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Food Trends - Asian InvasionCheck out the menu at a hot new restaurant, ask chefs what foods they enjoy on their nights off or turn on a TV cooking show, and you'll hear over and over again that Asian cuisine is hot. Although sushi bars and Chinese take-out are nothing new in America, chefs today are creating innovative recipes incorporating Southeast Asian ingredients in dishes that have more in common with the Mason-Dixon line than the Great Wall of China. As palates expand and customers become more knowledgeable about food, even the most all-American restaurants around the country are adding a pinch of five-spice, a squirt of lime and a drizzle of chili oil to create a literal melting pot of Asian-inspired tastes. "We find Southeast Asian flavors to be consistent with our cooking style because of the fresh ingredients, especially the herbs," said Chef Michael O'Halloran of Philadelphia's White Dog Café. Although the restaurant is known for its contemporary American cuisine, O'Halloran easily scatters Asian elements throughout the menu. They can be as overt as his Crispy Asian Five-spice Duck Breast, or as subtle as a casual Salmon Burger, accompanied by a cucumber-vegetable salad reminiscent of a-jaad, Thai cucumber salad. "Southeast Asian food can be tough to prepare because most of the ingredients are nearly inedible on their own and are meant to be mixed in with other things," he noted. "It's always a challenge to balance so many contrasting flavors and textures, but that the outcome typically pays off with our customers." 
Aside from their flavors, O'Halloran cited the health benefits inherent in Asian ingredients as especially important in his restaurant, which prides itself on using its fresh and organic ingredients. "Asian cuisine ingredients are usually lower in cholesterol and include less dairy than typical American fare, so they provide a healthy option for our customers," he affirmed. At Sherman Oaks, California's Max restaurant, Chef Andre Guerrero also uses Asian ingredients to lighten otherwise traditional French and American dishes. For example, he marinades his Chilean Sea Bass with miso and mirin for a result he calls, "not something you would ever find in an Asian restaurant," but one with a distinctly Eastern flavor. Guerrero further fuses Asian cusine into his version of ribs. He takes applewood-smoked baby back ribs - a dish straight out of the American South - and hits the meat with a hoison barbecue sauce to make it his own. "The outcome is an Asian sauce on a very American dish, but it also reminds me of the Polynesian restaurants that used to be so popular and that's why this recipe is something everyone likes and relates to," he pointed out. 
At Seattle's Marjorie, Chef Matt Fortner gives an equally Southern dish, this time chicken and dumplings, yet another Asian spin. Yes, it's chicken and vegetables, but Fortner simmers them in ginger and nuac mam-spiked stock. And, when customers take a second glance in their bowls, they're able to confirms that those are not typical flour dumplings, but shitake mushroom-filled Vietnamese bao. "This menu item is unique because we take a Southern dish and add bold Asian flavors to it," Forntner explained. Bold flavors are what attract Levy Restaurants Chef Ian Orr to use Asian ingredients in his kitchens at Los Angeles' Staples Center and Dodgers' Stadium. Orr uses fresh Thai chilies to prepare an otherwise All-American pear and cinnamon chutney that accompanies his decidedly Southwestern achiote roasted pork loin in a cross-cultural fusion dish that wins applause from fans in both venues. "The Thai chilies give a great flavor that works really well with the sweet fruit and smoky achiote," Orr asserted. "They are just incredibly versatile." Orr shows off that versatility on a number of his locations' dishes, from appetizers through the cheese courses served at the end of meals. He also makes use of spicy-sweet fruit chutneys in his cheese displays, contrasting the condiment's flavors with creamy cheeses. "I like using peppers and chutneys in non-traditional combinations," he related. "The best thing about them is that you don't have to limit them to strictly Asian dishes - they work in almost anything." Chefs agree that such Asian twists help to keep their menus interesting even to the most-demanding customers. 
"The world is getting smaller, and people know more about food," explained Guerrero. "There has been a huge influx of international cuisine that has really opened up a lot of U.S. diners' palates and affected how they eat. People can talk not just about a country's cuisine, but the food from each of the different regions. As chefs, we have to keep up with that." Sources Iam Orr Michael O'Halloran Andre Guerrero Matt Fortner   
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