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

Fusion 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 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.

TACO TACU: Mexican and Peruvian

Neon green lights shine from the awning outside of Taco Tacu, surrounded by vegetation and small cacti center-pieces. The Mexican and Peruvian fusion restaurant opened in 2019 and is located on 3456 SW 8th St. Its tacos and sushi rolls mixed with Peruvian ingredients have fascinated customers throughout Miami.

Chef Oscar Garcia wanted to bring flavors from dishes like Fajitas de lomo saltado and pescado a lo macho to Miami. Having ingredients from different cultures gives Taco Tacu more dishes to experiment with. An example of this is their Arroz Chaufa al Pastor which has ingredients like fried rice, pastor ham, jalapenos and fresh veggies. Fried rice comes from dishes in Asia and the pastor ham is from Mexico. The combination of these ingredients create a very popular dish in the restaurant. “One of the benefits of having a fusion restaurant is that we get people who want to try fusion dishes and those who want to eat food from their culture,” Garcia said.

Taco Tacu’s most famous dishes are tacos and fajitas, which retail for $3 and $14. Garcia’s favorite dish is La Fajita de Lomo Saltado, which is a combination of Peruvian and Mexican food. The peppers alongside the red onions and steak come together and spice things up.

“It’s amazing how well they incorporate all the ingredients from Mexico and Peru into one dish. The tacos are mouthwatering,” customer Anna Castracanne said. Taco Tacu’s menu is divided by tacos, specialty and traditional sushi rolls, authentic Peruvian and Mexican food, fusion plates and more. Their fusion plate section is filled with Mexican and Peruvian combinations as well as their take on sushi rolls. For those who love a good bargain, every Tuesday, Taco Tacu has $2 tacos. The appetizers vary from ceviche to burrito bowls and they are no more than $17. Karaoke night is every Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. where customers can go and show off their singing talent. The tables in the restaurant are moved around, disco lights are set in place, the blinds are brought down and the music is turned on. The more open space allows for customers to dance with others and sing along to the beat of the songs.

“I went during Taco Tuesday and the tacos I had were some of the best I’ve ever eaten, I’m looking forward to coming back with my friends,” junior Nicolas Goldstucker said.

Their business hours are from noon to 11 p.m. from Tuesday through Sunday. Taco Tacu was affected drastically by the pandemic, losing almost 50% of their usual clientele. To make the restaurant as safe as possible, employees wear their mask constantly, clean the tables and surfaces. Since Miami-Dade County is now in Phase Three, Taco Tacu is preparing for indoor dining, while still being cautious. For those that cannot go to the restaurant, Taco Tacu is offered for delivery through Postmates and GrubHub.

LATIN FLAVORS: At Taco Tacu dishes like tacos are mixed with Peruvian flavors to create an amazing fusion.

Courtesy of Taco Taco

ASIAN THAI KITCHEN: Pan-Asian

Walking past Asian Thai Kitchen, the smells of ginger and garlic waft onto the street from the small take-out window. Through a window one can see cooks pacing back and forth in the kitchen, tossing woks full of noodles, stirring pots of soup and chopping a variety of vegetables. With a simple glance at the menu, customers are met with a variety of foods from pad thai to udon noodles. Asian Thai Kitchen is bringing pan-Asian fusion to Miami for an affordable price.

Dedicated to their love for making Thai food and sharing their culture with others, this family-owned business was started back in 2015. The four owners of this restaurant, who just so happen to be sisters, worked at a handful of Miami’s Japanese and Thai joints before striking out on their own with delightful renditions of classics. Such dishes include a spicy, fragrant Panang curry which is rich with the earthy, citrusy flavor of lemongrass and coconut milk.

“The best thing about having an Asian fusion restaurant is that even though we are more experienced with making Thai food, we have employees who have worked in Japanese restaurants so we try to incorporate that into our food. Our food is very similar so I can eat Japanese and Korean food for months because I can adapt,” manager Nila Manorat said.

Divided into the subsections Appetizers, Salads, Noodles & Rice, Specials, Thai Entrees, Soups, Noodles Soup, Japanese, Desserts and Peruvian Corner, this menu is loaded with all the favorites including pad thai, satay, gyoza, soups, salads and a small selection of Peruvian food for those so inclined.

Located at 1981 SW 8th St, they are open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and close at 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Their prices range from $2 to $21.

“We were looking for a good Thai restaurant in Miami and came across Asian Thai Kitchen among the long list of Thai restaurants in Miami. The menu is surprisingly extensive and is very moderately priced,” customer Pablo Hernandez said, “overall, his is the best Thai food I’ve had in years. The portions are generous and plentiful, the flavors are authentically Thai, the prices are very fair and the service is fast and attentive.”

Because of the pandemic, the restaurant has taken precautions and currently has no indoor dining. To order one can simply call them at (305) 646-2999, order on their website.www.asianthaikitchenmiami.com, use a second party platform such as Uber Eats or order at their door. Employees wear their masks, never taking off even while cooking. To them their priority is to remain safe while still sharing their culture and food with customers a d keeping them safe.

THAI TASTE: The Woon Sen Pad Thai is made with clear noodles and gives customers a variety of options for meat.

Addys Plata/highlights