FUSION FOOD FUEL Restuarants in Miami are combining flavors from around the world to create new and exciting meals for everyone BY MARTA RODRIGUEZ, CONTENT EDITOR AND ADDYS PLATA, STAFF WRITER
F
USION CUISINE IS LOOSELY defined as foods that combines elements of culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions or cultures. While immigration and trade patterns initially prompted the concept of creating hybrid dishes, chefs have begun integrating entire flavor pallets into their dishes, to offer
their customers different culinary experiences. Through fusion cuisine people enjoy traditional dishes with a multi-ethnic twist, allowing them to experience new cultural and creative boundaries. Food fusion is now growing more and more mainstream in America, inducing compelling ways to make and think about food. It allows experimentation and freedom
in exploring a variety of tastes and textures. Located in Miami, fusion restaurants like Artisan, Taco Tacu and Asian Thai Kitchen all provide their own unique spins on original dishes. While Artisan is a Latin-American fusion restaurant, Taco Tacu has both Mexican and Peruvian dishes in its menu and Asian Thai Kitchen offers pan Asian dishes.
ARTISAN: Spanish, American and Latin The name Artisan is representative of people who are skilled in making things by hand, especially when it comes to foods or drinks. When walking into Spanish, Venezuelan and American fusion restaurant Artisan, its name is reflected everywhere, from their hand-crafted furniture to their unique combination of Hispanic and American foods. Located on 658 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne, customers immediately gravitate towards Artisan as trending songs play over the speakers and the smell of burgers, arepas and sandwiches fill the air. The restaurant is open on Monday through Saturday, from 8 a.m to 10:30 p.m and from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Prior to opening Artisan in 2012, Venezuelan owner Fernando Lander went to culinary school in Barcelona while his wife, Idoya de Quintana and took up making pastries as a hobby. Their passion for cooking food was what gave them the idea to open up Artisan. Living in the United States gives de Quintana and Lander opportunities to learn about American dishes and convert them into their own, which is what they did with the Artisan Burger. The burger buns are made from scratch, meat cooked until the customers preference, fresh tomatoes and lettuce placed
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neatly above that and dripping cheese stack on top for $10. It comes with a side of Artisan fries, which are cut up thinly and sprinkled with salt. “Having different cultures in our restaurant allows people to learn more about them and try new dishes, it also gives us room to experiment with a variety of different flavors,” Quintana said. Dishes like the Artisan Burger with fries are some of their best sellers. If customers are craving Latin food, they can opt for their $7 arepas or their four tequeños for $6. Huevos Estrellados and Rancheros are famous dishes from Spain for $15. Naia’s Sandwich, a grilled panini sandwich with warm nutella and bananas and the Walnut French Toast are also some customer favorites, costing $6 and $10 respectively and are a delicious way to end a meal. The French Toast comes with fresh berries, crispy bacon, maple syrup and pralines. “Sitting outside is the best part of the restaurant since we could enjoy the sun when it’s not so hot and it’s perfect during the pandemic,” customer Luis Lopez said. In the midst of the pandemic, indoor dining has not been allowed to happen, which is when the outdoor seating was set up to be bigger. Customers are allowed to go in the restaurant while picking food up to take home. “Friday nights at Artisan were one
of my favorites with bands playing and more people my age going there to hangout,” freshman Lucrezia Basauri said. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught the owners of Artisan to be prepared for the unpredictable and how fortunate they are to have outdoor dining, since a lot of local restaurants around them have had to close down.
Courtesey of Artisan
UNIQUE FLAVORS: At Aritsan, customers are served dishes like octopus with various vegetables.
