Finally got around to KUNFUSION at the new (to me) brick & mortar in Pismo Beach.  Nice corner of Pismo Coast Shopping Center next door to California Fresh Market.  Great ‘feel’ inside–the bustle of the kitchen is *just close enough* to give reminders to the taco-truck roots of this restaurant.  The menu has a lot to absorb on it, and the waiter was very knowledgeable and patient with my plethora of questions borderlining on interrogation.  We kinda went overboard on the food–I wanted to sample a broad spectrum of offerings–and when they arrived I could hear my father saying, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!”  Let’s just say we took a lot of food home.  When poke is on a menu of a place even remotely Asian, I am forced to order it–rare as it is around here.  Tuna was of reasonably high quality, and the dish itself was geared far more toward showing off the pure tuna than classic, heavily sauced Hawaiian poke.  Lo Fu was a meal of on its own, in fact: two people could easily split it, hearty as it is.  Not my favorite–ordered more as a curiosity since tempeh is so rare on menus around  here.  Not being a huge fan of tempura, I found myself eating far more the the Tempura Veggies off my girlfriend’s plate than usual as they were very nicely done and the batter perfect.  And another one:  Sweet Potato Fries.  Ordered then strictly because indicated as a house specialty and have been disappointed so many times with soggy, lifeless offerings.  These are cut far thicker than usual and somehow, surprisingly, still managed to be of a better texture than several in recent memory.  Which brings us to the Pork Belly Taco.  Why on EARTH–me being such an authentic taco guru–would I order something of this nature?!?  Have you ever had chicharron tacos?  They come in two versions: Too much fat and Not enough fat.  This was neither:  A perfect delectable strip nestled in seaweed and a shell made of something resembling wonton but with a fancier name which has escaped me.  Very nice, succinct wine selection–some of the usual suspects and a few out-of-the-ordinary bottles–and a couple extra points for a GREAT version of Thai Iced Tea.  Stemless glasses lose a couple points, but hey: I get what restys like this have to do to make wine-service work for them.  No, actually, I don’t get it.  I changed my mind.  There’s no excuse for stemless.  Ever.  Now that I have sampled a variety from various corners of the menu and felt out what this wonderful little place has to offer, my next visit I will be able to limit myself.  Maybe.  Doubtful.  It is a really great place and I highly recommend trying it.  The fun menu reflects the creativity of the chef and a totally out-of-the-box approach to dining for this area.

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