There's now a reason to stop at the old Shaw's Plaza on DW Highway in Merrimack. Pacific Fusion, a Chinese/Japanese restaurant opened there in March, breathing new life into the mostly abandoned plaza. Don't let appearances throw you off; you are in for a treat.

Menu: 18/20

The menu is comprehensive and will take some time for you to go through. Once you've decided between Chinese or Japanese cuisine, you will still have quite a few entrees and appetizers to choose from. On the Chinese side, the menu boasts 18 seafood entrees, 14 luncheon specials and18 chef's specialties including Peking Duck. In the mood for Japanese? Pick from 22 sushi or sashimi rolls, 14 sushi or sashimi entrees and several tempura dishes.

Appetizers: 17/20

Our Gourmet: Call me crazy, and TDC usually does, but to me the mark of a good Chinese restaurant is the Pu Pu Platter ($16.95). I have guidelines. For example, a good platter always includes crab rangoons, which is my favorite. The Pu Pu Platter at Pacific Fusion also includes the usual suspects: beef teriyaki, egg roll, spring roll, chicken fingers, chicken wings, fried shrimp and boneless spareribs. All were very tasty and not overly salty or greasy. The standout was the pillowy crab Rangoon, filled with cream-cheesy goodness. They bill it as a Pu Pu for Two but it could easily serve three or four people if you order other items. (7/10)

TDC: Having worked at a Japanese restaurant in the past, I decided to order from that side of the menu and reacquaint myself with this style of food.

Pacific Fusion offers a unique and wide variety of sushi and sashimi rolls, which made it delightfully difficult to make a selection. I zoned in on the Ocean Roll ($10.95), which was listed as shrimp tempura topped with spicy tempura crab. The roll consisted of eight pieces laid out artfully on a plate drizzled in a soy-based sauce with each end capped off with a shrimp tempura tail. The spicy tempura crab, which topped the roll, was a perfect blend of sweet crab meat and a spicy tempura mix. The soft mixture also made for a nice contrast with the crunchier shrimp tempura filling. This is one of the best sushi rolls I've had. (10/10)

Entrees: 16/20

OG: Given the size and scope of the menu, and my notorious indecisiveness, I had a hard time choosing what to have for my main course. I settled on the Sesame Chicken ($11.50) with a side of Pork Fried Rice (small portion, $4.25). The portion of chicken was generous and the sauce wasn't overly sweet. I only wish they served more on the side in which to dip the breaded chicken. The fried rice was what you'd typically get at most Chinese restaurants; it was fine but not extraordinary. (7/10)

TDC: For the main dish I went with the Dinner Box, of which you have a choice of Chicken, Beef, Seafood or Shrimp Teriyaki. Each comes with a choice of soup, a garden salad, rice and shrimp tempura. I chose the Beef Teriyaki ($17.95) and miso soup, which is a traditional Japanese soup usually comprised of tofu, wakame and scallion. Even though I didn't see it listed on the menu, the box also contained vegetable tempura. The box was filled with big tender chunks of beef bathed in a sweet teriyaki sauce. While there was a lot of sauce, it was very palatable and I enjoyed using the extra to flavor up the white rice. There was plenty left to take home, which made for an enjoyable reheated treat. (9/10)

Atmosphere: 10/20

Everything is brand new and clean in the colorful, deceptively roomy space. There are plenty of tables and booths, or if you just want to have an appetizer or a drink, you can sit in the large lounge/bar area.

We sat in the main dining room, but the atmosphere suffered badly from rather loud country music playing in the background and a movie (with subtitles) showing on a big screen in the dining area.

All the rest: 15/20

Pacific Fusion serves two cuisines and does them both well. We stuffed ourselves, had drinks and even after a generous tip, we still managed to spend less than $100.

No dessert menu was offered, but if you have room, and the fortune cookies and orange wedges given to you with the bill aren't sufficient, you can always walk over to King Kone for a soft serve.

Overall, the food, which is beautifully presented, is the star of the show at Pacific Fusion.

Total: 76/100