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Yoo thanks for the info! I need dimsum in my life. JC needs dimsum in her life.

nice to know they're serving dim sum. Bummer they're missing a couple of my fav things that aren't even that exotic.
steam pork bun, rice noodle roll with shrimp, bean curd roll, sticky rice. will check it out though.

I've dismissed this restaurant for a long time in the past as it only served dishes catering to westerners. And, i did not like the idea of a blended thai, japanese, etc... menu. However, with the recent additional dimsum offerings, i skeptically decided to give it a try.

I loved it. It's not as innovative compared to the refined dimsum restaurants in Hong Kong or Vancouver, but rather, it is more old school "cha lou"-style/traditional shrimp and pork dumplings. I was more than well sated, however, as were my other finnicky friends.

Enjoyed it so much, that I've been going there 5 times within the past 2 weeks. Great quality and beats a schlep to chinatown. Plus, it's served all day, so no waiting for weekends. The owner informed me that the newly hired chef, from Hong Kong, is bringing more cantonese styled dishes (menu is being expanded and reprinted). Had the garlic chicken last night (not on menu but on the billboard outside) was reminiscent of Congee Bowery's signature garlic chicken dish. Quite yummy. I'm optimistic about this restaurant now :)

The fun of fusion
In Jersey City, sushi comes with a sense of humor
Friday, November 10, 2006
BY PETER GENOVESE - Star Ledger

EAT WITH PETE

"Fusion" is the kind of word that causes a frisson among some restaurant reviewers, especially when it refers to Asian fusion. Is any culinary term more overworked? Isn't all food fusion to some degree, drawing upon multiple influences?

Fortunately, Wild Fusion in Jersey City is a casual, fun restaurant, and evidence they don't take themselves seriously here comes just inside the front door, in the presence of a imposing stone dragon covered in dollar bills.

"For luck," explained manager Yennie Shim.

The playful menu is dotted with such dishes as Golden Treasure Tofu, Holy Basil Fried Rice, Grove Roll (the restaurant is located on Grove Street); Crazy Tuna Roll and the Fancy Rock Roll .

Let's not forget the Jersey Roll, the Fantastic Roll, the Out of Control Roll, the Romantic Roll, the Hot Lover Roll, and the Three Stooges Roll, with seaweed, tuna, salmon, cucumber, avocado, spicy mayo, shaved bonito and fish roe.

My friend Joyce and I felt like the two Stooges trying to find a liquor store in the neighborhood. A helpful waiter pointed us down the street, to what he said was a liquor store next to the Dunkin' Donuts. The only thing there was a vacant storefront. We then headed to a convenience store a block away, where one customer pointed us to Palace Drugs, across the street.

A drug store allowed to sell wine and beer? Surely we misheard him. We dawdled in the street, unsure what to do next. "The drug store!" shouted the convenience store guy, now out on the sidewalk.

Sure enough, Palace Drugs is now a liquor store; there are a few bottles of aspirin and lotion in the window, although whether they are for sale or serve as the world's smallest apothecary museum is not clear.

After all that, nothing -- not even an Out of Control Roll -- could possibly faze us.

The 40-seat restaurant opened two years ago. We started with three appetizers. Mango tuna ($9) was a mini-mountain of greens topped with tasty strips of tuna and ringed by a decorative orange glaze. The accompanying sesame-flavored "special sauce" was not so much a showstopper as a solid second act.

The chicken satay ($5, also available with beef) was tender and pleasingly greasy, and the peanut dipping sauce was subtle, if lacking in character. The Appetizer Samples ($10), with two Thai spring rolls, two Shanghai shrimp rolls and three pieces of chicken tempura, is fusion personified. One note: If you like your food spicy, you will want to rachet up the heat here. The sampler and the satay were marked as "hot & spicy" on the menu, but fell far short of that description.

Crispy red snapper ($17) with sweet onions and pepper, consisted of three Jaws-sized pieces of fish, nicely fried like the tempura. The accompanying Penang curry was smooth and satisfying, but also didn't live up to the "hot & spicy" billing.

The coconut fried rice with beef ($8.50; chicken, vegetable, shrimp and seafood also available) was enlivened with coconut shreds, eggs and raisins. "I'm loving the curry,' said Joyce, a fan of Curry in a Hurry in the city.

We thought about traveling to Rachel, the well-liked cafe down the down the street, for desert, but instead we decided to try the Japanese cheesecake ($5), which seemed somewhere between cheesecake and tiramisu. Different, but not especially memorable.

The menu is wide-ranging (salads, soup, sushi bar, noodle bar, rice and vegetarian dishes, and $6.50 and $7 lunch specials), although we couldn't figure out why the item numbering went from 1 to 6, jumped to 101, hit every number through 120, then jumped again, to 131. Where was the guy in the convenience store when we needed him?

Where should Pete eat next? Call him at (973) 392-1765 or e-mail to pgenovese@starledger.com