Fusion Korean Restaurant -- by gcleff11

"Kam-saham-nida."  A crude Anglo phonetic thank you in Korean.  And something that any military member who spent a year on the penninsula will never forget.  If you did spend a year over on the friendly south side, you are addicted to Korean food.  You can admit it...

I'm not a prolific blogger.  But when I do post, it's because the place has cracked the pantheon of favorite places of mine, and the best way to honor is to let others know about it in this fashion.  Fusion Korean Restaurant is not new to the area, and their brief history in the local area is a blueprint for surviving in the tough ethnic food restaurant biz...

Years ago, they were located on the corner of Sprague and Fancher out in the Valley.  In my--and others--opinion, they were...the best...the acme...the pinnacle of Asian buffets in the county.  Fresh, delicious, Korean cuisine--with some Chinese mixed in--and all you could lovingly eat.  It failed.  Not because of the product, but because of the location.  It just didn't work in that blue-collar area, because the fare wasn't your standard, Americanized, Asian comfort food that most area diners settle for when taking grandma out to lunch/dinner...

Rather than going belly-up, they made a shrewd business move that will probably keep them open for decades.  They relocated to Airway Heights to take advantage of the military masses who crave Bul-go-gi, Kim Bap, and Kal-bi.  Our fine airmen (myself being a retired one) had yet another delicious option for Korean food on the Airway Heights strip.  Fusion even has a satellite operation right on the base.  It's that good...

This evening's meal was a take-out from them, and while I have enjoyed several sit-down meals in their place, my choice for this blog posting was for folks to see exactly what to expect if--for convenience--they want to grab a din-din on the go.  Below is my wife's favorite order, and ironically enough, really not even a Korean dish---Chicken Yakisoba...

My go-to order from just about all the Korean joints in town is Spicy Pork.  Fusion does two options--which I love having the choice of--either being grilled or stir-fried.  Last night I chose the stir fry, and of course it's accompanied by beloved sundry kimchi items...

Sushi lovers know that Kim Bap is really not sushi; however, it is similar in appearance in roll style.  Fusion's Kim Bap made my wife less intimidated by sushi, because of it's simplicity, and since she has tried it, she has been much more receptive to more traditional Japanese options at different restaurants.  It's incredibly affordable here, with the most expensive roll $4.00.  They offer a discount on an order of two (fried dumplings not included)...

BUSINESS NOTES:  Fusion Korean Restaurant is open Mon-Fri: 11AM to 8:30PM, Sat: 11AM to 9PM, and is closed Sunday.  It is very clean, and devoid of a lot of unecessary clutter in the dining area.  The family who run it are very friendly, helpful with your choices, and there is absolutely no language barrier when ordering.  It is not fast food, so plan on waiting for your food to be cooked fresh.  If you wish to order take out, call them at least 30 mins before pick-up...

What did you have for din-din last night...?