new town, unfamiliar territory, and no access to the internet suggestions (thanks to my broken phone screen). we were looking for a place for lunch near our hotel in fort kochi, when we came across fusion bay. it looked good from the outside, and the options in the menu seemed promising. having reviewed and rejected a couple of other restaurants in the vicinity, we decided to give this one a try.
fusion bay puts up a half-hearted effort to build up an ambience. the outdoor seating is well set-up, and as you enter, you come across a portion of the wall highlighted with a shade of green amidst the yellow, and decorated with a shelf full of cook-books among other things. but as you walk further on, their gusto seems to have disappeared. you still have some paintings on the walls, and a couple of chandeliers, but the difference is glaring.
we took our seating at the afore-mentioned green wall, and built up our collective appetite salivating over the photos in the cook-books while waiting for the food. for starters, we ordered a plate of batter fried seafood and a round of beverages. it was pretty ordinary - the fries were neither hot, nor crispy. for the main course, i decided to try out the dutch style fish in banana leaf. it was accompanied by a serving of lemon rice, a salad, and a bowl of yoghurt. the fish was tasty, though it could have done with a little less sourness. i took bits from from my neighbours' plates, and the fish with fenugreek and dill seemed really tasty. the single serving of fish was quite filling, though, and we skipped desserts.
we went into fusion bay without any expectations, and came out with mixed feelings. it seems alright for a one-time visit, and given a chance to return to this part of the world, i would rather try out a different restaurant.