Ok, so it's not authentic anything, but maybe authenticity is overrated. Or at least beside the point at Fusion Taste. Friends made the reservation and did the ordering, and I had my doubts. It's a somewhat nondescript interior, but there was a jazz duo playing near the front, which added greatly to the atmosphere. Our efficient server was at first brusque, but she turned sweet and chatty as the evening progressed. As you might expect from the name, we shamelessly covered half of Asia in our selections. Fried dumplings were just fine. Our server suggested a lobster/avocado/mango maki option that was good enough to make us consider a second order. Sesame chicken, Mongolian beef, and dry-sauteed string beans were all well prepared but lacking in the spice department. The only food negatives: Crispy pad Thai was bafflingly tasteless, but maybe I'm missing the point. Texture-wise, it was a nice counterpoint. And why the heck do you have to order white rice? With a few drinks, the bill came to a hundred bucks (plus tip). For seven people. Forget my comment about the rice. I'll be happy to order it separately in return for such a tasty and inexpensive meal. read more

Great service, great food, awesome staff! The best bartender around; Mike is an awesome guy. The White Mai Tai is a must get every time I go. Fried rice and crab Rangoon are also really good. The best Chinese food in Arlington! read more

Mifune (which replaces the old Viet's Cafe in Arlington Center) is open! My GF and I swung past there last night and discovered they had literally opened that day. The new decor is lovely, nice burnished wood accents, a classy-looking sushi bar, etc. I think they might have kept the chairs from Viet's, they look strangely familiar. :) It was clear that this was opening night and everyone seemed just a little... well, not entirely relaxed. That said, the service was attentive and pleasant. The menu is extensive, with both Chinese and Japanese foods well-represented, not to mention a few curveballs like a Jamaican Salad (?). We shared some sushi followed by the House Special Pan-fried Noodles. The sushi was above-average, and they had some interesting rolls like tuna/asparagus. I liked that they went a little easy on the rice on the inside-out rolls, and the spicy tuna was very zingy. We both liked the noodles a fair bit - they were crispy on the edges and well-cooked in the middle, with a good mix of meats and veggies. All in all a solid addition to the neighborhood, but I didn't think it was hugely special. I will definitely be back for take-out lunches and to sample more of the menu. Only a couple of minor issues - 1) they weren't taking credit cards yet so my GF had to run to CVS and buy us some toothpaste with cash-back :). I'm sure this will be resolved very soon, after all it was opening night. 2) they serve oolong tea using teabags, and didn't give us anywhere to put the teabags after the tea had steeped. I don't think any Asian restaurant should really be using teabags - brew tea by the pot, it's easier and, I would guess, cheaper. UPDATE : Eaten here a couple more times since the original review, and they certainly have smoothed things out and take credit cards now. I haven't found the food to have gotten any better or worse, so still a solid three stars from me. read more

No excuse for mediocre sushi at a sushi place. Had a lunch box, white tuna tasted kinda like it would from a tin, and fluke was worse. better fish (w/ no ambiance tho') at Kotobukya down the street at 1/2 the price. Where are these 4 stars coming from? NB. It seems these folks changed names or are out of business. read more

I have to agree with other reviewers: this place is a rather strange "fusion" of different types of restaurants in one, and the "taste" of the food is hit or miss. I went with three other people, we ordered an array of dishes covering sushi, vegetarian food, and Chinese and Japanese cuisines, and I left feeling underwhelmed. The dining room feels like four investors insisted on designing it their way, nobody would compromise, so they each took a quadrant and ignored each other. It's also strange to hear hip-hop/club music thumping overhead throughout the meal. Our server was brusque to the point of seeming disinterested, but my friend pointed out that that attitude is culturally authentic to Shanghai and nothing personal. I found it sort of funny that THAT was perhaps the one completely bona fide part of our dinner experience. The general impression I got is that F.T. wants to be everything "Asian" to anybody looking for that sort of restaurant, and I have to say this translates into the food. Maybe I've been watching too much Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, and Iron Chef episodes, but it seems like it's slow death for a restaurant to offer a huge menu of meh food-- especially in an increasingly foodie place like metro Boston. I wonder what Fusion Taste would be like, I mean, if they offered half the number of dishes with twice as much attention to the preparation and the flavors. Because this is my final thought: nothing we ate was memorable enough for me to mention here by name, and for me that's rare. read more

My husband and I eat here all the time. We used to go in person, and even went with several groups of 8 and 10 people and had decent person. Now we mostly order delivery, since they started offering it. My husband absolutely loves the sushi. He gets something different every time, so I'm not sure what his favorite is, but the shrimp tempura roll and the ebi I've had have been very good. I prefer the chicken teriyaki, which is really enough food for two meals. It comes with soup, salad, a side of sauteed vegetables, and rice. It's my favorite. I also frequently order the dry sauteed string beans and chicken in garlic sauce which is always tasty. I think the food has been better, and fresher, on the times we've eaten in, but that's just to be expected with delivery! The do a good job of not over-cooking the vegetables, so they are still good when they arrive. All in all we've had some good times in the restaurant, and good food when we ordered delivery. read more

Did not care for food. Tasteless fried apps, They love to put lots of carrots and green peppers into entrees that do not call for these vegetables. Chicken wings awful. Have to find new Chinese restaurant. read more

Truly an unfortunate case of terrible service ruining what would be an otherwise amazing restaurant. I suppose if you have a few hours to spare, or do not mind waiting 45 minutes for your take out order (of sushi, mind you, on a Tuesday night) then I would give you a rating of 4 starts to go off of, as the food truly is delicious. However, the amount of time it takes to get this food simply is not worth it. Given the the consistency of poor service, I would NOT recommend Fusion Taste to anyone. read more

Thank you guys for being understanding with the confusion! We ordered some sushi wrong and we called, they were very nice and took good time to explain everything to us about the variety of how sushi can be prepared. The lady on the phone tried to give us free sushi for the confusion and we didn't want to only because they didn't do anything wrong we did. She ended up calling us back to say she has what we thought we ordered on the way. We were very thankful for the kindness she had towards us! Thank you! They have very tasty food here. I have never had any problems with there food or delivery service. Definitely will not be dissatisfied here with the food, hospitality/ service and delivery service! read more

Fusion Taste Arlington - California roll Shrimp Tempura - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

First thing that I want to point out: this place is groupon friendly. We have all had that occasion where an owner or waiter rolled their eyes or gave an attitude when presented a groupon. Not here!!! My group of five came in and had a fine meal at Fusion Taste. The food is definitely not the most amazing you will ever have, but it is decent sit-down Chinese food. Much better than take-out, not quite good enough to rave about to friends. It's an Asian fusion restaurant, meaning that they serve Japanese and Chinese dishes with a few other asian dishes thrown into the mix. While I like the variety, one thing really annoyed me about the separation between cuisines. Half our group ordered chinese dishes and half ordered japanese dishes. Although the prices were the same, the japanese dishes came with free salad and soup without any notification. Our Chinese food companions were forced to either pay up for a soup or go without. It was a little tacky. read more

Fusion Taste offers decent-tasting Asian cuisine in the heart of Arlington Center, and the mix of Chinese and Japanese options is a welcome trend. The service is friendly as well, if a bit stressed. But on two occasions, we've dined there on a weeknight, only to find ourselves seated next to a different obnoxious party. (Had there been any other open seats, we would have asked to be moved.) The restaurant is really too small to accommodate parties of over 10 people, and each time it has made for a less-than-pleasant dining experience for the rest of us. We had to overhear the other party's boisterous, alcohol-fueled conversation, and the poor waitstaff was clearly overwhelmed, resulting in slower service for the rest of the dining room. The fact that it's happened twice makes me wonder if Fusion Taste is being marketed as a bar that happens to serve food? Ironically, a previous restaurant in that space had two rooms, but somewhere along the way the wall got taken down to allow for one larger, more open space. I think they need their function room back. read more

My wife and I stopped by here for dinner one evening. We were seated promptly, and the waitress was friendly. My wife got seaweed salad and some sort of tofu appetizer, while I got General Gau's Shrimp (which sounded like an interesting variation on a classic). She asked that her food come out with my meal, since she was having a salad + appetizer for dinner; the waitress said sure. All fine so far. (Well, I'm not a fan of places where at least one person at every table must be looking at a TV screen, but we could tell that when we walked in, so that's on us.) All my wife's food came out first, and mine 5-10 minutes later. A mild inconvenience, though the communication-fail made me a little concerned about some dietary restrictions I'd talked about with the waitress. The food itself was... passable. Not actively bad, but not as good as most places I've eaten. I don't recall our waitress ever checking in with us after we got our meal. And I had to go searching for someone to ask that we get our check after 10 minutes of trying to catch someone's eye. (The two employees by the front register were either really oblivious, or actively ignoring me.) "Meh. I've had better" pretty much perfectly describes our dinner experience. (Well, OK, my seat was pretty comfortable. But that's not enough to raise my rating a full star.) EDIT: Two years later, we figured we'd give this place another chance and got takeout. The sesame beef had kinda pasty breading, and the pork lo mein was bland. The gyoza were decent. My wife says the tofu was terrible. Overall, just as we'd remembered; we didn't bother keeping the leftovers. read more

Great chinese food. Love their boneless spare ribs , beef teriyaki and the chicken. However they need to offer a smaller version of their pork fried rice. Nice atmosphere Comfortable bar, lounge. Stoneham location is great too. A bit larger of a restaurant. It is right in Stoneham Center. read more

I think this is the best cheap Asian food in Arlington. Every dish my family got was packed with flavor and seemed high quality. A lot of places have been shorting us during the pandemic (understandably), but that wasn't a problem at all here. They also gave us free crab Rangoon when we got our food! I hope they keep up the good work. read more

The service was good, very attentive and water was refilled several times without ever having to ask. The sushi was really DELICIOUS and they have some original rolls that were well worth it. I got the Hunan Beef, and asked to make it extra spicy. It's pretty mild unless you do that. I wish I had known that it came with mushrooms (like big caps of them) because it didn't say that in the menu and I absolutely hate mushrooms. I just picked them out, otherwise the veggies were perfectly steamed. The plates don't come with white rice, which isn't always the case at other similar venues, so you have to ask. It's got all the classic Chinese takeout stuff, and all the stir fry and delicious stuff you could ask for if you're not a fan of sushi. Fair price, great for parking around. Will definitely be returning, though probably asking exactly what's in certain things before ordering. Good food and very fresh, regardless. read more

Went here on a blustery day to grab an early dinner, and was pleasantly surprised. This is basically a clean and simple Chinese-Japanese restaurant. The service was adequate, and the food above-average, due to the freshness of everything that came out. I feel kind of bad for them, because they look like they could use more business. We ordered sizzling rice soup, which was really good after coming in from the cold. We also got beef chow foon noodles, which came out piping hot and all steamy good. The salt and pepper fried shrimp was hot and pretty tasty, but not all that meaty. We didn't get to try the sushi; maybe next time. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good experience, though the portions are not that large for the price. Otherwise, it's find for a quiet, casual place to eat. read more

We dropped in here with abut 30 minutes' notice and 18 people, and yet we were all seated and served in a reasonable amount of time. The staff was happy to take our "birthday" cake and slice it and serve it with song, even though it was nobody's birthday! Unfortunately, we were more interested in talking and drinking and laughing, so I actually have no idea what I had, but it must have been good enough, or I'd remember to say bad things about it. read more

Have been here about 6-7 times, and the sushi is excellent... sweet potato and shrimp tempura maki are top-notch, as is the spicy tuna. Fish always seems fresh. Only problem is the service, as others have mentioned. They consistently attempt to up-sell to more expensive menu items, or sell you another beer, another appetizer, etc. Not sure if business is slow so they are attempting to compensate for such, or if the waitstaff is just trying to make the most of their 15-20% gratuity. Have also had a fairly rude waitress in the past, but not since then. Either way, so long as you expect these things you will definitely love the sushi. The main entrees are much less exciting, and you can typically get better across the street (Sweet Chili's). read more

Asian Fusion is the perfect place to take someone who say "I don't feel like Chinese" but you really REALLY want Chinese. They also specialize in Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai fare as well. It has the small-town vibe because the small bar (they are hard to come by in ARL) is filled with jovial locals aged 40-65, giving it a fun twist to a place that may seem like a "yuppie haven". The staff is friendly and accommodating and the food is spectacular. I give their Sushi ***1/2 stars and the Thai dishes are so-so. However, the other cuisine is truly a delight. The wait staff will occasionally bring over something to try on the house. Last time I received a dessert that was on fire - never asked what it was but much like that of a Baked Alaska. Saturday: live jazz! If you give this place less than 3 stars, you are a maniacal narcissist that likes to hear themselves talk... (kidding) read more

I'm in between 2 or 3 stars. It wasn't horrible, but I have experienced better. I had a craving for some Salmon Teriyaki (I blame it on Teriaki Yummy in Chelsea). A quick foodler search and I chose Fusion Taste. Being in Arlington, I hoped delivery wouldn't take as long as others. I placed a delivery order the woman on the phone was not particularly nice, I felt rushed. I asked what came with the Salmon Teriyaki, the woman on the phone stated the same thing the menu says "served with miso soup, salad and rice", so I ordered a side of steamed veggies. Even though they must have been busy, it arrived within the estimated time of 45-50 mins. Salmon teriyaki plate for $15. Sweet! But when my order arrived, it was $30?? Hum? What went wrong? Upon a quick glance, I see that my side of steamed veggies was $8!! When I opened the bag, the food didn't smell or look particularly tasty (2 key senses that affect taste). The salmon portion was average or maybe even on the small side, and it was swimming in teriyaki sauce, which had veggies in it! Now I did ask for extra teriyaki, because most places don't put very much and I wanted some for my veggies. But apparently this place puts enough, maybe too much to begin with? Fair warning, you do not need extra sauce. The salmon its self didn't taste very fresh either, not bad, but not a nice, moist, fresh piece of fish. And there was some skin on it. Don't be lazy! cut the damn skin off! I don't want to have to touch it! eww So the veggies...they weren't very crisp. Maybe because they've been swimming in hot teriyaki? Because my side of veggies were a bit more crisp, but still not as fresh and crisp as I would have liked. I'm a bit upset that when I asked what came with the Salmon Teriyaki, the woman on the phone said" miso soup, salad and rice", so I ordered a side of steamed veggies and CLEARLY, there are veggies with the teriyaki salmon. Overall, not impressed. Especially compaired to Teriyaki Yummy. (too bad they don't deliver to Somerville!) Wow, this was a long review. Sorry! read more

The service was really quick and the waitress very nice. The setting is quiet, although a lot of the light is blocked out by their display. We went there for the lunch and the prices were really good ($6 for the vegetarian delight, and $7 for a lot of other things). I liked that the lunches all came with an appetizer - I got a spring roll, and my mom got two crab rangoons. The food was perfectly good - just about what I would expect for chinese food. Maybe if I go again I will check out the bento boxes they have - it sounded like a lot though. Overall a nice experience. read more

We visited this place and were disappointed that the owner treated his regular customers nicely but other customers as cold as ice We did meet one nice waittress there who had three kids and had to work long hours which we sympathized with Some of the waitresses barely speak English and are very nonresponsive it takes a long time to get the food if the place is at all busy The food I would describe as not terrible, but mediocre, neither good nor bad read more

I've been on such a sushi kick lately, but I'm still not an expert. However, when it comes to service, I can certainly tell when something is going awry. My friend goes here frequently and loves it, but we managed to have a not great experience. First, we ate about half of our edamame before discovering a clear gelatinous ball of... something... in it. We sent it back, the waitress returned claiming it was corn starch, and plunked the rest back down on the table. We could still see where they'd scraped the blob off the plate. We were thoroughly grossed out, so we decided we didn't want it at all. No real trouble with our wonton soup... not the best I've had, not the worst. Our main course (they dynamite roll for me, the snow mountain roll for my friend) was delicious and super filling. However our water glasses sat empty for AGES, until I literally called to the waitress from across the room because all other efforts to get her attention failed. We also waited a really long time for the check, and when she never returned to collect it, we went to the front to pay. Oh, also, they tried to charge us for our gross edamame. They did remove it when we asked, but I think they should have done it automatically. read more

This place is totally good as far as a Chinese - Japanese fusion goes! My boyfriend and I order from here frequently and have dinned in once....for a few reasons. The first being that we LOVE coupons, and fusion taste is always giving us some kind of discount. *hearts* thanks fusion taste!! Another reason is that I LOVE sushi, and my boyfriend doesn't, so this is a really fantastic place for a compromise. Conveniently located in Arlington, it's only a short venture away from our home. Delivery, however, is slow and I have gotten food fairly cold. Regardless, I have been overall satisfied with my sushi. Chinese can be a little greasy, but so delicious. Weird service when we have dined in, too. Just weird service in general. Definitely not a bad *fusion* meal. We will order again....and again...and again! read more

I'm pretty tolerant of bad service. I always laugh at all the yelp reviews of Chinatown restaurants complaining that the waitresses aren't friendly enough. You don't go to a Chinese restaurant to be babied by the waitstaff- you go because the food is awesome. So I wasn't phased when my wife and I went into Fusion taste and the waitress was missing and the manager seemed annoyed at our presence. After all, this place had a sign out front claiming it was one of "America's top 100 Chinese restaurants." I'll put up with a lot for some great food. But great food is not what we got. Not even mediocre food. It was bad. Like, *really* bad. Maybe some dishes are ok, but definitely not the ones we got. My wife got the pad thai. I'm pretty sure it was just noodles with peanuts on top with no other sauce or flavoring. I got the duck with mango and eggplant. It sounded very interesting and exciting! Well, it was interesting in a science experiment gone wrong sort of way-- I envied my wife's bland noodles after the mess I received. The duck itself was terrible. It had the distinct taste and texture of really old freezer burnt meat. The mango was flavorless, though I suppose the eggplant was cooked semi-competently. But the worst part was the sauce... it was just weird. And not in a good way. It's hard to even describe its taste. I ate only a small portion of my meal and felt really sick and bloated afterward. Despite our disappointing meal we were still talking about how we might still come back because the drinks are so cheap (explains why the bar always looks so popular), but our terrible experience trying to pay the bill quickly put that idea out of our heads. I've had inattentive and slow service before, but I've never just been deliberately ignored while the staff watches TV. This is a place where they really don't want you to come eat. The other reviews saying the manager is just there to hang out with the bar regulars is totally accurate. We got the distinct impression that our presence was nothing more than a nuisance. This place takes no pride in its food, no pride in its presentation, no pride in its appearance or service. There are many, many other decent Asian restaurants in the area. Give your money to someone who actually wants it. read more

The perfect lunch-hour $7-$10 Chinese-Japanese restaurant, with a significantly refined approach to food (compared to the deluge of greasy-spoon Chinese restaurants around Arlington). I work nearby, and eat at Fusion Taste often during lunchtime. Besides the very fair pricing, I keep coming back because of the food preparation. For example, chicken & eggplant with brown sauce is a delicate arrangement of tender chicken, fresh eggplant, and in generous portions. I am also a fan of their Kung Pao chicken (whose name I forget). They also offer various Bento lunches in the $11 range. I have come several times with my wife for dinner, and, again, have always been pleased with the quality of the food and the thoughtfulness of the recipes. This ISN'T like the collection of Chinese restaurants - Fusion Taste really is a wonderful, higher-end alternative. And during lunch it's really affordable, when, including tax + tip, you can drop $9 or less. It looks like they do a brisk evening business, but lunchtime is usually very quiet. I hope Yelp helps build a big enough fan base to make sure Fusion Taste is here to stay! For a short time in 2010, they had a successful and popular lunch buffet. I hope they bring it back. read more

They gave us free flaming ice cream! ! ! Our waitress was very flexible. Had a great time. read more

Located in the very heart of Arlington. This place has really delicious sushi, the menu is great. And very welcoming cozy interior. Coming back soon! read more

Fusion Taste Arlington - Dining area - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Massachusetts

I have found this is a great place for Chinese food since Shanghai Village closed (at least temporarily). The lunch special is a fantastic value and the wait staff seem happy and good hearted. I recommend Fusion Taste! read more

One of the best sushi north of the city. Definetly best in Arlington, Lexington, Winchester area. I highly recommend it. Try their specialty rolls even though they are a bit pricey, definetly worthed. read more

I was very impressed with the sushi here. We just moved into the area and we were worried about finding a place with really fresh fish. Thanks to Yelp we tried this place out. The food was great and fresh and the service was very attentive. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the ginger dressing is was weird (although my husband liked it) and the lighting in the restaurant is a little weird (very red). Will go back again! read more

I had a very mixed experience here. More on the negative side though. Vegetarian sushi was very good, but I had also ordered chicken wings as an appetizer, which came a long time after I had finished the sushi. I cut them with a knife and fork - which I don't usually - and found them to be almost entirely pink inside, all of it! Which is not good to eat - I have a friend and a mother who have worked in public health and told me to send it back - which I did. You can get really sick from eating pink meat - especially chicken - salmonella and all that. The staff were generally friendly, but besides that it was mediocre service. I'd say 3 because other than the chicken, it was a pleasant experience, but because the chicken was so pink, and the waitress didn't know what that meant/could mean when I tried to explain, and the tendency for them to be very scattered I'm leaving it at 2 stars. I wouldn't go again. Besides, there are a lot of restaurants in that area to choose from, Asian, Italian, - everything. read more

This has become our go-to restaurant for take-out pan-asian fare. The kids love the sesame chicken, my husband enjoys the sushi, his mother loves the pork dumplings, and I recently discovered the joy of Peking duck. Other favorites include the steak with peppers, veggie lo mein, and beef chow foon. This is also a quiet, friendly "practice" restaurant for 5pm weekday dinners with little kids. The staff is friendly and the food gets delivered to the table promptly. If I could give it 4.5 stars, I would. It's a solid place I like, but I'm not over the moon about it. read more

I love love love the spicy salmon avocado maki here!! I order it pretty frequently, and it has always been delicious. The salmon tastes really fresh and the sushi itself has a little crunch to it. The plain salmon maki is also surprisingly flavorful for such a standard flavor. I've only ever ordered take out, which has been reliable and fast. Great experiences and I highly recommend this place! read more

Nice mix of offerings. Never let down by this place. And always super friendly.

Fresh vegetables and super hot when arrived early! Because they couldn't substitute a shrimp tempura for veggie due to an allergy they apologized with a free extra appetizer upon delivery! Great service! Would order again!!! read more

my family and i went for dinner and really enjoyed our meal. the menu is a mix of japanese and chinese food, which is nice since it allows some flexibility with the group and people who like different things. we started with a shrimp tempura roll and edamame from the japanese menu, then go oriental bbq ribs and steak teriyaki from the chinese appetizers. everything was delicious, the ribs and steak were really flavorful and not dry. we ended up having some leftover edamame and teriyaki sticks, so i took these home to eat. for entrees we got shrimp lo mein, pork fried rice, szechuan chicken, orange chicken, a vegetable dish, and hamachi kama (off the appetizer menu but for my entree). the hamachi kama was so delicious, i had recently had it in tokyo and thought this version was still great. the chicken dishes both had great flavor although the orange chicken had too much batter for my preference. read more

This is a run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant. The food is rather bland, and the service has been inconsistent. The mango chicken (and a mango duck) we had were excellent. In general, it seems a better strategy to go a bit further away from the standard options in favor of more exotic fare. read more

We love Fusion Taste! We especially enjoy the steamed peking ravioli and crab rangoon. We prefer the sesame chicken to the General Gau - the sesame chicken is amazing - thin-ish slices of white meat chicken with a delicious sauce. Fried rice and lo mein are lovely! They also have awesome lunch specials. We almost always do dinner takeout, but the restaurant usually has lots of happy people in it. There's a nice bar set up. Try it out! read more

I've eaten here a few times in the past 3or so years and it is a great place with a good menu at very reasonable prices.. Their maenu is very diverse and the staff is always very friendly (even the few times, I've been there with a party of 10-12). I will and have suggested this place to many friends and not one of them has had a bad thing to say about their experience there.. read more