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Culture on Demand
Tired of the same old restaurants? Go "nousian"
By STAN STALNAKER
September 11, 1999
Web posted at 7:30 a.m. Hong Kong time, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Has anyone else noticed that Asian cuisine has become the hottest thing? Not just the same old sushis, curries, Mongolian hot pot and spicy Thai. But real, cutting-edge cuisine that is creative in its own right and setting a standard the rest of the world can only envy.
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A brief history: for a long time (certainly since the '80s when three-sake lunches on the expense account were considered a legitimate way to conduct business) the West has recognized and valued the wonderful array of dishes that come from this part of the world.
Then, as the Amex set went global, fusion hit. Everywhere. The whole East meets West thing. Along with new taste combinations, presentation became as integral to a restaurant experience as the food itself. Suddenly everyone had little cinnamon sticks arching out of their foie gras, or chilies arranged in swirls of lemon sauce that would make Van Gogh feel like the Starry Night was a lesson in cubism.
Call it the seeds of a post-crisis culinary renaissance, but the newest food vibe seems to be taking the fusion concept and putting a twist on it to bring it back home to Asia. Much as fusion seemed to be on the West's terms, this new blend of cuisine is on the East's terms. Gone are the arugula and stacked seared tuna.
One place that defines this new sort of cuisine is Wyndam Street Thai in Hong Kong. It's been around awhile with its own interpretation of Thai food--and it clicks among the Hong Kong set as "nouveau Thai." The way to describe the taste is, um, delicious. And for the most part it's exceptionally healthy. Lots of faux-creamy sauces with bases that are both low fat and simple. It's not traditional Thai food. It's not curry like you know it. It's not fusion. We'd call it nouveau Asian, but that sounds so cliché. Maybe nousian?
In Singapore the vibrant and lively seafood restaurants along the waterfront provide another example of nousian. The black pepper crabs at certain area restaurants have become world famous--a must for any visitor who knows Singaporeans in the know. You won't see it anywhere else--and making it at home is not a feat we'd try.
A larger and wider example of this almost-trend is Amanresorts' newest locale in Jackson Hole, Amangani. The 40-suite resort is located on a ranch overlooking the Teton Range and employs North American materials like Oklahoma sandstone, Douglas fir and cedar, all executed with a distinctly balanced Asian approach. We like the idea of this Asian based "heaven is an acre on earth" company bringing the values of the East to U.S. ranching country, without explanation or drastic change of their core principles. That's very nousian.
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