Fuyu, Nedlands: An Experience to be Repeated
Fuyu :-)
It was about one month after opening that we went to Fuyu and I was so excited especially after we changed our reservation date twice! Unlike some other foodies, I never tried Coomer’s Pata Negra and Star Anise so my only expectation was to nom on some good food.
Fuyu has a group of welcoming staff the night we went there. Each staff was friendly, quick on their feet and helpful with their suggestion of food. There’s a specific parking spot for Fuyu guests located behind the restaurant and access can be found through Bruce St.
The restaurant is divided into two different areas at the moment. We were seated at the deepest corner of the restaurant where one of us was able to get a sneak peek of the action happening in the kitchen. Another area was directly located after the entrance.
Fuyu’s menu outlined a lot of exciting dishes to try and even though the menu was quite short, we found it quite hard to decide on what we wanted to order for dinner. The menu started with snacks and moved on to the larger dish that can be shared with your dining companions. Also looking deeper into the menu, you can clearly see Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai (and probably more) influences on David Coomer’s dishes.
Dinner at Fuyu
Char Siu Bao
Fuyu’s char siu bao was quite interesting and a bit different with the one that you found at a dim sum place. I like a tiny bit of sourness that it had which gave a refreshing after taste instead of just sweet. It was served in a mini bamboo steamer and still very hot when I opened the lid.
Pig Head Katsu
The pig head katsu had a really juicy meat covered by really crispy crumbs. It was a good snack to have before your main meal and quite substantial as well. The snack range was quite good because the price applies to each item so you can decide on how many you want to order for the whole table or share one snack between two people if you were on a budget (just like me) ;-).
Blue Manna Crab
A few guests around us were impressed with the presentation of the blue manna crab salad that was served together with the thin rice paper crepes. It was so creative and really beautiful! I didn’t know something that thin can retain its shape and at the same time be crispy and easily broken into pieces. I was trying to let the whole dish stay beautiful on the plate by transferring some of the fresh herbs to my plate and put pieces of rice crepes on top of it, creating my own beautifully presented mini main dish… (hahaha).
Lacquered Quail
Hubby insisted that we should order the Lacquered Quail and he even offered to debone some for me. The fragrant dish came shortly after we finished our salad. The whole dish was bursting with flavour from the sweet & sour black vinegar as well as the peppery notes of Sichuan pepper. The quail meat was tender and wasn’t stringy which made it enjoyable to eat. The bones were soft and Hubby enjoyed chewing through it haha. The sour black vinegar flavour left a lasting aftertaste which may or may not be welcome depending on your tastes. I personally didn’t mind it.
Crispy Aromatic Half Duck
The last main dish that we decided to order was the half duck that was served with grilled bak choy, also the most expensive dish at Fuyu. This duck didn’t disappoint and we were really happy that we decided to order it. Firstly, the skin was really crispy and almost as crispy as pork crackle. Secondly, the meat had a terrific balance where it was really moist and tender but wasn’t oily at all and we didn’t have any problem cutting and biting it. I’d suggest to pour the sweet & sour plum sauce on the side before you drown your duck in it, because the duck by itself was already extremely tasty.
Suffice to say, we finished the night on a high note from the half duck. Three dishes that I really want to try the next time I go there are Steak with Nahm Jim Jaew, XO Butter Stir Fried Mussels with Kang Kong and Half Scallops. Yes, this is definitely a restaurant I’d come back to.
