Trend Spotter: Modern Asian by Modern Asians

Evolving culinary storylines

Sitting in Serai Kitchen one night, you could overhear a thought-provoking conversation whilst a couple were glancing over menus having just arrived from the brisk Melbourne night.

“So what is this, fusion?”

“No, I think it’s modern Filipino.”

Photo 1. ‘Lechon’ western plains free-range pork belly with smoky pineapple ‘palapa’ at Serai Kitchen, Melbourne.

modern Asian is being cooked by modern Asians, meaning that the actual owners are spearheading, evolving, and breaking culinary traditions within their culinary storylines.

And here was a clear distinction. Fusion belongs to the appropriator, modern Filipino belongs to the Filipino, continuing a tradition and evolution of their culinary history.

For Australia, our complex and continuing story of immigration has led to a phenomenal array of ingredients, products, people, methods, and skills being imported for the cooking of Asian cuisines. This was firstly in the home, then in low budget restaurants to meet community needs. And it stayed there - for far too long.

When it finally broke out, was popularised, and made ‘up-market’, it was not by the people cooking it, but by (generally speaking), white Australian chefs. At best, these were people who had spent three months in Japan, two weeks in Phuket, and three days in Singapore. At worst, these were people simply poaching what David Chang was doing in the early 2000's.

Thankfully, we are beyond this confusion of ‘fusion’, coursing along a path where modern Asian is being cooked by modern Asians, meaning that the actual owners are spearheading, evolving, and breaking culinary traditions within their culinary storylines.

Whilst Sydney-based Tetsuya Wakuda and Kylie Kwong were early champions throughout the 90's, not to mention their forerunners, the mums and dads who ran ‘Chinese Restaurants’ from Kyogle to Kirrawee, the hottest of the hot for modern Asian cooking in Australia right now is to be found throughout Melbourne. Khanh Nguyen is the unequivocal leader, deserving more credit than he is given for his setting of the contemporary scene, pushing beyond what David Chang set those many moons ago. Serai Kitchen is newest to the group, and whilst somewhat mimicking ARU with its live fire cooking, aged duck, and skull island prawns, it takes its deserved seat at the table by competently bringing forth what Filipino food can do in a ‘fine dining’ setting.

Australia, with its rich history, connection, and proximity to Asia, is now leading the world in its representation and development of Asian culinary traditions, thanks to the chefs and restaurants below, who are totally, and rightfully, owning it.

Ibis Tip: This is by no means an exhaustive list, rather, a brief showcase of highly enjoyable experiences:

• Sunda and ARU (Vietnamese and South East Asian), Chef Kanh Nguyen

• Entervialaundry (Indian/Bengali), Chef Helly Raichura

• Serai Kitchen (Filipino), Chef Ross Magnaye

• Etta (pan-Asian), Chef Rosheen Kaul

• Mongkok Tea House (Cantonese), Chef Jack Tsai

• Laurus (Southern Chinese), Chef Roger Lu

• Kata Kita (Indonesian), Chef Sanusi

• Tonka & Coda (Indian and pan-Asian), Chef Adam D’Sylva

• Lee Ho Fook (Southern Chinese), Chef Victor Liong