FOUR CHAOS CUISINE DISHES TO KNOW

By Mike Kostyo, Trends Expert

Matchamisu

The Concept: Azumi, a modern Japanese concept in Houston

The Chef: Chef Jackie Surter is the corporate pastry chef for Atlas Restaurant Group. She knew that Houston — one of the nation’s most diverse cities — needed a creative culinary mashup for the new concept.

The Chaos: Japan meets Italy in this dessert, which takes inspiration from tiramisu. For Chef Surter’s mashup, she soaks sponge cake in matcha instead of espresso, layering it with a mascarpone mousse and passionfruit jam inside a Masu box, traditionally used to serve sake. It’s all finished with a final sprinkle of matcha powder.

'BHEL' HUMMUS

The Concept: Ema, a Mediterranean restaurant in Chicago

The Chef: Chef CJ Jacobson has always viewed Mediterranean cuisine through his own light, California-inspired style of cooking.

The Chaos: After spending time with his wife’s family in India and appreciating the country’s street food culture, Chef Jacobson was inspired to create this riff on Indian bhel puri, featuring pineapple, avocado, pomegranate, tamarind, crispy rice and mint chutney.

Oxtail Grilled Cheese

The Concept: Fat Fowl, a “new age Caribbean” concept at the Dekalb Market Hall in Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Chef: Chef/Founder Shorne Benjamin combines his Caribbean background (he discovered his love for cooking in his grandmother’s kitchen in St. Lucia) with his own “new age” interpretations and twists.

The Chaos: While much of the menu is vegetarian, the meaty Oxtail Grilled Cheese has gone viral, combining a classic American comfort food (given a premium twist by using gouda) with wine-braised oxtail (a Caribbean favorite) and housemade tomato jam to bind it all together.

Kimchi Rice Balls

The Concept: Kothai Republic, a modern interpretation of Asian cuisine that uses local ingredients in San Francisco

The Chef: Chef Sung Park is a San Francisco native with Korean heritage who uses his own background, self-taught skills and the ideas of his entire kitchen staff to craft new-yet-nostalgic dishes.

The Chaos: Kothai’s kimchi rice balls are a take on Italian arancini, swapping in flavors and ingredients like house-made kimchi, bacon, sharp cheddar and aioli.

Click here to learn more about ACF trends.