We have been coming here for a year and THIS is my FAVORITE food in town. Flavorful, spicy, numbing Szechuan food options ("Chongqing" chicken!), and a variety of other options to suit every taste as well, vibrant scene full of people enjoying their evenings, casual vibe, its really a joy to have in town. They recently added Dim Sum, which we are super excited to try, as well as the DRY COOKED GREEN BEANS I have craved for years. THANK YOU CHEF!!!! Once you try those green beans (with the Lotus Root stir fry!), you are going to question your life choices around all the other vegetables you have ever eaten :-) Thank you for sharing your Food and Talents with us Chef!!! This is one of my favorite things to share with folks when they visit Santa Cruz. I'm so excited to see the place grow into a thriving spot people are enjoying so much. And thank you to the rest of the team as well for delivering on the experience! Keep up the great work!!!! read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Spicy numbing Chongquin Chicken!! - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Lovely meal at Fusion Fare. Counter service, with a delicious soup bar for all customers. We got a variety of items to split, which I'd definitely advise for this type of place. The short ribs were delicious, as were the pork buns. Was everything mindblowingly amazing? No, but definitely hit the spot for what we were looking for. read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Seems like a Sichuan spot has finally settled into this little corner of Downtown Santa Cruz after a few turnovers, and I am here for it. With Chinese music playing in the background to the inclusion of art and red elements, my mouth was ready for the fire. You seat yourselves when not busy and order by scanning the QR code to pull up the menu (and pay in the end). A huge plus for all the clearly marked vegan options available! At least a third of the menu is marked vegan and gluten-free, which helps a lot to make the offerings more inclusive. We first wanted their lunch special but were informed that it only applied to weekdays (something not formally written). I figured as much but it would've been great to get those deals on a Saturday. We ended up going for their Sichuan Numbing Noodles and the Stir-fried Lotus Root and Veggies. Everything is marked as being spicy but I'll be honest and say... it could've been spicier lol. The numbing noodles had great flavor. I love drinking water afterwards and feeling like my tongue can taste the spice. They don't use wider noodles unfortunately but the thinner rice noodles work just as well. If I were only getting the noodles, I would add tofu to give some protein. The lotus root dish itself was also great and would've really gone well with rice. Glad to see this be a part of the downtown selection and hope they continue to do well. read more

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Warm service and good amount of food. The cuisine style is Asian fusion so it is blended with typical American taste. Price is reasonable. Worth a try. read more

Dining as a party of one so I kept it simple: * CHENGDU DUMPLINGS * *NEW* FIVE SPICED BEEF SHANK Here's what I appreciated - each dish is made with care by a tiny woman in the back. It's like eating at grandmas kitchen. The dumplings, including the dough, were very fresh. This was my favorite of the two and a dish I would recommend. The broth was rich and a tad sweet, and I threw is a little of the peanut chili oil which gave it the perfect flair. I would have appreciated knowing the beef shank was served as a cold dish. The beef is thinly sliced and reminded me of jerky; I dipped it into the dumpling broth to warm it up a bit. Had I known the dish was served could I probably would have skipped this and went with something warm. The five spiced beef shank was full of flavor, and be warned that the chili peanut sauce is mouth numbing! There was one server/cashier that night and she was busting her a** to make things happen! I watched her work the register taking orders, delivering orders, and busing tables (oh, and managing DoorDash orders!). She did it all with a very pleasant and friendly attitude- she seemed invested in the customer experience. A few things to be aware of: because it's a small family restaurant, each order is made fresh and can take a while. My two items took a little over 20 minutes to come to the table. The restaurant is also adjacent to a bar with a door inside open in between. I didn't love this - I relocated from a seat near the door to a seat for the back because of the smell of cigarette smoke. There were also cobwebs in the corners by my seat. I do appreciate the low lighting and red lights - bright overhead lighting can be pretty abrasive. In terms of quality food, this spot "fares" well! Come with patience and hungry! read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Five spice beef shank - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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If you are reticent to try a place that labels itself "fusion,", don't be, at least here. The food is fantastic. The chef is from Sichuan Province in China, and is coming up with traditional and new dishes. The Golden Pockets, a delicious "tortilla" filled with lamb, beef, onions, and spices along with a sauce, were a great way to begin the meal. The braised beef and noodle soup was also delicious. And my wife ordered a chicken dish that she said was great. The place is very informal. You order at the counter. The people who work there are extremely friendly and helpful, and the whole place is decorated with Chinese items and is relaxed and informal. Definitely recommended. This is genuine Chinese food that is delicious and worthy of some of the excellent restaurants you might find in places such as San Jose, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. read more

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Fusion Fare is the only Chinese restaurant I dream about going back to RIGHT after I've been there! You know when you're already looking at the menu to seek out what you want to order next...while you're still eating?!! THIS is the restaurant! It is that good! I can't explain it better than this.... Evidence 1: I am Chinese. :) Evidence 2: My family owned 2 (successful) Chinese restaurants. Evidence 3: I've been to Fusion Fare a bazillion times - just shy of embarrassing. My faves so far are: the eggplant, fava bean with fish, sesame lotus root stir fry! The owner is awesome and when he's not crazy-busy, he'll walk around and say hello. The staff is friendly. They're attached to Red Room and will serve you if you're at the bar. In fact, you can order directly from the bar! [Tip: They now have lunch specials! And if you're a student, they give student discounts if you bring your ID.] Just beware! Once you try it, you'll be hooked, like me. Consider yourself warned! read more

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I think they need to be open a little longer to get things weeded out as far as service is concerned. The dishes were good but there were Szechuan peppercorns in all five dishes I ordered. Three of them did not list that as an ingredient and it was a bit overpowering as a flavor for me. I am not fond of the peppercorns but for someone who likes them, they will have found the right place. read more

ok. first time in on a Sunday to try the lunch sammiches and OH. MY. FIVE SPICES! We sussed this cozy spot totally out -- fusion fare with jazz fusion to eat it to. (ò - ó) CRISP and FLAKY PASTRY SOAKING UP THE PERFECT SICHUAN HOT & NUMBING SPICES. VEGGIES PROVIDING FRESHNESS WITH EACH GIANT BITE --- and the DUCK was like christmas on a sunday ( T - T). i got crumb all ova my face. Also, the chef literally had vegan chili oil out for us to try and I wanted to take it home!!!!!! Many options are Vegan and Veg friendly tho we had the meats. The chef also has soups out for everyone for your appetizer! (i got sooo full they had to roll me down the stairs) Listen. it's so good. We need to go try more of the menu. read more

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Man I feel bad for this review but it was just so very mid, but I LOVE the fusion ideas, I just think they need to be workshopped a little more. Service was very excellent, gotta shout out the main server. The burger was really yummy in theory but I swear every piece of beef had gristle, maybe that's a preference thing but that was my only complaint for the burger, I really think those are gonna be standouts for this place . The noodles were certainly unique, but I wish there was a little more tofu/protein. read more

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We came on a Saturday evening and there were plenty of seats, but it seemed a lot of folks were getting take out. The sweet/sour pork ribs were delicious, but a bit different than what was expected. I wasn't a fan of the beef noodle, but maybe it was just off that night. Service was decent, but maybe it was the holidays and they could have used another server to help. Overall, no major complaints and it was a good meal to end a long day. read more

Went back on Halloween night.. after pizza came in for duck burger.. you guys gotta try this!! It is sooo good!! That cannot last.. it will get nerfed somehow, that's how restaurants work.. get it now!! Do it!! I'll be back yet, for the spicy chicken... read more

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Get Sichuan numbing noodles! Also, these guys are open til midnight on weekends (10pm on weekdays). A rare find. best of all it's connected to red room bar and they will serve u there. Just take a number and belly up to bar. Its also red in here so ambiance matches. Service was friendly and the noodles came out numbing AF! read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - sichuan numbing noodles. Don't forget to request a homemade hot chili oil shown in the upper left. - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This place is the best! Finally, an authentic Szechuan food restaurant! And in downtown Santa Cruz. The food was delicious. We had a late lunch so service was fast. The lunch special included hot and sour soup and a beverage. The dumplings were plentiful in a sauce. The servings of our Kung Pao chicken were generous and delicious. Very friendly cashier/server too. And they offer a student discount. Open and airy , welcoming dining room. read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Dumplings and King Pao chicken and rice. - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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We came here on a weeknight and ordered at the front before getting our food at our table. We ordered the chicken dumplings, the chili vegetable tofu stir fry, and the crispy noodle chicken dish. Everything was made fresh to order and came out quickly within 5 minutes. The portions are generous -- about 2-3 meals per dish for us. The food was all fresh and tasty. The vegetables had a good variety to it where the potatoes were soft but the lotus root vegetable was crispy and had great texture. The peanut sauce that came with the dumplings was tasty. The crispy noodles were good but our only complaint is that there was a little too much sauce, so the noodles didn't stay crispy for long. Both of the main dishes had very overpowering flavors and so we needed rice to balance the dishes, which I think is the biggest drawback about the main dishes that we ordered here. We would definitely try the more nuanced dishes the next time we come here. You bus the tables yourself, and the place is next to a bar so you might get wafts of cigarette smoke. There are plenty of indoor tables and the space is huge, with remnants of what looks like an old diner. Overall, the food is good and unique and I heard that they change their menu items constantly and that they have recently expanded to lunch. Hope this place does well! read more

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Very casual, tasty modern style Sichuan food. The Sichuan street burgers utilizing a scallion style pancake and flavorful stir fried beef hits the spot and is served with a nice side of fries. The beef noodle was a little more plain with semi-tender beef chunks and instant style noodles. I was intrigued by the mapo tofu with cheese but didn't order. Despite the cashier and menu at the front, all ordering is via QR code and utensils and dishes are all self serve. The staff bring the dishes to you but it's nice to help them out by busing your own table when you're done. Indoor dining only. Credit cards and Apple Pay accepted. read more

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Fusion Fare is a contemporary sichuan cuisine. Chef Mo used to work at the cafes at Google. His culinary background will definitely show in his love for cooking and food! I went here during soft opening and tried a bit of everything on their menu. Staff were all very friendly and sweet. I really liked their coconut lava balls for dessert! It's so unique and addicting. The inside filling was sago. I liked their fried fish, golden pockets, crispy sweet and sour pork(?), and egg rolls. They make their green sauce in house and something about it reminds me of a cilantro verde salsa. This place is located is a popular busy part of downtown Santa Cruz. Plenty of seating too! I'd come back if I was in the area. read more

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Doordashed and got the wrong burger (ordered a tofu but got a beef)- why the 4 stars? My SO LOVED IT! The French fries were delicious. I am sad- will try my luck with the vegan options sometime soon. read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

This food is incredible. Chef Mo is crushing serious Sichuan fusion cuisine. It's such a pleasure when a chef takes traditional flavors, plays with them, and the result is good poetry. The best Chinese food in Santa Cruz and after 25 years in town we've tried them all. So glad they've opened in town! The cabbage is insane but it's all good. read more

Normally this place is fine, good food, but today me and my boyfriend waited almost an hour for takeout while people who ordered before and after us for dine-in were getting their food. We came around 10 at night so we missed our bus waiting (campus life) and decided to eat there once we got it, were annoyed but didn't mind because we were having a good time with each other. Once we got to eating, both our noodles were MOLDY!! We were super bummed, they replaced the noodles with entirely different ones (although they did recycle the duck that was on top of the moldy noodles for mine...), gave us some sesame balls on the house, but we lost our appetite for the food here and ended up going elsewhere afterwards to make up for it. Got home around 1 am! Catch this place on their good days and it's good, but man today wasn't one of them. Some other customers around us were having problems with the wait and their food, seemed like an unfortunately bad night in the kitchen... Shoutout to the young worker with curly hair though for being apologetic and helping everyone out, I felt sorry he had to deal with all that. read more

Great food. Free soup. Was inexpensive for the locatuon. Definitely some of the most authentic feeling Asian food I've had in Santa Cruz. Would come back and recommend Knocking down a star because the flavor was clearly intentionally toned down a little to appease people not used to Sichuan food read more

This place is amazing! The food is incredible. I love the sichuan beef burger...and there's free soup. Chill ambiance, nice people, and open late. Great addition to downtown Santa Cruz. read more

Curried fried rice was a generous portion. Complimentary soup was a nice touch. Husband's Szechuan Burger was good even without spice - I tried to bum it off of him. Mom's side of steamed vegetables was a good size and a nice mix. Pretty plain, but it's designed to go with other more highly spiced things. Fries were good, especially when dunked in the plum sauce from the egg rolls. The skin of the egg rolls was particularly nice, fresh and crispy. Guy behind the counter was way sweet! We had leftovers and were full. It was only about seventy bucks and enough for four people - we were only three. read more

Kung pao chicken and sweet and sour spare ribs!! Both were great (obligatory caveat - great for Santa Cruz). Got the vegetable entree too because I needed veggies and they were just alright. Cauliflower broccoli and cabbage that was lightly flavored. Nit pick: doesn't come with rice, you gotta order a side for $3 and they didn't even fill up with the to go container. I know the economy is tanking but dang, so many places are charging for rice these days. Hoping they stick around tho, definitely would come back. read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Spare ribs, kung pao, and veggie entree - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Super friendly staff. They have a really good salt mix on all the tables. Try it! We had miso ginger noodles with chicken, sweet and sour noodles, Spinach Crunch Dumpling, Chengdu Dumplings, Sesame Lotus Root Tofu all of it was delicious. For non meat eaters my partner really enjoyed the Lotus Root Plate. Add a protein to the miso ginger noodles to give it a little more depth. We went early so there wasn't a lot of noise and could easily hear each other. Only negative is I do think they are a bit pricy for the dumplings so it would be 4.5 stars if I could. read more

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Good noodles, and plenty! Fresh but boring veggy side dish (added soy sauce, so OK). Interesting, smokey hot "sauce" available. Spicy soup on the house for while you wait for your order. Nice staff! Noisy but upbeat atmosphere. (Outdoors or in the bar might be quieter -- but rap music.) Glad we found it! read more

Everything was hot, flavorful, and ridiculously good. I wasn't just eating--I was having a full-on flavor moment. The kind that makes you close your eyes after the first bite and whisper, "Oh my goodness!!!!" The food came out steaming, the flavors were bold but balanced, and every dish had that "just one more bite" energy (until I realized I ate the whole thing). They're clearly not afraid to play with spice, texture, or creativity--and it works. The chef and owner is super sweet and I can feel his passion for food in his cooking. The vibe is super chill next to Red Room. The service? Super friendly. The food? A full-on main character energy. Honestly, 10/10--already dreaming about my next visit and I have to hop over a few mountains to come over lol! read more

Delicious. Especially love everything with sichuan peppercorn. You can really taste the care the chef puts in the food. I love the beef street burger, and the numbing noodles. You gotta try it; it's unique flavors will keep you coming back for more! read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Beef roujiamo/chinese beef burger - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Very friendly. We very much enjoyed the food. Noise was a bit much, but we are older. P

MO's Knows!! OR MO's Sichuan is what we're calling it! We've never had such authentic and beautiful sichuan food! We had the perfectly balanced dumplings and the sichuan beef with gorgeous veggies! Wish we had been hungrier and could have ordered more! Mo's certainly is an expert! & He's a lovely new addition to Santa Cruz! Thank you MO! Devorah and Larry read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Food is delicious! Cute ambiance and best of all, open until 10pm, a much needed addition to the Santa Cruz food scene Got the house crispy chicken and mouth numbing noodles -- would give them both 5/5! And, they have complimentary black tea. Will be back! read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Entree menu - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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After a morning beach trip, my husband and I stopped here for lunch. We heard there was authentic Sichuan food downtown and wanted to try. Street parking was easy to find and the restaurant was spacious. Fast casual dining, quick service, and full of flavor. We also got popcorn chicken to-go and ate it on our drive home. Will definitely come back for more. read more

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This was genuinely the best Szechuan Chinese food I've ever had! We decided to stop by on a whim after spending the day in the area, and now I'm willing to drive an hour back to Santa Cruz just to enjoy it again. The staff were super friendly, and I noticed that you can order from the bar next door and vice versa. We ordered a variety of dishes: crispy chicken, crispy eggplant, sweet and sour short ribs, numbing noodles, salted egg fried tofu, and stir-fried fish with lotus root. Every item was excellent, but the fish was particularly memorable, leaving my mouth tingling and numb--absolutely packed with flavor! It's a casual spot where you place your order at the register, and they bring the food to your table. The owner/chef came out to check on everyone and even took a few minutes to chat with us about the different preparations. I wish this business much success and can't wait to return! Legit 10/10 I'm drooling just thinking about it read more

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food was terrible. greasy ribs full of fat. i asked for mild heat on the fried rice- they ignored my request. avoid this place read more

Okay... this place is BOMB!!!!! Nestled right next to Red Room with a cat and jack style corridor is Fusion Fare. I came here opening night with my partner. The service was above and beyond! Had a great conversation with the owner and creator of the dishes. He was happy to recommend his favorite dishes, including the spare rib and crispy pork (vegans and veg worry not, there are plenty of non meat plates). He sure knows his stuff and prides himself on the authenticity of the ingredients in the meals he has crafted. He even said there is one dish that hasn't been put on the menu, and after tonight's experience, I can't wait to try it. Food came quick and hot, water on tap, cool decor. But Y'ALL, this is pennies compared to the quality and tastiness of the food. My partner said of the salted egg yolk tofu "this is the BEST tofu I have ever had." They don't even like tofu typically! But they're 100% right-- it was salty, rich, soft on the inside with a crispy shell. The numbing noodles with the Szechuan peppercorn literally numbed! The fresh crispy carrot and cucumber felt so refreshing on the palate. The fries (ordered with the Emerald essence) were hot and delicious. Portions are generous and pricing is very fair. This is a step above average bar fare: its fusion fare! And damn, it's good. 11/10 recommend, give this hidden gem a chance on your night out. read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Top right: spicy red oil style fries Middle: Szechuan numbing noodles Bottom: salted egg yolk tofu Red - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Yum! We were tickled to have such a wonderful meal. You order at the counter and they bring your food. We were checked on several times during our meal and felt the service attentive and friendly. The Numbing noodles were tasty, I wondered if they'd be too spicy for my husband, but he loved them! The duck burger was not a burger patty but rather duck slivers with vegetables and sauced, think mu shu but better. Golden Pockets are fried goodness that are fun to eat and delish; a butter lettuce salad provided the perfect foil to the highly seasoned dishes and quite pleasing; Lava Balls haha after our meal we went back and ordered dessert. These are SO GOOD, Sort of like a sesame mochi but leveled up! If you even remotely like coconut you will enjoy these: Crunchy, chewy, We tend to go overboard when auditioning a new place and left staggeringly full and happy. We will def return to try out the rest of the menu. There is plenty of seating and the place is clean with great lighting. read more

This is an excellent place with outstanding food! Very rarely do you stumble upon a place that has such fresh ingredients & well made dishes. I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the food & the taste profile on several of the dishes including the rainbow salad that tasted extremely fresh & clean, the egg plant entree which blew us all away with its excellent seasoning & texture, & the lamb pocket appetizer that was rich & flaky. The owner is extremely friendly as well. The dishes are not overpriced, even considering their outstanding quality. I highly, highly recommend this place! read more

Fusion Fare Restaurant - Miso rainbow salad with chicken - Szechuan Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Hands down the best Asian food in Santa Cruz...:rivals San Francisco. Simple. But ridiculously good! And the staff are awesome.

Good food and service but overpriced. Ordered stir fry with chicken but when it there was no rice, they wanted anther $3 on top of the $21 I spent. Ate my Chinese food with no rice just out of principle! read more

We showed up right as they were closing, and they still welcomed us in. The staff walked us through the menu slowly and answered all of our questions. They never made us feel rushed, even though they were technically closed. Their hospitality really stood out and made the experience feel special. I'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend this place. read more