Fusion in TX

[FoodMan]

From today's digest:

Tandoori Enchiladas

Tandoori Enchiladas ,  typically that menu item alone would have me running out the door. However, Robb Walsh finds that fusion is done right at Café Monsoon, just grab a beer and enjoy.

Seriously, "Tandoori Enchiladas" would have me running out the door and to the nearest Indian restaurant serving Chicken Masala. In general I am very weary of any restaurant that has the word "fusion" anywhere on the menu. It does seem that a few here and there every now and then take the fusion concept and do it right. Apparently Cafe Monsoon does that for the most part (I have never been there yet though). The only place that I can think of that also properly uses the fusion concept -and touts it on their menu- is "Cafe Red Onion". Most of their stuff is pretty good and it is a regular lunch destination for me.

What does everyone else think about fusion restaurants? Let's hear about the good, bad and ugly in TX.

Elie

[Kevin72]

I thought Marc Cassel when he was running the Green Room (and actually cooking that night) really was able to hit the fusion note well, intertwining Asian and Mexican or Latin flavors. He's trying to incorporate North African flavors at Dragonfly now and it'll be interesting to see if he gets it down or just chucks it altogether.

I haven't been in years, and it may not even be open anymore, but benjy's in Houston was also pretty adept at the straight up Asian fusion angle.

This may not qualify, but guilty pleasure nod goes to Tin Star, esp. the buffalo chicken tacos. Mmmm . . .

[Bond Girl]

I believe there is also a japanese place Uchi? that does a good fusion.

[FoodMan]

What about Indian-Chinese fusion, from the digest:

Houston Chronicle's Dining Guide

The Best of both worlds

Dai Huynh reports on a new fusion concept taking off in Houston, Indian-Chinese.

I can personally vouch for Mayuri. IMHO, it has the best Indian (or should that be Indo-chinese, or Chine-Indian) buffets in town! It is probably the only buffet that I frequent on a regular basis. Even their desserts on the buffet are homemade, not that stuff that comes in a box from Sysco.

Elie

[BigboyDan]

Tin Star Austin is closed - fused out.

[RonThePirate]

For those in Dallas, you might have an opinion regarding Abacus and their fusion-approach to cuisine. Waka, a Japanese restaurant around 190 and the Tollway, used to do a very intelligent "Nouvelle" Japanese cuisine. Alas, the chef moved on and when I went in the week after he left (which I was unaware of at the time) there was a big, big difference in the quality.

I've never been a fan of the food at Dragonfly. It's never really developed beyond it's original menu, which I hope would chance with the new chef in the kitchen. Truth is, Dallas (or perhaps Texas for that matter) doesn't have a broad enough customer base for chefs and restaurants to expand their global tastes outside of the relentless amounts of steakhouses, Tex-Mex, and BBQ we have all over the place. A shame, methinks.

[Kevin72]

I've never been a fan of the food at Dragonfly.  It's never really developed beyond it's original menu, which I hope would chance with the new chef in the kitchen. 

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I've been intrigues by Waka and am sorry I missed it when the original chef was there.

Dragonfly supposedly has Cassel's official menu coming out later this summer or early fall. When we went there earlier this summer the off the menu specials were almost as long as the menu itself! So he's definitely trying to make his mark there. I'm interested to see where it goes, but to your point I'm also worried that he's going to be boxed in by the concept.

[munchcake]

I believe there is also a japanese place Uchi? that does a good fusion.

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BondGirl -

Uchi's kitchen is much more fusion than its sushi bar. Interesting combinations of Japanese ingredients and French technique. One of the signature "sashimis" is a salad of tuna and goat cheese, which didn't work nearly as well as a pan-seared fish (bass?) in tomato-dashi broth that blended eastern and western ingredients much more seamlessly. Delicious. It's also nice to see equal consideration given to cold sakes and reasonably-priced wines.

[RonThePirate]

You know what I just realized? There's a Japanese restaurant around Lemmon and Wycliff called "Fusion."

They have to be doing something along these lines, right? :)

[zephyrus]

the fish in question at uchi is indeed striped bass....

casey