DIG In: Food Fusions

FLAVOR FUSIONS

STORY AND PHOTOS BY EDDIE INFANTE

Craving Korean food? Mexican food? Why not together?

Long Beach is home to almost half a million people and has become a melting pot of cultures and traditions. Not surprisingly, it's also a place where you can find different combinations of cuisines. Fusion food is a term used when various foods, ingredients or preparation from different cultural backgrounds are blended. It takes familiar foods and combines different ingredients and cooking styles to create something unique and tasty. Here are three of the best fusion restaurants in Long Beach.

Burger Daddy

149 Linden Ave., Long Beach eatburgerdaddy.com

Burger Daddy has created a traditional American burger with a twist: a katsu patty. Katsu is a crispy, fried cut of meat or seafood coated with flaky Japanese panko breadcrumbs. Burger Daddy’s mouthwatering katsu burger is made with a panko-fried beef and onion patty complete with Japanese barbecue sauce and red relish on a classic hamburger bun. You can pair it with the matcha milkshake, made with Fosselman’s vanilla bean ice cream and traditional Japanese matcha powder.

Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House Restaurant

621 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach surakbbq.com Sura is a Korean kitchen and pub located in downtown Long Beach that serves traditional Korean dishes such as kimchi pork belly fried rice and yukgaejang. But they also created an entire menu of fusion foods, including Korean tacos and Korean sopes. Sopes, handmade corn shells, and tacos are customary Mexican dishes that Sura has made with traditional Korean meat, including spicy pork and bulgogi. Be sure to catch their happy hour, which has a different menu each day and even includes $2 Korean Taco Tuesdays.

Thai Curry Pizza & Thai Food

929 Redondo Ave., Long Beach thaicurrypizza.com Pizza is the perfect comfort food, especially for a night in with Netflix, but sometimes you want to switch it up. Thai Curry Pizza has created an interesting fusion food: Thai curry chicken pizza with yellow curry sauce instead of traditional marinara sauce, bell peppers, mozzarella cheese and chicken. Pepperoni pizza may be a classic, but with one bite of this Thai pizza, you’ll be sold. It explodes with flavor from the curry and crisp bell peppers, while keeping the traditional mozzarella cheese to tie it all together. A small pizza costs $13, but it's big enough to share. Or not. Who’s judging?