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Restaurants that proudly identify as “fusion cuisine” are a relatively new concept in the grand scheme of human history, and some old-school chefs still balk at the term, which they see as an excuse to do two cuisines poorly, but fusion food is not a new invention — or one that’s going away. 

Although the term “fusion cuisine” was only added to the Oxford Dictionary in 2002, its history can be traced back centuries and is part of a lasting legacy of colonization. Some fusion food was so successfully ingrained in a culture’s current-day cuisine, that it’s easy to forget its origins.

One example is the bánh mì, a delicious Vietnamese sandwich traditionally filled with tangy, pickled vegetables and meat, including the medieval French creation pâté. The sandwich is almost always served on a French baguette. Now don’t get me wrong, this sandwich is absolutely a Vietnamese dish and bánh mì shops wouldn’t categorize themselves as “fusion” on Yelp, but that’s exactly my point. It’s a product of two cultures and therefore by definition a fusion dish even though it’s not thought of as one. 

Another form of fusion, perhaps slightly closer to what we see today in fusion restaurants is how immigrants from a diaspora can shape local cuisine. That happened in Turkey, which took in many immigrant cooks from neighboring Syria, and even across oceans. When Lebanese immigrants moved to Mexico, their method of cooking tiered meat on a spit for shawarma led to tacos al pastor. It caught on like wildfire and now every traditional Mexican taco stand offers al pastor meat.

Even though it’s not new, the idea of fusion cuisine has taken on a new form in recent years. It’s become an overt celebration of one or more cuisines coming together as two wholes to create something new.

Two Long Beach restaurants I visited recently do that exceptionally well. 

Chef Chad Phuong has, for years, been blending Cambodian cuisine with Texas barbecue at his Battambong BBQ pop-up. And when I was at Trademark Brewing on an early Sunday morning to watch an F1 race with a few friends over 10 a.m. beers, Chef Chad was vending, so I snagged some brisket with garlic noodles, corn and slaw ($25) while my brother, Joey, and his fiancé, Kat, grabbed the barbecue-loaded nachos ($15). 

The garlic noodles were delicious, coating your lips as you slurped them up, and as you may know from previous editions of this newsletter, I love garlic. Brisket isn’t my favorite cut of meat so I put Chef Chad at a disadvantage by ordering something I knew I didn’t love, but, the housemade barbecue and spicy sauces smothered over the fatty meat were addicting nonetheless. The barbecue sauces were not overly smokey or tangy, but rich with layers of flavor. The slaw and corn gave the perfect acidity to cut through the heavy meal. 

The nachos were fantastic with a base of tortilla chips, melted cheese, shredded meat with barbecue sauce then topped with jalapeños, a white sauce that I’m making an educated guess is probably crema, and micro greens. With a dish like this that has so much going on, it’s harder to appreciate just how good the barbecue meat was, but altogether a very satisfying meal. 

I also recently had Thai Curry Pizza, another celebration of fusion. The concept is simple — really good pizza and really good Thai curry that you dip the pizza into. I went for a small Thai Curry Pizza with only veggies and got curry sauce on the side ($18.99 + $2 for the curry sauce). The curry sauce is spicy so I unfortunately didn’t have the guts to dunk every bite of pizza into the sauce, but for the bites I did, it was incredible. I would have never thought cheese and curry sauce would taste so good together, but there’s something incredible about pizza dough soaking up that spicy, creamy broth.

I was happy with my choice to go veggie, especially because the meal was fairly heavy for me even getting the small size. The vegetables weren’t cooked to oblivion so I still got a slight crunch from the onions and the peppers when I bit through. Was it absolutely the best pizza I’ve ever had? No. Was it the best curry I’d ever had? No, but it was really good.

I don’t know if pizza with curry will ever have the staying power of a classic like the bánh mì, but its simplicity and reverence for each unique cuisine will keep me coming back again and again.

Battambong BBQ is at the Bixby Knolls Farmers Market on Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m., Trademark Brewing on Sundays from 12 to 7 p.m., and more. Find his pop-up schedule here. 

Thai Curry Pizza is at 929 Redondo Ave. Directions | Website

Do you go to fusion restaurants around town? Send recommendations my way! 

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Dishes on my to-try list

• I’ve been wanting to try The Eldo for a while, but there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day or space in my body to eat everywhere I want to. When I do make it there, I plan to grab a peri-peri chicken sandwich ($16.49). 
• Continuing with my hunt for some affordable meals, Poke Plus near the airport has loco moco (a hearty Hawaiian dish with fried egg, gravy, hamburger and white rice) for $9.95. 

Events and Specials

This Saturday, Dec. 2, is Bad Santa’s Booze Ball. The party comes with unlimited tastings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the whole event lasts until midnight. For those who don’t want to drink but still want to party, tickets start at $20. More information here. 

Long Beach Night Market returns to DTLB on Dec. 16 from 6 to 11 p.m. on the Promenade. General admission tickets are $7 (plus fees) and get you inside. Food will be available for purchase at the event. More information here. 

It’s never too early to plan ahead: Cafe Sevilla is offering a New Year’s Eve Tapas Bar Table Package. Packages range from $150 to $450 depending on the number of guests. More information can be found here.