Fusion House, 2495 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence, NJ
M-Th (11AM-10PM), F-SA (11AM-10:30PM), Su (12PM-10PM)
(609) 882-6990   Website    Google Maps

Gravitas:   Decor:   Cost:   Proximity:

Fusion House is the newest restaurant in a growing trend we’ve seen of places that cater to a wide range of asian cuisines. Fusion House specializes in Chinese, Thai, and Japanese (Sushi), and while the value may not be spectacular, the food is quite good, and it’s incredibly close to Trenton.  Given the wide range of options available and the paucity of sushi in our town, we think it’s worth including in Hidden Trenton.

Located in an odd shopping mall on Business Route 1 (right where Route 1 and Business Route 1 rejoin), Fusion House is truly hidden. They’ve been open for about six months, and we’ve had several people recommend them to us in that time. It’s BYOB and an 8 minute drive from the center of Trenton–so it is definitely up our alley. The restaurant is large, with two full dining rooms (one of which can be used as a private dining room). Decor is quite nice, white tablecloths and pleasant lighting.

This is the diner approach to asian cuisine–the menu goes on for several pages and features hundreds of options, with extensive substitution choices listed as well. Any of their Chinese dishes with chicken can be substituted for vegetarian mock chicken, and the same with beef (vegetarian mock beef). They have a “dieter’s special” which lets you choose your own protein and vegetables, and order them steamed with the sauce on the side. Most Chinese restaurants will do this for you, but it’s nice to see it on the menu (and to get to choose the vegetables).

The menu is too extensive to capture in our limited visits, but so far we’ve enjoyed the sushi and the Thai dishes the most. The special rolls are fantastic, and the Thai Basil Vegetables was an unforgettable bite. We found the home-made bean curd to be overly sweet, and since it was the only Chinese dish we’ve yet to sample there, we would steer clear.

On our first visit, we were greeted with a complimentary amuse bouche of pickled radishes (spicy and delicious), though these were oddly absent on our second trip. We also sampled the “all you can eat sushi,” as we know it is a popular choice. I generally steer clear of these, as it typically isn’t a bargain for vegetarians (and I suspect that some restaurants increase the rice ratio to fill you up). But with soup and appetizers as well as several rolls, it can work out nicely for an omnivore.  It’s $22 for dinner and $15 for lunch, so the math works out quite a bit better if you can come with an appetite at lunch. We found the rolls almost universally good, and my omnivore guest (a sushi expert!) was particularly fond of their white tuna and the salmon. I enjoyed the sweet potato sushi, served with a delicious sauce. The vegetable tempura was among the best I’ve had.  We made the mistake of ordering some of our sushi with brown rice (it wasn’t offered on the menu), it was dry and unappealing, but since we ordered off-menu I don’t know that we could have expected more. On both visits, I noticed that the other tables were occupied solely by Asian families–always a good sign. It’s possible they are ordering off a separate menu, of course.

How does it compare? It’s probably comparable in quality to Concerto Fusion, but with a more extensive menu, slightly lower prices, and that all-you-can-eat option. It certainly doesn’t reach the heights of Sushi Night at Trenton Social, served by the great Charlie Yeh–but that’s only available once a month. The Chinese cuisine certainly isn’t as exquisite as Szechuan House, which specializes in truly authentic Szechaun cuisine. Unfortunately, in every regard (except for the size of menu) it’s a poor comparison to the recently opened Roots.  But if you want an extensive set of choices, and a decent bargain, I think you’ll enjoy it.