Rave-worthy Japanese food the flavour of a chef at the top of his game

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/02/2015 (4083 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So there’s another new Japanese restaurant. What else is new, and why choose this one to review over the dozens of others? Well, for starters, I knew that Fusian’s owners had owned Asahi, which I had liked when it was on Broadway, and liked even more when it moved to Charleswood. And now I’m over-the-moon in love with the best Japanese food I’ve had since the glory days of Edohei.

It’s a spiffy little place, minimally but charmingly done in scarlet, white and black. The name is obviously a play on “fusion,” which describes much of what’s on the menu. But these dishes aren’t just misguided gropings for the unusual; they are the work of a genuinely creative chef with complete mastery of his art.

Their success is due not only to his expertise, but also to the fabulously fresh ingredients, which are flown in from all over the globe — Japan, Hawaii, even Russia. Some prices may be higher than at run-of-the-mill places, but lower than at some higher-end places, and they aren’t excessive for the quality.

Everything was so good I hardly know where to begin. OK, I’ll start with the simplest, the sashimi. If price is no object, opt for the magnificent bluefin tuna — six generous slabs for $28. In fact, all the sashimi are top-notch — ahi or albacore tuna, wild sockeye or organic king salmon, or hamachi, all with perfect textures and served at the perfect temperature ($12 to $16).

There are no nigiri sushi on the house menu (the Just Eat online menu has a full list) but there are always a few on a specials sheet, which is where I found the best uni I’ve had since my first sea urchin ever, on a quai in Cannes ($3.50 each). That sheet changes often, and you’ll also be told about specials of the day, which may depend on whatever fish had just come in. And if you ask which is the freshest you won’t be fobbed off with the all too familiar “it’s all fresh.”

The torched whelks are on the regular menu, a wonderful creation of diced whelk meat tucked into the shells with bits of cucumber, onion, cilantro and sesame seeds in a slightly creamy, sake-spiked sauce, and topped with tobiko — so good only a sense of shame prevented me from licking the inside of the shells (two for $8).

Huge, juicy, panko-crusted shrimp were spectacular, glazed in slightly spicy garlic sauce with a scattering of diced shiitakes, carrots and sesame seeds ($13). Other splendid dishes were the wild sockeye salmon tartare mixed with avocado, cilantro and scallions, to be scooped up with crunchy taco chips ($12), and the sushi pizza of diced salmon, avocado and a mellow seafood sauce on a bed of crisp rice ($10). Although the foie could have been a little more gras, I’ve never had a foie gras I couldn’t love, and I loved these two small slices, almost as much as I loved the two barely seared and exquisitely flavourful scallops they came with ($16).

One truly rare treat is the superbly larded and flavourful Wagyu beef from Japan, available as nigiri sushi ($10), in sliders (two for $18), in a roll with crabmeat and asparagus ($25), or as sashimi ($40). Or, as we had ours, grilled at table on a hot stone, garnished with enoki and oyster mushrooms and asparagus ($48 for three ounces).

The rolls were also impressive, from the familiar California roll, made with real crabmeat (it’s all real crabmeat here) at $5, to the bigger and more complex creations, from $12 to $16 — the chameleon, for instance, of fried soft shell crabs with cucumber, avocado and massago roe under a topping of salmon, avocado and a spicy sesame dressing. Or the Fusian of lightly tempura-crisped rice with marinaded salmon and avocado topped by tuna and tobiko roe. Or the Oakley of tuna, avocado and cucumber, layered with torched salmon and spicy mayo.

They also do right by the standards. Our delicately dressed sunomono with octopus was more expensive than most at $7, but it was almost twice the size of most. Crisp tempura shrimp were whole and full of flavour — not the thin, watery slices I’ve sometimes had ($11 for eight).

If you’ve come for lunch, consider the baos (two for $7). We had the lemongrass pork filling with avocado, pickled daikon and carrots, cucumber and jalapenos (others are kalbi or teriyaki beef) in a thin rice flour bun — unlike any other baos I’ve had, and sensational.

The service is charming and knowledgeable enough to offer expert guidance in ordering. Even the desserts I tried were delicious: a trio of crème brulées (ginger, vanilla and the mysterious pandan), and mango ice cream coated in hardened chocolate, with strawberry sauce and wee beads of tapioca ($6 each).

Am I babbling? Yes, I know I am, but I don’t often have this much to babble about.

 

marion.warhaft@freepress.mb.ca