World Fusion

World Fusion
123 Chestnut St.
215-629-1100
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair-accessible
Try a weekday dinner

Sometimes it makes sense to wait a while before reviewing a new restaurant.

More than six months ago, my husband Edward and I went to dinner at World Fusion, a beautifully appointed restaurant that once housed Rococo. The meal was below average, overly ambitious and very expensive. The menu was all over the map, incorporating Asian, Italian, Polynesian and French fare — which just didn’t work. The flavors and textures of the ingredients did not enhance the dishes we sampled because too much was happening on the plate.

Several weeks ago, we returned to World Fusion along with our vegetarian friend Stephanie. The menu has been streamlined and truly salutes Asian cuisine, with a nod to new American bistro fare. The appetizers and entr�es have been simplified to feature tasty, straightforward fare. Prices have been greatly reduced as well. World Fusion also features a three-course fixed-price dinner, with choices, for $22 Tuesday through Thursday. On this visit, we elected to order from the regular menu.

World Fusion has a large welcoming bar area, looming high ceilings with Greek columns and a ceiling painted sky-blue. Wednesday is usually a big night for dining out but when we arrived at World Fusion around 7:30 p.m., we were the only patrons. The bartender told us the place really jumps on weekends, when a disc jockey gets people dancing. Still, weekday business is important for a restaurant if it is to succeed. Perhaps the fixed-price menu will bring people in during the week.

A number of wines by the glass were in the $6-$7 range and included a crisp Pinot Grigio and rich Montepulciano. We nibbled on fresh warm bread and perused the menu. Since it was a chilly night, Edward ordered the black bean soup ($7). He received a big bowl of hot, homemade soup brimming with heady black beans, which were cooked just right. The stock was well balanced and not a bit salty.

The spinach salad is prepared with bacon, and the accommodating kitchen staff omitted it from Stephanie’s spinach salad ($8) upon request. The plate was piled high with baby spinach leaves with a generous scattering of walnuts and bits of pineapple tossed in a feta-cheese mustard vinaigrette. This was a new twist to the reliable spinach and Mandarin orange salads of the 1970s. I wasn’t sure the pineapple would work here, but the slightly salty flavor of the feta balanced the sweetness of the fruit in a delicious way. The Dijon mustard imparted a tangy taste.

I often like a warm and cool combination of ingredients in a dish. The warm shiitake and cucumber salad ($7) filled the bill. My plate was piled with fresh, spicy baby arugula leaves and topped with a saut� of fresh shiitake mushrooms, along with roasted red pepper strips and sliced cucumbers. This was a fine combination of simple, easy-to-find ingredients. The salad was dressed in a soy truffle vinaigrette that refreshingly was not heavy on the salt.

Stephanie had her pick of vegetarian dishes, and went with the quesadilla ($9). The large, warm flour tortilla was filled with saut�ed wild mushrooms, including shiitake and portabello, and sweet red onions. It arrived hot and was simply prepared. I tasted it and liked the contrast of wild mushrooms with the red onions, which do not lose their crispness when quickly saut�ed.

Fall is the season for braised foods, especially lamb shanks — which are not as costly as the veal variety. Edward ordered the braised lamb shank ($16) and totally enjoyed it. The meat was braised first and then roasted to perfection. It was tender and juicy and fell easily from the bone. This entr�e came with hot whipped potatoes laced with roasted garlic and steamed haricots verts with a bit of bite. For $16, this was a bargain. You could pay up to $20 for this entr�e at any number of restaurants.

My lo-mein pasta ($19) was another bargain. This entr�e was an Asian-inspired version of the Italian classic seafood pescatore. A large soup bowl was filled with linguine cooked al dente and topped with steamed farm-raised mussels, baby clams and shrimp. These ingredients were placed in a pool of homemade broth infused with ginger, bits of fresh plum tomatoes and sweet Thai basil. I tossed all the ingredients together, took a bite and was hooked. I really enjoyed the combinations of flavors here. The portion was so ample, Edward helped me finish it.

At a time when competition for the restaurant dollar is high, it is encouraging to see a menu with entr�es from $15-$19. I cannot think of a restaurant that offers filet mignon for $16. World Fusion adds Yukon gold mashed potatoes and asparagus to the plate. As we were enjoying our dinner, I did some mental calculations. The majority of appetizers were between $7 and $8. The average entr�e was $15-$16. Add a glass of wine and two people can have dinner here for about $70.

Restaurant dining has become hideously expensive. Dinner for two in the majority of places I have reviewed with the past year, with the exception of the BYOBs, has run about $120. I suspect World Fusion’s owners realized that Center City does not need another expensive special-occasion restaurant.

Two tips of the toque to World Fusion.