Diners have an appetite for Asian flavours

With the current appetite for Asian flavours, chefs can combine it with local, seasonal produce to create a mouth-watering offering

From Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lankan cuisines to Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese and Filipino, the continent of Asia offers a huge land mass of inspiration for chefs.

But you don't need to devote your entire menu to a single cuisine; social media and the street food trend have opened the door and diners' minds to mix-and-match and fusion ideas, from bao burgers to kimchi coleslaw.

Asian fusion gives diners and chefs an opportunity to dip a toe in the water and try something new and exciting, but with a reassuringly familiar feel. It also ties in with many other current trends, including the ‘glocal' food trend – the demand for global flavours with a local twist. And it can help reduce wastage if ingredients can be repurposed in different dishes, which is good news with sustainability on everyone's agenda and during a cost of living crisis.

So what are the latest Asian fusion ideas for chefs to consider adding to the menu? And how do you get started with bringing out your inner Nobu Matsuhisa, the Japanese godfather of fusion food, who takes inspiration from Japan and Peru?

Ingredients for success

Caterers can work with storecupboard ingredients and adapt menus and recipes to be more versatile, says Paul Tunnicliffe, culinary development chef at Bidfood. Fully stocking a pantry with Asian ingredients can seem intimidating, but with just a few basic ingredients, including lime, fresh coriander and soy sauce, you can make a wide variety of recipes from China, India, Vietnam and beyond.

"And if you don't want to place Asian fusion on your menu full time, use what you have in your pantry and have an Asian fusion theme day with a special menu," he suggests.

Adding a street food element to the offer is also a good idea, as these types of dishes are small, quick to serve and packed with flavour. Indeed, street food and on-the-go eating remain at the heart of Asian fusion's current appeal.

Culinary director Ryan Holmes at workplace caterer Eurest also finds that snack-sized options, such as sushi and samosas, are familiar favourites. Eurest's recent global ‘eating at work' survey showed that Generation Z are more likely to graze throughout the day rather than eat a big meal, so these handheld options also appeal to a younger demographic.

The caterer has developed a new Japanese food range, Ton Kat, made up of hand-held items and with on-the-go eaters in mind. The menu includes bite-sized versions of popular Japanese staples, such as tiger fries (a mix of potato and sweet potato fries), pork burgers and miso slaw.

With sustainability now at the top of the agenda for many businesses, Eurest looks to include as many locally sourced ingredients as possible in menus, even in its Asian fusion food offering, says Holmes. "We reimagine classic British produce, such as cabbage, to make delicious dumplings and Asian-inspired slaws, for example."

Flavour balance

Asian food has delicious sweet, salty and spicy flavours and lots of texture, so using fish as a base or in conjunction with vegetables makes a tasty option, comments Joel Carr, development chef at Young's Foodservice.

Asian fusion fish burgers are an easy recipe to create, he suggests, using its quarter pounder fillet of fish and some homemade slaw using the key Asian ingredients of soy, ginger and garlic or kimchi, and topped with a hot and spicy Asian mayo, made by simply adding some hot horseradish to mayonnaise. Or marinate fish fillets in a mixture of miso and white wine vinegar to absorb the flavour.

Rice is an endlessly versatile option for Asian fusion dishes, according to supplier Tilda, and chefs can explore different techniques and flavours using rice as a base, such as jasmine rice with ginger soy turkey or Asian mango rice pudding.

Noodles are another obvious choice when it comes to channelling Asian fusion cuisine, says Greta Strolyte, brand manager at Lucky Boat: "Asian fusion cuisines are really gaining favour. Noodles are tasty and quick to prepare, are extremely versatile for many diet types, are great for take-out or dine-in, and offer affordable street food-style menu options." Lucky Boat noodles are also made in the UK, and so tap into the ‘glocal' trend.

Adding a sauce is a good shortcut to creating flavours from Asia. Sauces and marinades supplier Major International offers a range of flavours from across the globe, and Paul Saunders, marketing manager, says: "Major is experienced in being at the forefront of flavour innovation in the Asian fusion market."

Even the sauces themselves are getting a fusion feel. Funnybones Foodservice's new Korean barbecue sauce, produced in Wales, delivers the sticky sweetness of a typical American barbecue dip with added zing and spice, says Tom Styman-Heighton, development chef at Funnybones.

Sweet disposition

Asian fusion isn't just for savoury foods, suppliers hasten to point out, as chefs can also add these flavours to the dessert menu. Street food favourite bao buns have been a popular savoury menu item for all types of operators, from fast-casual to high-end dining, but shake things up and create a fusion of flavours by serving them as sweet treats too, suggests Gordon Lauder, managing director of frozen food distributor Central Foods. "Bao buns are great options that work well for takeaway or sit-down dishes. They are super-easy to serve and just the right size for hand-held ‘light bites'."

Central Foods' bao buns are vegan, so allow operators to tap into the current demand for plant-based options, he says. For a vegan Asian fusion dessert option, dip a bao bun in icing sugar, deep-fry and pack with a scoop of vegan ice-cream before drizzling with plant-based toffee sauce, Lauder suggests.

Or add a dash of flavour such as chai to your desserts for a fusion feel, Michelle Younger, head of marketing at Aimia Foods says: "A caterer can transform a traditional British cake or dessert into one that is bursting with exotic spice, such as a warm chai apple pie or sticky toffee chai pudding."

With trends such as street food, sustainability and ‘glocalism' all converging in Asian fusion cuisine, there is every reason for chefs to have fun mixing-up ingredients, flavours or even the formats of popular dishes. In 2023 the world is the chef's oyster mushroom, and curiosity alone should tempt customers through the door to try their bold creations.

New year, new menu

Restaurants and foodservice operators looking to dip a toe into Asian fusion cuisine can take the opportunity to get creative around Chinese New Year, which falls on 22 January. In challenging times, the good news is that the Chinese New Year offers auspicious augers for the year ahead, and makes a great excuse for a party or at least an Asian fusion theme day.

This Chinese New Year is the year of the Water Rabbit. The sign of the rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity in Chinese culture and the year of 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope.

Chinese Lunar New Year, the two-week Spring Festival, has been celebrated in the UK since 1963, when London's Chinatown was just becoming established. Food plays a vital part in the celebrations and many carry meaningful, lucky and auspicious significance.

There's a plethora of dishes from the different regions of China which hospitality operators should consider offering at this time of year, suggests Maria Chong, managing director of supplier Lee Kum Kee Europe. Braised shiitaki mushrooms served with lettuce is a ‘must-have' dish for Chinese New Year, Chong says, and is normally braised with dried oysters. The oysters are pronounced ‘ho si' in Chinese, which also means ‘good matters'. Lettuce is ‘san-choy' in Chinese, which sounds like the phrase meaning ‘generate wealth'.

In the north of China, families tend to have dumplings to celebrate Chinese New Year, as the Chinese name for dumplings, ‘jiaozi', means ‘changing of years'. They are shaped like an ancient Chinese gold ingot, so symbolising wealth. Dumplings are usually filled with minced pork, beef or lamb, or a whole shrimp marinated with light and dark soy sauce.

Fish is another key food at Chinese New Year, the Chinese pronunciation of fish, ‘yu', means surplus and fortune. Noodles and tofu also have special significance. Noodles symbolise longevity and tofu in Chinese is ‘dou fu', which sounds similar to another Chinese word meaning ‘everybody is blessed and wealthy'.

On the 15th day of the Chinese New Year period, considered the Chinese Valentine's Day, families enjoy sweet dumplings.

Operators could also offer a range of traditional Western dishes with Chinese-style marinades for the Chinese New Year. Roast chicken signifies good beginnings to the year, as well as an abundance of happiness and prosperity. Or a grilled leg of lamb, braised in oyster sauce, is an auspicious animal in Chinese culture, signifying wealth, luck and a promising new year.

Rolling out some new dishes and highlighting the symbolism of auspicious Chinese New Year foods on the menu is a great way to put a spring into a customer's step as they go into 2023.