Kenji Fusion 2 doesn't live up to the original

Kenji Fusion on route 33 in
Hamilton has justifiably received
rave reviews from many
locals, but if you're expecting
brother restaurant, Kenji Fusion
2 to be exactly the same,
you will find it leaves a lot to be
desired.

Kenji Fusion 2, located
on Rt. 130 south of Hamilton,
is clearly popular based on the
busy crowd it has at 6:30 on a
weekend evening, though it
could be busier. The menu is
extensive, drawing inspiration
from French, Japanese, and
Brazilian cuisine. Fusion 2 offers
a wide assortment of hot
and cold appetizers, soups and
salads and sushi and sashimi.
Also included on the menu is
a overwhelmingly long list of
main courses, as well as a raw
shellfish bar, multi-course tasting
menu and a kid's menu.

The first major problem
is that the server taking orders is
not the same person who delivers
the food. Patrons are forced
to switch plates due to the fact
that the person delivering the
food who don't know who has
which dish. While this might be
expected at a mom and pop restaurant
or low level sport bar, it
doesn't make sense in a restaurant
that charges up to $30 for
an entrée. The communication
problems were summed up in
one incident observed during
this reviewer's visit: a couple
was asked by a server if they'd
care for dessert or prefer the
check to which they responded
"we haven't eaten yet."

While the shrimp tempura
is expertly fried, leaving
a light, crispy coating which
brings out the sweet flavors of
the shrimp, flavors of the accompanying
kochujan sauce
and wasabi aoli were too subtle
and left the dish tasting flat.

The lobster bisque, regardless
of how tasty and tender
the chunks of lobster floating in
the soup are, leaves the senses
disappointed. The dish lacks
the hints of saffron and creaminess
necessary for any bisque
and instead reflects as much
taste and texture as Campbell's
condensed tomato soup made
with water, shellfish stock and
too much salt.

The highlight of the
restaurant is its sushi which, although
should be served colder,
is rolled skillfully with perfectly
cooked, tender sushi rice.

Other dishes lacking
the "oomph" implied by the
price tag are the osso bucco - a
veal dish - which at Kenji Fusion
2 is served as an extremely
fatty cut barely worth the $22
price tag and the Brazilian BBQ
which feature charred chicken
and overly-fenneled lamb sausage.

The saving grace of the
dessert menu is the deep-fried
cheesecake which consists of a
huge mound of gourmet quality
cheesecake battered in tempura
and deep-fried to a golden color
yet retaining a molten center.
This dessert is pure heaven on a
plate but mostly the restaurant
does not deserve the hype.