But fusion cuisine is at its best when it evolves spontaneously. Wong likes to point out that there are people working in his kitchen whose ancestors can be traced to six or seven different nations. Fusion cuisine is not new to Texas, either. It's just that our particular mulligan stew was co-created by Mexicans, Germans, Czechs and Cajuns, among other ethnicities. Tex-Mex is the granddaddy of all fusion cuisines, and we've had our share of modern innovators, too.
Asian fusion is an admittedly different kettle of fish.
Hawaii, California and even New York have a long history of Asian immigration, but the influx of Asians into Houston didn't really get going until the 1970s. The cultural repercussions are just beginning to be felt. A distinctly Texan version of Asian food is sure to emerge here. Liberty Noodles has explored this territory with creations like Thai West Tacos. But Rickshaw is really out on the cutting edge, which can be both an enormous opportunity and a daunting task.