Some people love sushi. Some people gag at the thought of it.
When you find a restaurant where both people can sit down and enjoy an amazing meal that makes everyone happy, you know you’re in a special place.
Add in a vegetarian and someone on a gluten-free diet, and you can see why it’s such an incredible feat that every member of the Visit Bend dining team walked out of Five Fusion & Sushi Bar sighing with bliss.
The restaurant is on Wall Street in Downtown Bend, and offers amazing seafood, sushi, and hand-cut meats, with a fondness for locally-produced ingredients. Our meal kicked off with a variety of appetizers including scrumptious hamachi (yellowtail) carpaccio, crab cakes, and lobster spoons.
Everything was artfully prepared, with just the right blend of spices and sauces. Our server was super attentive to guests’ special needs, pointing out which items were gluten-free or which contained ingredients certain diners didn’t like.
I thoroughly enjoyed sipping a flight featuring four different kinds of sake, while others at the table sampled from a wine list teaming with delicious northwest offerings.
Our next round of food included scallops with a divine chimmichurri/bacon/edamame cream sauce (I secretly ladled several spoonfuls of it onto my plate while my dining companions were distracted). We also sampled raviolis in brown butter with candied macadamia nuts – hardly standard fare on a normal sushi menu, but part of the “fusion” aspect of the dining experience at Five Fusion.
The restaurant, as seen from the upstairs dining area.
The food kept flowing, including steamed buns with duck, lettuce wraps, and Wagyu Rolls that included lobster, kobe beef, and the most delicious blend of spices and flavors.
My second favorite dish of the evening was the lamb cordials in cherry sauce with hints of mint and espresso, topped with goat cheese. These were absolutely divine, and especially popular with those who preferred less fishy fare.
A friend who’d dined here previously told me, “whatever you do, get the miso cod.” It sounded like such a simple, frill-free dish that I completely forgot her advice until it showed up on our table looking, frankly, a little boring.
Oh. My. Word.
This was the most delectable piece of fish I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting in my mouth. Tender and flavorful, buttery and lemony and…OK, I’m stopping now, because I just drooled on the keyboard and now it’s hard to type. Seriously, if you order only one thing on the menu, make it the miso cod.
Others in our group might disagree with me, since I heard several moans of pleasure for the bass and broccolini on a bed of pasta, the reisotto, and the various sushi rolls that came parading out for our dining pleasure. The seared duck with pomegranate seeds on a bed of parsnip puree was a peppery treat for our tastebuds, and the “Fantastic Four Sampler” gave us a chance to try each of the special nigiri on the menu.
The Visit Bend crew enjoys dinner at Five Fusion.
If you think dessert is worth skipping in a sushi restaurant, think again. The cheesecake was fluffy and delightful, the crème brule sampler was to die for, and the baked meringue brought us to the brink of a fistfight over who’d get the last bite.
(Problem solved when I laid claim to it by licking the top. I’m not proud).
If it’s not obvious by now, I think the food at Five Fusion is positively divine. On top of all that, the restaurant has won my heart with their regular charity dinners (you can read about on their events page). Gotta love any restaurant so devoted to giving back to the Bend community!
All in all, Five Fusion is a definite MUST DO when you’re in Bend. Your taste buds can thank me later.