Ancient Thai recipes work a treat at the very modern FU HOUSE IN SEMINYAK
Bali loves a spicy classic! Fu House joins the hot list of creative Bali restaurants with their modern take on ancient Thai recipes.
Fu House is a fabulously funky Thai restaurant opened by the Project Black team in Seminyak’s Jl. Petitenget.
With venues including The Lawn, Skool Kitchen, Sisterfields and Bossman Burgers behind them, the team have teamed up with a creative Kiwi chef, Lance Mueller, fresh from Los Angeles to create the retro-inspired Fu House.
The menu is inspired by ancient Thai recipes and familiar flavours presented in a smart menu filled with creative, modern dishes. It’s tasty food with lots of fun infused into the presentations – think dry beef curry doughnuts, a celebration of flavour and texture.
Executive Chef Lance, arrives at Fu House fresh from his Michelin-starred Asian eatery in LA, Cobin’s. He’s a big fella, who reigns over the open kitchen with an infectious smile; his passion and experience with Asian food shows up in every dish.
The interiors are reminiscent of Chinese restaurants of the ’70s – fashioned with wood panelling, laminate tables, velvet booths and aluminium chairs. Funky artwork and a glowing bar with a DJ add a modern element. Maroon curtains divide the main dining room from the private dining and add texture against the concrete floor.
Cocktails are hot here with many tables indulging in colourful concoctions that mirror the vibrant beverages found across Thailand. Project Black’s head mixologist Arey Barker is right at home sharing his rosy bar with a resident DJ who spins out ’80s hits during dinner.
Dry curries feature across the menu with starters including the crispy krathon-thong with dry fish curry – bite-sized flavour bombs; raw fish in a vibrant Thai basil dressing ( we loved this); and bite-sized pork wontons with a dried tom yum sauce that we cleaned up!
There are four curries on the menu – a woodfired dry pumpkin curry, smoked mackerel jungle curry, a roast mutton panang curry ( the chef’s favourite) and the beef cheek red curry that was so meltingly tender it went down a bom with scallion pancakes.
There’s also a grill-style menu that includes the best-selling rib-eye ( a price hike at 800k++), mackerel, pork chop and charred chicken with a spicy fish sauce. The chicken was our pick and the play on flavours was bang on for Thai food lovers and was cooked to perfection.
The dessert menu is a great mix of Asian flavours with Western techniques and we went for the calamansi curd with burnt meringue shards, it was a stunning custard with vibrant flavours. Judging by the other tables, this is a clear winner on the sweets menu and it was delicious.
Fu House is playful and the menu is concise and clever. Even for those, like me, who struggle with Thai flavours, there are dishes that you’ll love. Technique wins out here and the inspiration for the menu is clear while the modern interpretation works brilliantly amid the retro-designed interiors.
Located between the modern icons of Potato Head and the W Hotel, FuHouse presents a simple exterior and is a great addition to Jl Petitenget that both locals and tourists will enjoy.
