The big buckets of Asian, Latin and Mediterranean have been leading the global flavor explosion on menus. But now chefs are digging deeper, exploring niches within these cuisines to appeal to consumers’ more adventurous palates. The recipes here highlight the flavors and ingredients of Korean, Filipino, Burmese, Tunisian and Turkish cooking that are gradually emerging on more mainstream menus.
At Parachute restaurant in Chicago, chewy, crisp bing bread is a Korean specialty made with potatoes. It’s served warm in a cast-iron pan straight out of the oven. Topped with bacon bits, scallions and sesame seeds, this cheesy bread encapsulates a fusion of Asian and American elements complete with a smear of sour cream butter.
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Myanmar, also known as Burma, is bordered by India and Thailand, but the cuisine—which is just starting to emerge on menus—is characterized more by sour and pungent ingredients than spicy and sweet flavors. A seasonal watermelon salad is a familiar way to introduce Burmese flavors to customers. This refreshing dish is a toss of cubed watermelon, creamy avocado, peanuts, green lentils, green beans and coconut flakes drizzled in a soy dressing.
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Chef Rebecca Alarcon of The Richmond Arms Pub in Houston won an honorable mention in the entree category for this recipe after competing in a contest that celebrates independent neighborhood restaurants. The creamy, flavor-packed yogurt soup features healthy Middle Eastern ingredients with a slant toward Turkish cuisine. It’s easily replicable in foodservice kitchens with its use of cost-effective, widely available ingredients such as lamb leg, yogurt, tahini and mint.
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North African cuisine was named by several trend forecasters as an emerging culinary force in 2017. Moroccan cooking may be more familiar to American diners, but Tunisian dishes are coming into their own. They share some of the same Mediterranean ingredients, such as turmeric, cumin, olives, tomatoes, couscous and lemons, but Tunisian dishes tend to be spicier. At Mustards Grill in Napa, Calif., chef Pawlcyn uses fresh halibut as the protein, adding cherry tomatoes, capers and preserved lemon peel for authenticity, paired with a scratch-made hot pepper sauce.
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With its bold fusion of Asian and Latin elements, Filipino cuisine is poised to become popular with American eaters looking for the next ethnic adventure. Every part of the pig is used by Filipino cooks, and pork sisig is traditionally made with the pig’s liver, ears and jowls. At Kaphistahan Grill in Los Angeles, chef Majaba elevates the peasant dish by substituting pork belly for those lesser-known parts and serving the sisig in a sizzling cast iron skillet. A mix of chili pepper spice, sour vinegar and pungent ginger characterizes the dish with Filipino flavor.
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