Fusion

My food buddy and I spent the past weekend in sunny and humid Durban. We were lucky enough to have spent our nights at a really posh hotel out in Ballito. We arrived there quite late and got the shock of our lives, while trying to check in. There was an extra zero added to the price tag. Shock. Horror. That would've made our stay 10 times more expensive than what we had budgeted. After a few sweaty palms and near-asthma attacks, the hotel staff soon realised that they made the mistake and World War III was soon averted.

Anyway, I made dinner reservations for us at an interesting restaurant in Musgrave called Fusion. The menu has Heston Blumenthal [and all his crazy scientific culinary wizardry] written all over it which got me really excited.

My buddy had the Thai Style Seared "Dishwasher" Beef Fillet that was slow-cooked for 4 hours at 48ºC in a dishwasher, served sliced on crushed potato and seasonal greens with a red wine sauce.

He claimed it was average and had nothing pleasant to say about it besides the well prepared veggies - what a shame.

I had the Fragrant Asian Duck which was a duck breast served on some really amazing red cabbage cooked in red wine vinegar and a duo of 4 hour slow-cooked thigh and leg on a crushed potato, with a plum reduction and a star anise, ginger, honey, orange, soy and sechwan jus - mouthful huh?
The jus, crushed potato, leg and thigh were heavenly. I really really enjoyed them. The breast was a little chunky and too chewy for my liking but edible nonetheless.

Dessert was just as interesting [sadly, I couldn't have any and had to rely on the buddy]. I made him order the Afrox liquid Nitrogen boiled ice cream. :-) What an interesting experience. They brought a metal base filled with liquid Nitrogen and covered it with a glass cup which they filled with liquid ice cream. The ice cream solidified as it hit the cup and bubbled with steam at the table. Fascinating stuff. My buddy says it was sweet tasting but too hard which made it difficult to consume. Perhaps best as an idea rather than an item on the menu. I was impressed regardless of this minor detail.

All in all, our experience was positive, The setting is beautiful, the restaurant was cosy and the staff really friendly. I think I'd go back there again if I was in the neighbourhood...