The last time I won anything, I was 12 years old and my prize was 6 tickets to the circus. I thought I was the shizznizz. Since then I haven’t been the luckiest individual (although I insist that one day I will win the lotto) until the other day, when I followed @FuguRestaurant on Twitter and within seconds they messaged me to say I had won a R50 meal voucher. I felt like a small child again.
Fugu is in Wembley Square. Virgin Active is in Wembley Square. Fugu and Virgin Active share a parking lot. So when walking through the parking lot you are bound to encounter some men and women who have just left gym. Somehow they are all pristine even though still in gym clothes, and the women have full make up on and their hair is perfectly styled. I could almost swear that it’s not a gym, but rather a cult where the prerequisites for entry are a tan, the wearing of heavy make-up and a kugel accent. Needless to say, I bounded quite swiftly into the safety of Fugu to get away from the cult warriors and the “exercise guilt” that comes with them.
Fugu is a trendy restaurant and bar with a great relaxed yet classy atmosphere. The setting is modern, yet comfortable and if I lived in Wembley Square I think I would spend a small fortune there every week. However both their sushi and fusion menus are incredibly well-priced and the specials menu is so affordable I was convinced that the food could not match the descriptions. I was wrong.
Not only is the food affordable, but Fugu are very smart (i.e. Social Media Sluts). They have a very good online presence (see above winnings) plus if you “check in” to Fugu on Facebook, you get a free glass of bubbly which went perfectly with the complimentary wasabi peanuts that we devoured in less than 5 minutes.
To start I had the chicken, coconut and lemongrass soup (R40) with ginger, lime and chilli and my friend had their Miso soup (R35) with shitake mushrooms, wakame and tofu. Both portions were enormous and were presented beautifully. However, my soup was most definitely the winner. It was hot, aromatic and rich, but the flavours were perfectly balanced and none were overpowering.
For our main course I had beer battered hake (R45, but was on special for R39) served with pomme fritte style chips and tartar sauce. I asked for half salad and half chips, expecting small portions of each, but received an entire salad and a mound of chips. I couldn’t have been happier. My friend had Patagonian calamari (R55) with a spicy Cajun coating, deep fried and served with a lime aioli and a side portion of Basmati rice (R10).
A special which I just have to mention is The Big Boy Platter: 42 pieces of sushi for a measly R168. I plan on taking this on one of these days. Also, there is half price sushi from 5:30 – 6:30 daily.
Fugu is a great place to go to for dinner and drinks. There is a great atmosphere and general mood to the place. The staff are welcoming and friendly but not to the point where you feel the need to inch slowly away from them.
It is hard to explain, but Fugu just has a great feel about it and I will be visiting them again soon.
PS. I think there should be a prize if someone eats an entire Big Boy Platter to themselves. What do you think Fugu?
