June 11, 2004

The Fusion: Another food adventure in Benzie

We speak often about "food adventures" in our new book, Dining in Dining Out in Northern Michigan, and a recent outing in Benzie County is a perfect example. Benzie is becoming a hot destination for the food-loving adventurer.

Let's start with the Betsie River Pathway. This paved, 9-mile bike trail runs along the river from Frankfort, up the gentle railroad grade that Bruce Catton's Morning Train followed, then hugs the shore of Crystal Lake into Beulah. That's where we recently enjoyed the adventure of discovering the Phoenix, an Internet café with amazing cinnamon rolls and ginger scones. We were introduced to it by Sally Berlin, across the street at Crystal Crate and Cargo, where we found adventure of a different sort in a collection of stunning, colorful hand-poured tableware called "Fire and Light." Made by artisans in Arcata, California, it is composed entirely of glass from the community's recycling center.

One place you'll find grand food adventures is Timmerin, Tim and Erin White's charming, eponymous restaurant at the lovely Beulah Beach Inn. Tim is one of those chefs who eschew recipes in favor of methods. His recipe for "Crispy Duck-leg Confit," however, is among the most challenging in our new book--and one of the most rewarding. He flavors the cure with juniper, cumin, garlic, rosemary and thyme. There's adventure, too, at Frankfort's Coho Café, a hip, cool, light-hearted bistro with faux-industrial décor, a deck overlooking the harbor and a menu of sparkling salads, inventive pastas, and such Pacific Rim delights as wok-seared sesame shrimp.

As if this weren't enough, on our last trip to Frankfort we discovered yet another smashing new restaurant called The Fusion, which only reinforced our view that food-wise, Benzie is hot.

The Fusion is a most interesting Asian restaurant, one of the few whose dominant colors aren't crimson and gold, but muted, restful, earthy, neutrals of beige, black, white. In an atmosphere of elegant simplicity, we enjoyed an outstanding meal--as good, we'd say, as any Asian food we've found Up North.
VaChong and Bobbiesee Ku opened The Fusion in mid-winter under the radar. By the time we found it in May, they already had a large local following. And that was before they were licensed for bar and wine service. We suspect that by mid-summer, this will be one of the hottest tickets Up North.

The menu is both extensive and pan-Asian, from egg roll, crab Rangoons, and Moo Goo Gai pan to pad Thai, curries, sushi and tempura. Spicy dishes carry appropriate warnings.

Our notes from the evening start this way: "Rave about spring roll, vegetable and wonton soup, presentation, taste, freshness, sauces and prices." The two, plump spring rolls made a grand appetizer for sharing, and came already halved and accompanied by satisfyingly hot mustard, a sweet but sugarless fruit sauce, and a classic sweet-sour sauce. The soups that followed were a perfect tease, light and subtle.

Graydon's big adventure was a build-it-yourself moo shui of pork, chicken, and shrimp. Two large, soft, folded rice pancakes sat one side of the large, square, white plate along with a porcelain spoon of luxurious plum sauce. The plate was so abundant, it was more easily approached open-faced than assembled into the intended roll. The meat was so generously cut, we abandoned our chopsticks and resorted to Western cutlery.

In Sherri's seafood dish ("Happy Family," the menu called it), shrimp, bay scallops, lobster tail and "crabmeat" swam stir-fried with vegetables in a savory, garlicky, oyster sauce. The sauce was lovely, and the lobster and shrimp succulent, but it's a dish we'd probably not revisit, as the scallops and crab (which should have been spelled with a "K") were mushy. That was a small detail, however, compared to the overall delight of an outstanding meal.

What made it all the more so was a bill that was downright inscrutable. At $30, we decided, it ranked among our food bargains of the year. It's a shame we live so far away in Elk Rapids, but we expect we'll find our way back to Benzie soon. There's so much we want to try.

DATA: The Fusion, 411 Main St., Frankfort; 231-352-4114. Lunch and dinner daily in summer.