Diners to go coo-coo for new Gold Coast restaurant FuFu

FROM the retro fit-out to the delightfully absurd food, this “American Chinese-ish” Gold Coast eatery is all about playfully pushing the boundaries of culinary fusion – but can it pull it off?

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“AMERICAN Chinese-ish food” reads one of the signs in the centre of the retro-inspired diner.

FuFu is the latest venture from serial restaurateur Morgan Walsh (behind Gold Coast eateries Bonita Bonita and Poke Poke) and is all about playfully pushing the boundaries of culinary fusion.

FuFu in Mermaid is the newest venture from Morgan Walsh, who also owns Bonita Bonita and Poke Poke. Picture: Jerad Williams

The quirky and cute 1950s-style, circular venue features a ring of dusty pink, plush velvet booths alongside high and low tables, potted palm trees and domed windows, while shelves filled with jars of lollies, soft drinks and packets of Tootsie Rolls emphasise the fun factor.

Quirky little touches set FuFu apart from its contemporaries. Picture: Jerad Williams

It has all the charm of a bygone era, though on a warm autumn day the place is stifling hot, with the ceiling fans creating as much breeze as a one-year-old trying to blow out the candle on their first birthday cake.

It’s a pity because the food is great.

The menu is a combination of Chinese favourites like fried rice, san choy bau, prawn toast, and sweet and sour pork, with what could be described as stoner food – kooky, cheeky and delightfully absurd combos that only seem like they’d work when you’re higher than a hot-air balloon.

Take the beef cheek jaffle with sarsaparilla and plum sauce ($12) which sounds hideous but is an absolute winner.

The beef cheek and cheese jaffle with sarsaparilla and plum sauce.

Instead of bread, the jaffle uses golden, flaky pastry which crumbles to reveal a goey centre of molten cheese and tender, stringy beef.

Dip it in the tiny pot of mellifluous sauce – more plum than sarsaparilla – and it’s a taste sensation.

Cheeseburger spring rolls ($8) hold equal novelty value, or there’s the mac n cheese, which you can have either as an entree or main-size, and spiked with either barbecue pork or crab.

The duck salad.

The seafood version ($13/$18) is reminiscent of Il Centro, Brisbane’s iconic sandcrab lasagne, and though it’s, of course, less refined, it’s equally enjoyable thanks to generous clusters of crab tangled with fresh and fried spring onions.

More conventional but no less tasty is the duck salad ($16), with generous slices of the blushing game meat coiled around delicate sticks of pear, finely sliced snow peas, julienne carrot, pomegranate seeds and deep-fried, crunchy noodles dressed with a salsa verde-like herby puree.

The prawn and crab egg foo yung omelet.

While the specialty prawn and crab egg foo yung omelet ($15) kicks with chilli oil, it’s balanced by a sweetness and freshness from a salad of shredded veg and sprouts.

The dessert menu offers plenty of interest like a peanut butter silken tofu pudding ($13) with mango, passionfruit and puffed rice and nuts, or a fried wild rice pudding ($13).

The peanut butter silken tofu dessert. Picture: Jerad Williams

For those after a liquid dessert, there are old-fashioned spiders and thickshakes, or perhaps try the saccharine but balanced “Let that mango” cocktail with sake, jelly and mango, or the restaurant’s refreshing take on a mojito – the dragonfruit and blueberry fujito.

There’s also a fleeting but quality wine list and a short array of interesting craft beers.

The crab mac n cheese.

Service is still finding its feet, but the friendly, altruistic staff make up for any shortcomings.

FuFu is all about fun, but a solid package ensure plenty of good times.

FUFU

Address 2375 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

Phone [phone]

Open Wed-Fri noon-late, Sat-Sun 7am-late

VERDICT

Food 8

Service 7

Ambience 8

Value 7