Fuse Japan

Weird sushi experience, I was expecting a restaurant but this felt more like an underground club. Beware no sushi bar. It’s a lounge club style bar. But service was friendly and food was good. Music was hip. Dark atmosphere. Try it for yourself.

Love the new look and the new menu! Both the burgers and the chicken are fabulous! Great drinks and the happy hour specials are truly delightful! Jimmy and his staff are fantabulous and I look forward to visiting the new fuse often!

I am assuming that handling the lunch crowd is not their thing. The hostess seated me promptly… That was it. I didn’t get water untill about 15 minutes. Then, I order with the server. I never received my food. After 45 minutes, I decided to leave because I had to be at a workshop in five minutes. I spent an hour in a place with room temp water and no food. Needless to say, I was starving in my workshop.

An odd location for a restaurant. It’s essentially upstairs. There seems to be seating on the first floor but it was never in use.
Getting here for happy hour is the key. You can load up on beer and sushi for well under $ 30 and leave feeling full and happy about the state of humanity in general.

I had been craving some good Japanese food since my banishment to West Texas, and while I was on a trip to Dallas, I went to Fuse on a Friday night around 9:00 (?). Fuse seemed like one of only two options for Japanese in downtown Dallas within walking distance of my hotel on Main St. This was a contrast from the last city I lived in, which was smaller, but had at least 8 – 10 good Japanese options within walking distance downtown.
I walked in to an eerily deserted downstairs, eerie because it was a fairly large and trendy space full of tables, nicely lit with soft music playing, yet completely deserted. I made my way upstairs as per the sign to an again nice and trendy bar/​lounge area, and the bar tender greeted me and recommended I take a seat outside where the rest of the clientele were (it wasn’t too busy). Overall, both the downstairs, upstairs, and patio were nice and trendy, with a good atmosphere (although I hoped it would be a bit more busy) and pretty good music.
One thing that disappointed/​baffled me was that they didn’t have a drink menu, but seemed to be capable of mixing interesting cocktails (?). The first drink I ordered based on the recommendation of the bartender was a miss, and I just ended up going with a safe mojito, but I felt like the place had more potential as far as drinks were concerned, they just need to do a better job letting us know!
I ordered a few pieces of smoked salmon sashimi and unagi to start, and ahi tuna on a bed of vegetables as a main. The sushi was good, and I immediately regretted not ordering more, but I wasn’t sure how filling the main would be. The ahi tuna was a little disappointing, and while the portion was generous, it was seared a little too much, and didn’t seem to be a very high quality cut, and ended up being a little tough and «steaky». While it wasn’t bad and was very filling, it wasn’t the tender, melt-​in-​your-​mouth ahi tuna that I had hope for (and had the next night at a burger joint!). The sauce and the vegetables accompanying the tuna weren’t bad and made for good filler.
Fuse is definitely a great place to go for some drinks and something decent to eat with your group for a low key night, before a big night out, or a quiet and trendy date spot. I’m not sure if it gets busier as the night wears on, since it seemed like a good venue just for drinks and music. I’d like to try more of their sushi and a different main before writing the place off, but I’m not sure if I’ll try another Japanese place in Dallas first to get some really good quality food, or return here because of the convenient location and good atmosphere to have a decent dinner and some early drinks on a Friday/​Saturday night.

The service and atmosphere is pretty good, but the food was just average at best. I had a couple of rolls and an appetizer. While I left full, the meal was not memorable.

This is our favorite spot for sushi, lunch time, or a drink before going out on weekend. Fuse Japan is a hidden gem.
For sushi, we recommend volcano rolls and sumo tower. It’s well-​made, fresh, and delicious! Tempura appetizer is really good too.
Lunch time can be busy. They serve tacos, quesadilla, and kobe burgers too. Bento boxes are great too. Overall, excellent spot for lunch. 10% discount if you work for AT&T.
For saturday night, we often come here for some great sushi, a drink or two, and hang out with the awesome Drew and Odelly. The atmosphere is fun and relax. We just love this place. Perfect for someone who lives in downtown.

There are not a lot of options for asian food in the downtown area. I stumbled upon Fuse Japan after work one day.
I ordered spicy edamame and two rolls of sushi. The edamame were spicy– really spicy. At some point the steam may stop coming out of my ears. It was good but hot.
The sushi rolls were good and served quickly. The only downside was that the rolls were on the small side.
Good taste, priced right and liked the feel of the place– I’ll be back.

My co-​worker and I came here on a Tuesday night and the place was literally dead. The restaurant itself is very pretty and decorated sophisticatedly, but the lighting is way too dark for a restaurant environment.
We chose to sit outside on the patio, which is next to a jacuzzi/​lounge area. However, that area doesn’t belong to the restaurant, so we were sitting there eating our food while other people bbq’d & lounged on the other side of the fence. The experience was ruined knowing that the jacuzzi/​lounge area was accessible through the restaurant, but that it was not owned by it. Even worse, there was a girl in that area who chose to smoke a cigarette on the bench closest to us and talk loudly on her phone the whole time.
Even though we were the only patrons, the waitress took her time in checking on us during our meal. The food was not that great. We both ordered the $ 15 M1 bento box, and it should have been more like a $ 5 lunch instead. Nothing stood out foodwise.
I can see this place as a nice place to go for a happy hour on a weekend or to impress someone on a date since the environment would be pretty hip and romantic, but if you want really good food and service, this is definitely not the place to go. I felt like it was a waste of money and time.

There is a definite lack of good Asian food in downtown Dallas. Thank goodness Fuse can take up that slack. They do have a good selection of sushi, bento boxes, udon noodles, fried rice & some Korean dishes.
My absolute favorite is the Tempura Udon. You get a big bowl of light broth filled with noodles so big you can use your chopsticks on them. Then a side of tempura. Crispy 2 pieces each of shrimp, sweet potatoes, onion, broccoli & zucchini.
Make sure you ask for the spice to put into your bowl and mix in with some soy for the tempura dipping sauce. They have light soy if you ask for it. And, if you’re an AT&T employee, you get a 10% discount– which makes this even tastier!

Decided to try the newly reopened Fuse Japan… always a decent downtown spot prior to closing down last year.
We were completely mystified as we pulled up, and there was no valet service available. (I say this only because there not only is no off street parking immediately available, but there aren’t really even any metered spots nearby.) Ended up parking in the Neiman’s garage.
As we walked in, there was a hostess stand at the front door… but alas, no one there to greet us. Had to walk past this stand, to the steps by the elevators, to see the sign that read «seating upstairs.» (I deduced that it meant up on the 2^nd floor, and not up these 5 steps we had to take to reach the aforementioned sign.)
So we tried our luck and went up to the second floor, where there was a bartender, a server… and us. Not another soul in the joint on a wednesday evening. We decided to sit and push on through and try the food.
We were glad that we hung around. Though nothing over the top for what was on the menu… the edamame and potstickers were typical fare. The «crab with a k» stuffed jalapeños had a good kick to them. Their version of the now infamous tuna tower was presented well, and we were not disappointed with the flavors. The bacon wrapped shrimp were pretty lifeless, but the shrimp tacos more than made up for it. Good flavors and textures, and the side of salsa that accompanied them was nice and spicy.
The staff was very nice. The server engaged us in pleasant conversation each time she was at the table, and seemed very genuine with her style.
In the end, there was only one other two top that showed while we were there.
I wish them success as the revamped Fuse… but based on the lack of crowd, I just don’t see how it’ll happen. Perhaps when the weather improves… there is a great patio on the second floor, and provides a nice urban feel. Just hope they can hold on that long.

I suppose the trendy/​metrosexual aesthetic might not age well, but I’m still perfectly happy to indulge in it. I’ve only been for lunch, both before and after their reincarnation, but I assume it only gets swanker. The bento box is a fine Japanese lunch for just under ten dollars, and the hip Asian feel makes me feel like I’m in a normal downtown. But alas, they’ll probably still have trouble getting people down here.

Re-​opened now as «Fuse Japan». The menu has changed from the prior «Fuse».
This place now lacks flavor in all of the dishes, presentable sushi, and expert culinary dishes that make you want to come back.
Also the valet booth is a mystery.
There isn’t a hostess booth for you to check-​in or get a table either. Who has a restaurant and not have someone greet you at the door and take you to a table for seating? WTH?
Also there isn’t a «Fuse Japan» location on Unilocal for you to comment on. Anyone know how?

My experience at Fuse was very good.
I came with a large group and they had given us our own room. The food was very good and fairly-​priced. Our server was very helpful and the alcoholic drinks were AMAZING.
The view from the top is the best. There’s a pool on the roof and beds/​couches to just lounge on. The place is super classy and trendy.

We went here for Nikki B’s first Unilocal Elite Event. Way to go Nikki you killed it!!! So we were so impressed with Fuse that we stayed for dinner.
When you walk into Fuse and the first thing you notice is it’s dark. Really dark. But dark is good. There are candle lit tables tucked away here and there. It’s a pretty romantic atmosphere.
There’s a dimly lit bar upstairs and more candle lit tables. The bartenders were great and made a pretty good drink.
The patio is absolutely awesome. Plenty of places to sit. Great view!!! We cant wait to go back just so we can hang out on the patio. They even have a pool out there. Could be interesting if you’ve had enough to drink.
We’re not sushi people, which is odd cause we’re from Florida. But as it turns out we definitely are Thai people. Not sure that sounded right. Anyway, I had the Thai Curry Chicken and my wife had Thai Pad Chicken, both extra spicy. DAMN it was freaking great!!!
Thai is our new crack!!! We’re already planning our next trip so we can get our fix.

Score for us showing up on the night that is ½ price bottle night. We began the night upstairs at the bar and then out to the upper deck. Bartenders were awesome and we loved hanging out by the pool before our meal. Our table, however, was not at the best location as it was on the way to the restrooms and close in proximity to another table. 5 girls tend to get a little loud — hey — it was ½ price bottle night. We sufficiently irritated the table behind us so much so that the man asked me to just tell my story directly to him. But that didn’t really stop us. I just tried to include him in the rest of the conversation.
None of us were interested in sushi as a meal as that would have broken the bank for all of us so we settled on some volcano rolls to share and some crab queso dip. I ordered the tuna nachos as my meal, even though it was an appetizer. They were very tasty. I think we all liked the food. We enjoyed our waitress Alma the most. She was fabulous and patient and sweet. Oh and the wine too. That was our favorite.

I finally got to check this place out last night. The food and service were great! The poolside patio is gorgeous. You have to try the Wasabi Crispy Chicken and spicy Pad Thai. Jay the manager gives great suggestions, he was dead on!
Can’t wait to go back!

The location is somewhat startling, but the interior is fantastic. We sat on the rooftop, which was a little chilly but otherwise relaxing. If you take a look at their menu, you’ll realize quickly that sushi isn’t their specialty. But since that’s all we ate here, it’s what I’ll review.
The sashimi was fresh, and we also picked up a variety of rolls. The Fuse Roll, their own creation, was a very pleasant surprise, and their Kobe Beef Roll was also delicious. Nothing really spectacular jumps out at me, but everything was excellent. Combine that with the charming décor, the great rooftop setting, and the solid waitstaff, and I give this place 4 stars.

I have eaten here twice. Once late Spring 2008 and once last weekend. Back in Spring 2008 you had the feeling that Fuse was just past its prime but still hip. We had the Tuna Sashimi, a great Duck dish, the halibut, a Spider role and some impressive cocktails. Overall this was a good experience.
Most recently I caught Fuse on a slow night. The Spider role was of very poor quality and although the entrees were good. We had the crab stuffed trout and the Red Snapper, they were nothing special. I can honestly say with all desert at $ 9 each and sushi pretty expensive for what it is, that Fuse does not offer a great value. If I ever go back I would perhaps try their asian noodle dishes or hope that thye bring back the duck.
Service is always good, but for these prices there are much better places, even in downtown.

It’s all about the popcorn. This may seem weird at an Asian Fusion restaurant, but believe me… I was skeptical as well. $ 4 for a tiny little bowl of popcorn when I can make an entire bag in the microwave at home for about $ 1? Then I tasted this magical popcorn topped with butter, parmesan, and arbol chiles and realized they should be charging even more than $ 4! So yeah, get the popcorn…
Besides the popcorn everything else was very good as well. My eating partner in crime, Melody L, and I split the rice crusted calamari appetizer, the spicy tuna roll, and the volcano roll. The calamari was some of the best I’ve had in a long time and the sushi was quite fresh as well. My one complaint was that the volcano roll was topped with more mayo than even rice– not appetizing for a mayo hater like myself.
Our other dining companion is a frequent diner at Fuse (she’s lucky enough to live in the building upstairs) and she ordered her usual braised brisket potstickers and grilled sirloin. And she apparently knows what to order cause the few tastes I had were incredible.
We said no to dessert, but they brought out some sugary pastry goodness filled with chocolate. And who can turn down sugar and chocolate? Not me!
Oh, and the best part about Fuse (well besides the popcorn) — the uhmazing pool deck upstairs. I can only imagine they’ve thrown some pretty fun parties up there.
And now I’m off to try to recreate Fuse’s popcorn…