455725 Tue Oct 30 19:40:50 -0700 2007 13 12 Boston Area 0 3081552 Hi, does anyone know of any good fusion restaurants in the Boston area? I only know of the Elephant Walk, but I'm trying to find some other ones... Tue Oct 30 19:40:50 -0700 2007 138969 ellstah 1 3081664 I guess I'd ask what you mean by fusion. Elephant Walk has two distinct menus, French and Cambodian; it doesn't seem very fusion-y to me, beyond the obvious French influences that Cambodian cuisine absorbed from the French Colonial period. I tend to think of fusion as a more literal fusing of two disparate cuisines, like Mantra did in its early days (but which later chefs abandoned) with French and Indian, or thankfully long-gone places like Eurosia did in the early 90s. My idea of good fusion is the subtle kind practiced at places like Clio (Japanese/French), or the kind where expatriate cooks adapt their homelands' cuisines to new environs and ingredients and local preferences, like the Desi Chinese dishes at Grain and Salt. Tue Oct 30 20:28:51 -0700 2007 3081552 10143 MC Slim JB 2 3081997 I agree with MC Slim JB. And indeed Clio would top my list, although it's not anything like an everyday kind of place. Other entries would be EVOO and Oleana. I don't particularly like Om, but I suppose it falls into this category as well. If you mean something like more like "hip, modern versions of ethnic food" I'd look to Shiki (actually pretty authentically Japanese, but you'll also find dishes like hamachi tartare in olive oil with mesclun greens), Anise (again, pretty authentic Sichuan but with some other touches), Ole Mexican Grill (particularly their "Mexican Tapas"), or (horror of horrors) P.F. Chang's in Boston or Rice Garden in Newton for some very inauthentic, but very modern Chinese, if you like that sort of thing. Tangierino in Charlestown has both authentic Moroccan and modernized Moroccan on separate menus. Wed Oct 31 02:23:55 -0700 2007 3081664 14328 lipoff 1 3081700 Taranta? Tue Oct 30 20:40:03 -0700 2007 3081552 12603 ScubaSteve 1 3082220 Chez Henri- French/Cuban Wed Oct 31 06:28:05 -0700 2007 3081552 27342 trufflehound 2 3082266 Not popular on this board, but I've had good experiences: Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger in Wellesley Wed Oct 31 06:47:09 -0700 2007 3082220 104345 raddoc 1 3082309 I agree on Taranta, an unexpectedly wonderful combination of southern Italian with Peruvian accents. I'm seldom into the fusion concept, but Taranta won me over by staying so true to its two influences. Check out this thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/416008 . The Peruvian elements are there for any interested parties, but as MC Slim JB said, "If there's anyone whose cooking is closer to the spirit of authentic Southern Italian cooking...I'd like to hear about it." Chez Henri is also a great call. The French technique compliments the Cuban ingredients really nicely. The seafood dishes are particularly delicious. And yes, perhaps the most high-profile fusion restaurant around town is Blue Ginger, celebrity chef Ming Tsai's French/Asian place in Wellesley. It has its apologists, but I can't count myself in their ranks. Not sure exactly why, but this restaurant has always gotten me angry when I've visited, striking me as a pretentious, overpriced, rest-on-your-laurels snoozer. Wed Oct 31 07:02:04 -0700 2007 3081552 11344 finlero 2 3137204 Thanks for the suggestions! I think I'll try Chez Henri. French-Cuban sounds really interesting. Plus, I've definitely heard my share of bad reviews of Blue Ginger (a lot of reviews being that it's incredibly over-priced for what you're getting), so I might save the whopping amount of money I'd spend there and go somewhere else. Sun Nov 18 19:07:15 -0800 2007 3082309 138969 ellstah 3 3139165 Have been to Blue Ginger many times and never had a bad anything, If you want to try it without spending alot (and it really is not over the top expensive like Clio, anyway) try lunch there. Many signature dishes still on the lunch menu and you can usually walk in without a reservation. Mon Nov 19 11:53:27 -0800 2007 3137204 13202 emilief 1 3138744 Sibling Rivalry Mon Nov 19 10:18:54 -0800 2007 3081552 98578 Kate Sylvester 2 3139206 I probably wouldn't call Sibling Rivalry a fusion restaurant. When I think of fusion, I generally think of combining two specific types of cuisine (often French/something, like French/Cuban, French/Chinese, etc) as an overarching concept, but always sticking to those same two elements. Sibling Rivalry's food is a little less specific (pretty much anything is fair game), resting more heavily on the familial Iron Chef concept than on any specific cuisine. I'm also personally not much of a fan of the food, finding it both expensive and of rather underwhelming quality, but I guess that's what makes horse racing... Mon Nov 19 12:05:32 -0800 2007 3138744 11344 finlero 1 3141873 I generally avoid fusion as it usually seems to bring out the worst of both worlds, but I do occasionally like Gari in Coolidge Corner. It's a very attractive space (don't miss the bathroom - seriously!) with an American-Japanese fusion cuisine. Try the lobster tempura roll appetizer, for example - it has lobster and asparagus in a seaweed roll with a creamy element (cream cheese?), deep-fried with a light tempura coating and served with a mango-chili sauce. Sounds odd but works perfectly. Other dishes can be hit-or-miss, but overall it's worth a visit. Tue Nov 20 08:20:31 -0800 2007 3081552 14386 BobB 2 3150387 Hm, I've never tried American-Japanese fusion cuisine. I always felt like infusing food with American tastes sort of bastardized the taste of the original cuisine, but hey, maybe I should try it out before I judge(=. How is the pricing at Gari? Fri Nov 23 21:21:53 -0800 2007 3141873 138969 ellstah 3 3153006 Well, this is pretty much my misgiving about all fusion, but at least some of the dishes at Gari do manage to bring the tastes together successfully. The menu (with prices) is at http://www.garifusion.com/menu/ Sun Nov 25 10:45:18 -0800 2007 3150387 14386 BobB