino cheese would be nice, minimum 500g. To finish, desserts include favorites like Tiramasu and suitably fruity sorbets, which come in the colors of the Italian flag. Overall, like the Minis on sale downstairs, Fuzio ticks the right boxes: it’s stylish, modern and runs smoothly, but, ultimately, it’s just a little bit overpriced for what you get. Corkage: B600.