Fusion Empanada
“Finally a restaurant that serves Latin cuisine with attention to quality of ingredients.”
“Had the crabmeat Mufungo, awesome dish, wrapping up the meal with a very tasty piece of coconut cake and coffee.”
“- Nutella & Banana – delicious dessert treat but hope we find more nutella inside next time.”
Fusion Empanada
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range Moderate
5 reviews
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We had a great meal last night at Fusion Empanada.
The space is really well designed, with cool art on the walls and very stylish tables and chairs.
Our server, Gisselle, was super sweet and fun and helpful.
We started with some of their house drinks (non-alcoholic…) including the tamarindo and morir sonando, which were both very good. The tamarindo was unexpectedly both savory and sweet and the morir sonando was like an orange creamsicle. Yum.
We started with the assorted fritters (delicious and each so different from the rest) and, of course, a few empanadas. You can choose between baked or fried and we opted for baked. We shared the cuban pork, the shrimp, the mushroom medley and the beef and maduros. Again, each was unique and incredibly flavorful.
Our entrees were just as good as the apps. Two of us had the red snapper, and it was very good. Coupled really well with the sweet potato puree. Our friend had the pork masita which looked and tasted delicious, and I had the mofongo, which was fantastic.
We will definitely be back, not only because it's so good but also because we didn't have any room left for dessert!
Very excited that this spot has opened. Not only was the food and service very good, but I really appreciate that all of the ingredients are locally sourced and that the meat is grass fed. A fantastic addition to Montclair's restaurant scene!
I ate here yesterday and WA S slightly disappointed. I am Puerto Rican and so is my husband so we know the culture and the food.
First- empanadas are 150 percent frozen and not made to order. The veggies in the empanadas tasted like frozen pot pie from the supermarket. You can tell that the potato is frozen. It was a shrimp empanada I had and I have never been so sure in my life that they are frozen
Main course- skirt steak and pork shank
I have ordered the skirt steak at almost every Latino restaurant in the area and this was by far the smallest cut of meat I have ever seen. It was my husband who ordered it and he cleaned his plate and was still hungry.
The pork shank- was very good which wS the reason for four stars however, I make rice all the time, and, my rice was definitely left over from the night before. The rice was old. The pigeon peas were dehydrated from being reheated and since I prepare this food at home all the time I know I am accurate
I did come early in the day as soon as they opened. Maybe that's why idk but I have to be honest I won't be coming back here
We dined in at Fusion Empanada before the dinner rush. It is a cute, quaint restaurant with outdoor seating across from Whole Foods. Street Parking is available only. The decor is minimal but fresh with wood accents and pops of vibrant color. It is a tad small on the inside and once Fusion becomes more popular, I can forsee long waits to dine. Our server explained that all the ingredients were fresh and organic. We ordered two of the juices to start. The watermelon mint and mango. We do juice at home so the watermelon mint is something we have had before and we enjoyed it at Fusion. I wouldn't recommend the mango as it didn't have an overwhelming flavor of mango. We ordered a lemonade for my little one, which he was happy to have. I would suggest Fusion add on a small children's menu. We ordered the dozen of assorted empanadas with a sampling of beef, seafood, chicken and mushroom. The seafood were great. The chicken picadallo was flavorful. The beef was a tad dry and needed another element (braised short ribs) we got the cuban which my husband liked, the mushroom which was flavorful although I wouldn't order it for me again, my son had the cheese and ate it all at three years old. The lobster and shrimp were really good. We ordered the rice and beans and one serving was enough for two. I also had the blueberry dessert which was really good. All in all, we will be back to sample more! I would definitely recommend Fusion Empanadas. It is a bit pricey as we spent about $60 but it was worth it. Each empanada was yummy and light as opposed to other empanadas. Defintely an option to Cuban Pete's
Finally! After much anticipation, Fusion Empanada had opened. I have been looking forward to this restaurant for a long time. Unfortunately, good things don't always come to those who wait. I have been to Fusion Empanada twice and have been underwhelmed both times. The restaurant itself is nicely situated on Bloomfield ave in Montclair. The restaurant decor is gorgeous. Beautiful wooden tables, modern fixtures and stylish contemporary art fill the restaurant. Fusion Empanada's decor is probably the best in Montclair.
Fusion Empanada's service is pretty darn good. Fusion's staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Fusion Empanada's staff is A+!
Now for the part that pains me….the food. Fusion Empanada's food is meh at best. Their empanadas are fine, but there are better empanada joints out there. Fusion's Hawaiian empanda is probably their best empanada; the Hawaiian offer a descent salty, sweet and savory bite for even the most discerning of pallets. Fusion Empanada gives the patron the option to have their empanada baked or fried. Both cooking styles are okay. Overall, the empanada is tastely, but are sparsely filled.
The mofongo is more like "no-fongo" (sorry I cound't help myself). The mofongo was bland and incredibly disappointing. The pork that accompanied the mofongo was dismal. The pork lacked flavor and wasn't tender. The dish needs to be reworked.
Fusion Empanada has a lot of potential, but needs to work out the culinary kinks. I'll most likely give Fusion Empanada a third try. Here's to Fusion Empanada hitting a grand slam and not striking out on visit number 3.
We stopped in briefly to grab several empanadas to go. We ordered 4 and altogether cost $16- not bad. The waitresses were friendly and the service was fast. We ordered a steak and plantain, pork, spinach, and shrimp. We sat at a little round table in the back and waited not long for them to be done.
Personally, I thought mine was tasty, but a little too greasy for my liking. I also thought the dough-to-stuffing ratio was heavy on the dough side. They were delicious, though, don't get me wrong. The dough was buttery, flaky, and delicious. The pork empanada was a tad dry. The steak and plantain empanada was unexpectedly sweet. The combination still worked, though. I would have loved to stay for a meal and experience all other options on this menu.