Fusion Cuisine in the Capital
“Fusion cooking“ has come a long way since it first emerged
as a fine dinning trend in Europe and the US thirty years ago. From surprise
and shocking dishes served up at some of New York and London’s hippest
restaurants, “fusion“ has now mellowed out into a philosophy of inspiration that
borrows and blends from different cultures.
“The best way to describe Asian fusion is you push forward
the flavours of Asia in a ways that is accessible to everybody to understand,
whether they are Asian or they are Western,“ says Chef Tomothy Bruyns who heads
up Tiger’s Eye, one of Phnom Penh’s newest gourmet restaurants on Sothearos
Boulevards
His philosophy is shared by fellow chefs Al Schaaf at Black Bambu, and Amy Baard at Chinese House. Together the three are some of the best contemporary chefs in Cambodia, but they each have their own take on how to fuse East and West. They do agree, though, that the best way forward is to start with the best ingredients and techniques from each culture, combing them in a complimentary way that is original without being jarring.
Take Bruyns' signature raw and cured tuna appetiser, which comes with banana heart, lily stem and somtam (green papaya salad) sauce. It borrows from at least four different culinary cultures, but brings them together into one delectable whole that has an original texture and flavour.
"It's Italian in that it's a seafood carpaccio and it's Japanese in that it's sashimi. It's brought together by Cambodian and Southeast Asian
cuisine because of the fact we use banana stem and the stalk of the lily flower. There's a little bit of modernism in it in that the puree that we put forward, the hot basil, is a fluid gel. The dressing is traditionally Thai, it's from green papaya salad," he explains.
Chef Schaaf at Black Bambu on Street 228 says he's happy to see the "fusion confusion" of the 1980s and 1990s go the way of shoulder pads and flip phones. "I'd like to think that these days, 'influenced' or 'inspired' is a better description. I think chefs try to respect the ingredients, their use and origin more."
This is the case of his signature sambal snapper, based on a traditional spicy Indonesian dish with new accents and contemporary preparation. "All the flavours are Southeast Asian. Turmeric, lemongrass,
fresh herbs, fresh grated coconut, potato, and chilli paste are found in different dishes through out the region, from amok to curries. We just present it in a different way," he says.
Chinese House on Sisowath Quay has taken fusion to the next level, combing East and West in its decor as well as food. The 112-year-old wooden house has been beautifully renovated to maintain its old-Phnom Penh feel, combining traditional Chinese architecture and Cambodian decor with European accents. The menu combines these elements as well, says Chef Baard, which she prefers to call "Pan-Asian Pacific cuisine" rather than simple "fusion".
Her favourite dish of the moment is the smoked scallops, which uses Japanese ingredients and a Western-style searing and smoking: "They are seared until golden perfection served with Ponzu (Japanese) marinated zucchini shavings, edamame, a lightly spiced garlic emulsion, green pea puree and then every so slightly smoked with hickory."
With so many delicious gourmet restaurants to choose from, save room on your Phnom Penh trip to try the city's best dining. After all, there is no more fitting place to try fusion than Southeast Asia, the birthplace of some of the world's best fusion cooking and now some of its best contemporary cuisine.
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