As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover, and that certainly proves to be the case with Wine Fusion. We had very low expectations for yet another bistro-style restaurant with wine in its title, serving Thai and inter food in yet another low-rise community mall. It even has a slightly cookie cutter décor, with its industrial edge—we have to admit we love the rough pine wood tables, though. But here’s the surprise, Wine Fusion is the real deal. And here’s the even bigger surprise, they actually know what they’re doing when it comes to wine. In fact we’d be hard pressed to think of many places that have such a decent selection of affordable bottles (most under B1,500) and all presented with useful tasting notes, too. The staff here even know to leave your bottle of red to breathe for a while before serving; sure, the bar isn’t very high around town, but frankly we’re stunned. The food is less stunning, but it is definitely very solid, well-portioned and very affordable. A strip loin steak from Australia for a mere B390 is impressive, as is the fact that it actually comes cooked as requested and is accompanied by a rich mustard sauce and thick cut fries. The chicken with duck foie gras and herb sauce is also well done: the moist breast combining well with the creamy pate. However, it’s not all so impressive. For example, the baked scallops with butter and chili jam (B150) are a little gritty and the sauce overly sweet. The soft shell crab salad (B190) is big and the deep-fried crab tasty, but the whole dish get’s a little dry due to the paucity of the lemongrass mayo. They are pretty minor grumbles, to which we must add the trek out to the toilet in the car park and the awful autotuned R’n’B being played by the DJ the last time we went. Still, at these prices, these issues certainly don’t overshadow the fact that, overall, the menu is clearly well thought out with plenty of options we’d go back to try in the future. And go back we will, to enjoy the pleasant buzz of the place, the great service, the light and airy vibe and to sample more of that lovely wine list.
Wine Fusion
