Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Fusion Fare Restaurant

    4.5 (107 reviews)
    ModerateSzechuan
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:30 pm, 4:30 PM - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    Fusion Fare Restaurant Reservations

    Order Fusion Fare Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Fusion Fare Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    More like Fusion Fare Restaurant

    Recommended Reviews - Fusion Fare Restaurant

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Five spice beef shank
    Carine B.

    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!

    Spicy numbing Chongquin Chicken!!
    David C.

    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!!!!

    Golden Pockets
    Ken L.

    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.

    Annie T.

    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!

    Menú
    Joanna F.

    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.

    Dumplings and King Pao chicken and rice.
    Ktb B.

    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.

    Chili oil pot sticker/dumplings, super tasty, not too spicy.
    Erik N.

    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...

    sichuan numbing noodles. Don't forget to request a homemade hot chili oil shown in the upper left.
    Athonia C.

    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!

    Chicken dumplings
    Molly L.

    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!

    Sesame Balls
    Randy F.

    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.

    Variety of their food offerings
    Lisa N.

    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.

    Vicky T.

    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.

    Spare ribs, kung pao, and veggie entree

    See all

    Photo of El G.
    40
    89
    194

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andy N.
    1115
    2659
    7134

    6 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 day ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ktb B.
    0
    12
    21

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Randy F.
    1726
    1778
    19597

    11 months ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Vicky T.
    461
    3202
    1675

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of DOUG A.
    159
    11
    0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    27 days ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Auza A.
    6
    107
    66

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kari B.
    418
    23
    15

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kevin E.
    156
    22
    18

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David M.
    20
    120
    6

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nora B.
    0
    18
    12

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Fusion Fare Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Fusion Fare Restaurant

    Four Streams Kitchen

    Four Streams Kitchen

    4.2
    (142 reviews)
    6.7 mi

    Food was great! Folks who run this place are so nice. Wonderful service. They gave our kids special…read morechopsticks, and they were so excited to use them to eat all the green beans We especially loved the potstickers, the hot spicy eggplant, the green beans, the vegetable delight and the sezuan beef I really liked the paintings on the walls. Felt very calm

    I would give this 3 1/2 stars. It was the first time ordering last night through DoorDash. First, I…read morewill say that in the Aptos area this is far better than anything in this town, and way better than Panda Inn. I probably should have just picked up the order because $80 for Chinese food for two people is a bit steep and honestly ridiculous. The first negative thing is the fact that we ordered pork fried rice and ended up getting the fried rice but with chicken instead so OK, edible, but there is something about pork fried rice that I really like so that was disappointing. Also ordered their vegetable green bean with garlic sauce dish, and the green beans were cooked nicely although a side order of green beans for $16? Yes, I made the decision to order simply because I wanted a veggie with the rest of the meal. I ordered a chicken breast dish that was coated in some sort of a Panko-ish crunch. That was good although I wasn't expecting it to be fried. When you're hungry, you just eat it anyway... Truth. also had the potstickers which were typical nothing special, although they did serve it with some sort of a hot pepper sauce, which was good although the seeds in it were quite tough. They also pack a little container of what looked like white vinegar weird not at all like what you would normally have. We will probably try again as we explore the menu, but I will definitely pick up next time. Oh and finally with an order that clearly served two people they throw in one fortune cookie. How cheap is that? Jury is still majorly out on this place, but just wanted to share for now.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Four Streams Kitchen
    Si chuang fish

    See all

    Si chuang fish
    Wojia Hunan Cuisine

    Wojia Hunan Cuisine

    4.3
    (626 reviews)
    64.9 mi
    $$

    I've been meaning to update this review for a while. Our family has been to Wojia Hunan several…read moremore times since our first adventure here. Food has been very consistent and tasty. Good spice level and lots of hot chili oil. The dish we always get when we go - D08 Glutinous Rice Ball. Start with tangyuan (gooey mochi balls filled with black sesame), deep fry them, and cover them with chili oil and spices. It covers almost all the tastes and textures (sweet, salty, spicy, fried exterior, gooey/chewy, with a liquidy filling). Only a mad genius could have come up with this dish and it works brilliantly. The rest of our dishes vary a bit each time we go, but it's usually some spicy dishes and at least a veggie dish. Really haven't had complaints on the food. A few watchouts - the parking lot next to the restaurant is not theirs. Street parking only. They also charge a nominal fee for takeout containers ($0.25/box) and a bag ($0.10/

    First time coming here. My friend recommended this place, so we came for Mother's Day lunch. The…read morerestaurant is kind of big and there are plenty of seats, but parking was kind of a struggle since the parking lot is pretty small and fills up fast (especially holidays or special days) We ordered 1.Yang Chow Fried Rice $25.95 2.Eggplant with String Beans $25.95 3. Braised Pig Feet & Chicken Feet $26.95 4. Glutinous Rice Balls (peanut filling) $18.95 5. Spicy & Cumin Pork Chops $23.95 The only downside was that they seemed pretty understaffed. We had to wait a while before anyone came to take our order. But honestly, all the food was really good. My favorite was definitely the eggplant with string beans, so flavorful and really well cooked. I also liked that you can ask for lower sodium dishes if you want. I would want to come back again to try other things on the menu.

    Photos
    Wojia Hunan Cuisine
    Most delicious Spicy Flavor restaurant near UCB, multiple menu and nice service, good choice!!!!!
    Most delicious Spicy Flavor restaurant near UCB, multiple menu and nice service, good choice!!!!!
    Eggplant, string beans my perennial favorite

    See all

    Eggplant, string beans my perennial favorite
    Tasty Szechuan

    Tasty Szechuan

    4.5
    (336 reviews)
    48.3 mi
    $$

    To whom it may concern,…read more a soul who delights in rich umami flavors, tasty Szechuan has found a place in my heart. As you make your way to your seat the hostess brings you a small bowl of fried peanuts with hot tea, which is super generous. The menu offers traditional yet caters to the native Hayward resident who doesn't know much about the Szechuan region, I'm that resident . The booths and tables remind me of my childhood traditional Chinese restaurant back in Fresno, ca yet with a modern twist, in my opinion portions are generous as well which is inviting for a family feast...well done tasty Szechuan.

    So when ppl here say the portions are HUGE, they're really not joking. We ordered the chili fried…read morechicken, fish in hot chili oil, and the eggplant with garlic sauce and took home a full ass meal after we'd finished (over) eating. All dishes came out as we hoped/expected with both the chicken and fish providing the nummy sensation that is unique to Szechuan cuisine. We threw in the eggplant order because we wanted some veggies and something that didn't overtly threaten to numb our palettes and were very happy with that as well. Chicken was fried well and not dry at all which was a lovely experience. Fish was also flavorful and enjoyable to eat, although perhaps the least memorable of the dishes. I wouldn't NOT get any of the dishes again and might elevate the chicken as a must get if you're there for the a Szechuan experience. Well probably come back the next time we get a craving for that nummy feeling.

    Photos
    Toothpick Lamb with Cumin Special, Dry Hot Pork Intestine Skillet, Beef & Tendon Chili Sauce, Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, Szechuan Beef
    Toothpick Lamb with Cumin Special, Dry Hot Pork Intestine Skillet, Beef & Tendon Chili Sauce, Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, Szechuan Beef
    23. Cilantro Beef / 野山椒青菜牛肉絲Cilantro
    23. Cilantro Beef / 野山椒青菜牛肉絲Cilantro
    A2. Kung Pao Chicken Dinner

    See all

    A2. Kung Pao Chicken Dinner
    Spices 3

    Spices 3

    3.8
    (1.2k reviews)
    58.7 mi
    $$

    1200 REVIEWS?! What…read moremore can my lowly review do to boost up the rating? After all I'm, for the most part, reiterating everything the masses have said. Although 3.8 is pretty low in my opinion, I believe this place should receive more of a 4.5 if I could do half ratings. Why? - Food has been consistently good and I know because I've been here several times ordering pretty much the same things (green beans, mapo tofu, lamb ribs and fried chicken); they MADE me like lamb which is huge because the only place I only loved it was in New Zealand, not a fan of the aftertaste - Service is friendly, food comes out relatively quickly; only suggestion is making more stops to refill waters/tea and ask if we are ready to pay the bill because we kind of need to flag them down for those things - Price is decent, def not $$, more like $ just because I split 5 large dishes among 3 people with LOTS leftover and it amounted to $33/person and in the era of 2026 with skyrocketing gas prices this is really good for tax and tip included - Easy parking in the area All in all, I hope this business is here to stay because I will be coming back again and again.

    Delicious fried rice. We came by here just for the rice because the first place we went didn't have…read moreany. I'm soooooo glad we found this place because it is officially our new "spot" in the bay. To help you understand... we ordered the rice, ate it on the way to Dublin and drove back to place an additional order for dinner. We live 40 min away. For us it is better than Din Tai Fung for the fried rice. Less greasy.

    Photos
    Spices 3
    沙包炒饭 Combo Fried Rice and 宫几 Kung Pao Chicken
    沙包炒饭 Combo Fried Rice and 宫几 Kung Pao Chicken
    Chicken wings with explosive peppers

    See all

    Chicken wings with explosive peppers
    Tasty Szechuan

    Tasty Szechuan

    4.5
    (285 reviews)
    68.3 mi
    $$

    Tasty Szechwan opened 2 years ago where El Tapatio Restaurant once was. Immaculately redesigned…read morewith overhanging red lanterns and food pics on plastic divider on right side. Cool, comfy setting. Large parking lot. Inside seating only. Outside chairs are for people on wait list. Quickly & courteously seated. English & Mandarin Chinese spoken. All patrons spoke Chinese. Served hot & cold water initially. . Offerings (Chinese): Chinese American food, Chef's special, Szechwan Hunan Taste, iron skillet, appetizers, vegetables, dry pot & hot pot soup, mu shu, noodles & rice, rice noodles, handmade dumplings, soup, desserts... Bites: Cumin lamb (22.95) medium spicy -came in 10ish minutes. Dish looked plentiful. Found out later 50%+ were wok fried chili pieces. -tender, small to medium pieces lamb tossed friex with light batter/cumin. Deliz it was. Ate only 1/2z Told associate it was very good. Weather too hot, I didn't have an appetite. Dish wasn't "hot". Slurps: Cup Hot & Sour Soup (comped) -don't know why associate offered it to me. I accepted of course. -came hot off the wok with the usual tofu bits, scrambled egg drops, black fungus, green onions, black pepper & vinegar. No contrast of notes. A delightful medley of flavas. 4.5 stars everthing 4 or 5 stars May is Asian American Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Month.

    Terrific food. Great service. Comfortable seating…read more We ordered Kung pao chicken, calamari, fried rice, chow mein, spicy wings.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    05/12/2024: Spicy Salt Pepper Chicken Wings Dinner
    05/12/2024: Spicy Salt Pepper Chicken Wings Dinner
    Soft tofu with crab roe (Oct 2025)

    See all

    Soft tofu with crab roe (Oct 2025)

    Fusion Fare Restaurant - szechuan - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...