Fusion

Our favorite place. The food is top notch – the spinach, dal, ragda pattie, salmon… Plus the wait staff makes us feel at home. We have had many parties here and have never been disappointed.

Went to dinner a few nights ago to Fusion — it was my first time, but two in our group had been there a myriad of times & live very close to the restaurant.
It was a disappointing meal for me — the Aloo Gobi I ordered was far too spicy for me & the sauce was very watery. The Garlic Naan was a total let-​down & was very small compared to how naan portions usually are. The Onion Naan & Goat-​Cheese Kulcha Naan were also disappointing.
The rice was also a let-​down. It was not Indian in nature at all (i.e., nothing near basmati) — rather, it was just like typical cheap boil-​in-​bag rice.
The star of the menu is the Crispy Spinach Salad. Two of these were ordered for our table & then later the waiter brought out a third that he said was «on the house.» However, when we got the bill, we saw that we were charged for it. That being said, a Gin & Tonic that had been ordered was left off the bill, so I guess it evened out.
Those in our party who got lamb dishes raved about how tender & velvety it was. The Chicken Tikka Masala was also very good & in hindsight, I should have ordered this dish.
Business was very slow the night we went & I guess it’s not a surprise. I’ve heard that the rent has been increased & that Fusion is looking to move someplace else. As a result, they are out of a few things on the menu & don’t plan to reorder, such as the Olive Naan, Green Chili Chicken & Taj Mahal (beer).
While I am glad to see a non-​chain, neighborhood-​y restaurant in this part of town, I won’t be returning. There’s just nothing to entice me back.

I’d really give this place 1.5 stars… this rounds to 2. Giving it 1 star wouldn’t seem fair.
The price is moderately high for the neighborhood and what you get. I don’t know why some businesses try to be something they aren’t like this one. Quite obviously, this isn’t Rasika, food quality, interior, or service, and it isn’t in an amazing neighborhood.
I quite like the vegetarian dishes on a good night, but I’ve had them a few times when they tasted watered down or bland… like reheated or packet cuisine. The fish curry sauce is bland; it’s like water.
On the other hand the tandoori salmon is fantastic! I’ve seen other tandoori dishes (steak, chicken which I don’t eat) come out of the kitchen, and they look fantastic as well.
When I was there the last time, the bartender/​server seemed very flustered, confused, couldn’t describe the menu well in the sense of Indian food/​spices, and he ignored me twice. Once, when I was trying to give him my order he ran off to do something else, and another time he did the same when I asked for my check. I don’t know if he was just distracted the whole evening, or disinterested in his job… but it was kind of bad. He seemed friendly enough despite those errors, and made a nice stiff drink though, so that is a plus.
I don’t really know how this place stays open, when I’ve passed by there are usually 0 – 2 tables filled at dinner time.
The owner introduced himself before, and he has a nice enough veneer, but maybe he should be more concerned with operating his business well, and providing a quality service than hobnobbing and rear end-​slapping with guests like a frat boy. Just saying…

A chicken curry dish lacked all flavor and tasted watery. No hint of the mint or green chili’s that were supposed to be in the dish. We also had a whole grilled blue fish which somehow didn’t work either. Not sure what the dish was supposed to taste like but seemed to lack flavoring and was a bit dry. Also had an appetizer. It’s been a couple of weeks since we went so don’t remember what this dish was but just remember it was massively over-​salted. Btw, just to give some reference: I cook indian food often, have been to india a couple of times, have eaten in countless indian restaurants and my dinner companion lived there for years. The overall quality of the food was way below your standard (median) indian restaurant.
The ambiance and the service weren’t so great either. So overall, based on this one experience. I’d definitely recommend staying away.

Moved in to the neighborhood recently and having exhausted delivery options and needing to eat while still in the chaos of unpacking we opted to place a carryout order.
Arrived in the specified 30 minute time frame and waited for just a moment while order was completed (which I’m fine with because hot food = better food).
That being said including tax for two entrees (one just of the «large» curried vegetables) a single order of nan and the crispy spinach salad was $ 45.
If the food was amazing I might be ok with this, unfortunately it was just shy of mediocre.
Curried vegetables was more watery sauce than veggies and not a very large amount considering I shelled out $ 12. Chicken Tikka Masala was ok but the meat was tough and the flavors weren’t very memorable.
The space seemed nice and the staff were friendly. They mentioned a new menu coming out in the near future so perhaps I caught these guys on an off night, but for the price/​experience I can’t say that I’d recommend it.

My wife and I love this place, as much for the neighborhood atmosphere as for the food. I like all kinds of places from high end to comfort food, but the one thing that is common in all my favorite places is that the staff sincerely care that you have a good experience and we’ve always found that to be true at Fusion.

This place is great. I live a couple of blocks away, so I go there regularly. It is always a crowd pleaser, and have taken lots of friends, dates, and groups there (up to 8 people) and had wonderful service and even better food.
Admittedly, a few years back they were still working out the kinks, but now the service and food are very consistent. As if the excellent food was not enough, they have great cocktails and a decent wine list, and the bar is usually bustling with a lively but small neighborhood crowd in the evenings. The prices are more reasonable than many other Indian restaurants in the city, including Rasika, which is where the Owner/​Chef of Fusion worked before opening this place. This is one of those restaurants you feel cool knowing about, because it is off the beaten path for most DCers, but delivers on food and ambience. Enjoy!

This is a solid neighborhood spot with a friendly staff that serves food I dream about at (*gasp*) reasonable prices! I really struggled with whether or not to write a review in the first place because I LOVE the fact that Fusion is off the radar of the Colombia Heights/​14^th St/​U street hoards because it means I never have to make a reservation. Then I felt a a little guilty about not sharing the wealth… so here I am. Seriously, just go and give it a try and say hello if you see us inside scarfing down the crispy spinach salad, vegetable samosas, chicken makhani and lamb rogan josh. I haven’t had anything in the last three years that hasn’t been tasty… and there’s a $ 10 buffet for Sunday brunch so you don’t have to narrow yourself to just one dish. How’s that for a party in your mouth?

Fusion frustrates me. Their food is consistently great given the fact that Washington DC has in general poor Indian food. I come back for the food. However, the service is consistently lousy and sometimes really sucks. I went there last night with friends, and there were several times when my friends drink glass emptied, and we continually had to ask to get basic refills of water. I would get it if there was some smiles or kindness along with it, but the wait staff usually has a steady chip on their shoulder. Love the food, love the ambience, hate the service.

Honestly, this place is a hidden gem. If you leave near Petworth, you have probably driven past this place hundreds of times. We’ve been here twice. The menu is clever, the food is good, and the service is polite and efficient. It’s not «high end» but it is upscale for the area. I did have fish one night that was a bit difficult to eat, but everything else was good. And parking is easy.

We really like this little known restaurant. Hiding in a dark bit of Georgia Avenue, and indistinguishable from other holes in the wall, it boasts surprising Indian aromas with live jazz music. The spinach salad rivals Rasika’s and the rogan josh and vindaloo are solid. We were surprised by lively and deep live jazz that brightened the evening. (Be aware there is a coverage charge, but the owner waived it, since we weren’t aware.)
The dessert options were so-​so.
Go try it, and I’ll look forward to your reviews!

First off: This is absolutely not Rasika.
Second off: It’s still perfectly decent.
I did carry-​out and had chicken tikka masala (my staple dish), a side of naan and a spicy chicken kebab appetizer.
The chicken kebab was fantastic. Well-​seasoned, juicy, generous portions and it came with a delicious coriander sauce that I ended up also pouring over my rice. I almost could’ve just made a meal out of the appetizer.
The main dish and the naan were a little dicier. The naan had a good flavor but was ever so slightly too crispy when it should’ve been chewy. The chicken tikka masala and the rice came in very generous portions (enough for a full second meal), but the masala gravy was a little more watery than I care for, and I see other people have noted the same thing. A good masala gravy should be pretty thick and rich, and this wasn’t. The flavor was good though and the chicken was cooked perfectly, as was the rice.
It can be hard finding decent places up in the Petworth area, especially Indian. So for that alone, Fusion is a winner. But anyone expecting it to be Rasika will be disappointed.

Love the food, despise the delivery.
I sat like a chump for two hours after I excitedly put my order in on Seamless and then… nada. Idiotically this rampant lateness is not the first time and while you want to give somebody the benefit of the doubt there’s only so much kicking of your own rear end you can do.
Bottom line? Skip delivery at all costs, the food is good but the delivery service is out to lunch. Or maybe out on a bender somewhere while my food gets cold.

I have been going to Fusion for the past 3 years and always have had excellent meals. Chef Barry Dindyal has created a diverse menu that has drawn a diverse community. On any given day you will see a crowd of young professionals, hipsters, older professionals, blue collar workers and college students. The diverse patrons are a reflection of the menu items, that make Fusion an natural melting pot.
Besides the traditional Indian fare (planak paneer, channa masala, tandoori chicken) Barry has a host of other dishes that he cooks in the Tandoori oven, huge prawns, salmon, and my recent favorite is a huge piece of Sea Bass, sitting atop a spicy sweet cabbage. It would guess it to be 6−8oz! Another favorite is the whole Tandoori Bronzini (sp) this fish is seasoned with turmeric, and a propriety blend of spices, it will leave your fingers beautifully yellow stained… yes it is best eaten with fingers. The portions are very generous for the price. The staff is always willing to pack it up for you in reusable plastic containers.
The happy hour (4pm — 7pm, 7 days a week) is a good way to explore many of the dishes at $ 5 a pop.
Other favorites are the crispy spinach salad. Fresh spinach deep fried in olive oil, with a crunchy dressing, and the Lamb Vindaloo. This is not for those to are on bland diets. But the most important thing about Fusion is that the staff will focus on you, the customer. If you like something prepared a certain way, Barry and the staff will make every effort to make sure you walk out satisfied. One of my restaurant tricks is to sit in the bar the first couple of times. You get more face time with the staff, and they get to know you.
Barry also hosts 2 partys for regular patrons… I was considered a regular after 2 visits! One in June to celebrate his birthday, another in December to celebrate the anniversary of the restaurant. The eclectic mix of patrons, cocktails and appetizers make each great events.
I brought my niece, who’s in school in Boston, there for dinner almost 2 years ago and she still raves about the prawns in the cilantro, mint, pepper sauce. When we have guests in from out of town we take them to Fusion. It’s great food, great service, in an elegant environment.

The food was good. Chicken Korma and Lamb Byrani. Asked for more rice with the Korma because the portion was tiny… no charge. Mango Lassi was unusually thick, however, nothing is perfect.
The prices were fine. It’s white table cloth and you don’t need to separately order rice.
The service was meh. It was 100% fine, however, when I asked if the chicken was «cage-​free and raised humanely,» the (not indian) waitress looked at me funny and said «it’s grilled.» All I could do was chuckle. If a restaurant wants to be white table cloth then it needs to hire or train appropriate wait staff.
Overall, we had a good experience. Since we had a groupon or living social, it was a good deal.

I came back two more times since my last review and also had a chance to visit Rasika, Café of India, and Heritage India. Fusion has been my favorite because of the balanced and savory spice blends. The food always elicits an «OMG» in my head without having to make reservations, deal with traffic of tourist areas like penn quarter, or fussy formal service.
I will be back soon!

We drove from Alexandria VA to here to eat because I had Groupon from this restaurant. We got lost on the way. Finally we go here. We were so exhausted. We just wanted to finish eating and go back to home.
The restaurant looks new and clean. The waiter were very nice and friendly.
We had the cumin crab cake and the chicken in green chili. The food was very good. Since the name of the restaurant is fusion, the food was not a typical Indian food. It was fusion. They tried to make it something different. But I do not know if we want to go back there to eat the food again. If this place was close to our house, yeah it maybe…

Fusion was located in the Petworth area where location-​wise was not the greatest. It had a modern yet warm décor — it looked really fancy compared to the area around it. There were only a couple of tables seated and throughout the night, no one else came in after me.
We looked at the wine list and asked the waiter a few questions. He had no clue whatsoever. So I just ordered a sauvignon blanc.
The hype about this place was mainly the similarities of some of the dishes from Rasika. In fact it was mainly the flash-​fried spinach. I really don’t know why it’s so popular because it was mostly tasty because of the amount of oil that was absorbed into the spinach. Anyhow it was appetizing regardless. The entrees were quite expensive I thought at $ 17 – 20 plus each. We ordered the chicken vindaloo which was really spicy and the lamb pistachio korma — the lamb was tender but the sauce was so-​so. I thought it was overpriced.
We ordered the mango mousse upon recommendation — it was a tasty wedge of mousse cake. Light and refreshing.
Oh, the music! They were playing country music. I asked them why and they started playing George Michael. Last time my friend was there it was a Michael Bolton night. Quite hilarious.

This might be a 3 star restaurant if the prices were more reasonable and/​or the portions more generous. Dollar for dollar, given the not-​so-​great neighborhood this restaurant is subpar.
First, I am confused what the fusion is. This is plain Indian food, which is fine, but there are no fusion items on the menu. Second – the portions are extremely small. $ 18 is a lot for chicken tikka massala – even in nice DC neighborhoods – and it was a very tiny portion. Garlic naan was one small, flavorless piece – the stuff they have at Trader Joes is tastier. My girlfriend had the tandoori shrimp – there were only 4 of them, with no sides. $ 115 with tip for two people, two entrees, a bottle of wine, and an appetizer. This is more than what we pay for meals in the U Street/​Dupont areas, AND unlike those meals, we both left hungry. We went to Dickson wine bar on the way back home and had the flatbread with truffle oil which was FAR better than anything we had at Fusion and was cheaper and more filling than anything we ordered at Fusion (cheaper except for the naan, that is).
Take 20% off the prices OR make the portions larger and this would be an average restaurant – the food quality and innovativeness is still middle of the road regardless of price point. As it is now, the place is extremely overpriced, including the wine. For example: Evolution wine (a very good white wine blend of four or five different grapes) was $ 55 on Fusion’s wine list. I saw it at a store last week for $ 13.99! Usually an acceptable restaurant markup is about 100%, but 300% is a complete ripoff.
I would not return.

Sigh… I sooo wanted to like Fusion but, two visits later, I am still not convinced. Initially having high hopes about this random little restaurant located in a not-​so-​savory neighborhood, I was disappointed to learn that its relation (by cook or owner) to Rasika, one of my fave Indian places, failed to deliver to the same standards.
On our first weekend visit, the host politely informed us that there was a private party ~2 hours away so, if we chose to sit down, we would have to eat quickly. Fine, we thought, quick service is in store but the only order that came out quickly were the drinks.
Samosas, delectable little triangle-​shaped mini-​pies stuffed with veggies and sometimes meat, came out sadly oily, which we attributed to a cold oil pot (hey, maybe the private party did not include these goodies). The nan – a staple so the previous excuse is unavailable – was a touch raw… ewww. My co-​diner even politely asked whether the nan here was ‘typically’ like this and, to our horror, the waitress quickly agreed. The mains were alright and featured great sauces but the portions were small.
Apparently, word of our less-​than-​satisfaction must have gotten back to the kitchen as an individual who must have been the chef/​owner came out and apologized, a nice touch. This prompted our second visit during which we had a better dining experience – save for the mix-​up of our table being cleared and desert offered after the apps course! However, the price and taste-​to-​value ratio over, say Rasika, does not justify a return… well, maybe for the lunch buffet as a last resort attempt to like Fusion.