Pan Oacific treats at Alan Wong' Hawaii Courtesy of Alan Wong's Hawaii

Fusion, Tokyo's latest food fad, is currently cooking on gas. Gourmand Matt Wilce dishes up some hot spots to indulge in the city's newest culinary crush.

Mixed reviews
Miami, Florida in the mid-'80s may not seem a likely origin for a global food phenomenon, but renowned chef Norman Van Aken was the first to coin the term fusion for his blend of regional cuisines and classic techniques. Since then, fusion is often misattributed to restaurants that serve food from various countries rather than dishes that combine flavors and cooking methods from different cuisines. The father of fusion originally defined his creation as a melding of haute cuisine with more rustic home-cooking styles, but it later came to mean the combination of two distinctive cultures and cuisines-East-meets-West is the current culinary craze. Today fusion food is prevalent throughout the restaurant industry-despite having its critics-with many leading exponents such as Wolfgang Puck, Matsuhisa Nobu, Roy Yamaguchi and Cheong Liew trumpeting its melange of tastes.

Fusion may have dominated dining tables around the world for a couple of decades-and you know it's gone mainstream when British retail giant Marks and Spencer launch a range of pre-packed fusion meals-but Tokyo, lagging behind the rest of Asia, is just starting to see the peak of the trend with a slew of new restaurants on the scene. We cherry-picked recent contributions to the fusion fad.

Furutoshi
The scarlet and cobalt walls, accented with mirrors and tasteful modern art, and subdued lighting create an atmosphere of jazzy-romantic-meets-chic-city-slicker, setting the tone for a menu of Japanese fusion food. The chicken spring rolls pair Japanese tsukune (ground chicken dumplings) with a traditional Vietnamese wrap and a fresh cilantro dipping sauce. Other tempting combinations include Furutoshi-style capprese tofu with sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese, and duck and shimeji mushroom spaghetti in white wine sauce. The interesting yet unpretentious wine list is comprised mostly of Californian and Australian varieties.
Nishi Azabu 1-2F, 1-15-10 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku (tel: 03-5775-1275), open daily 11:30am-5am. Nearest stn: Roppongi.

Alan Wong's Hawaii
It should come as no surprise that Alan Wong is renowned for innovative fusion cuisine-he has a Japanese mother and Chinese-Hawaiian father. Mixing the flavors of the varied ethnic groups settled in Hawaii-where he was raised-with the freshest local ingredients and his classical French culinary training has led Wong to develop a menu full of subtle transitions and surprises. Wong dislikes the label given to his version of fusion, simply referring to his style as "what comes naturally in Hawaii." His first restaurant in Japan opened last year in Ikspiari to rave reviews, despite the unconventional setting. It may seem odd to single out a sauce, but his chili garlic aioli not only epitomizes the fusion concept, it's also stellar spread on the freshly baked bread and makes the trek to the Disney Resort area well worth it. Don't miss the chef's tasting course, which features taste sensations such as ginger-crusted sea bream with a miso and sesame vinegar and lobster linguine in a chili, garlic and lemongrass sauce.
Ikspiari, 1-4 Maihama, Urayasu-shi, Chiba-ken (tel: 047-305-5630). Nearest stn: Maihama.

Cheval d'Or
This New York-meets-Nishi Azabu restaurant is a recent addition to the French/Asian dining scene. The modern menu combines the best of both cooking styles and features light sauces made from juices and vinegars dressed up with Oriental spices. Order from the a la carte menu, or try the JY4800 prix fixe course that changes daily. Even the atmosphere is fusion-at 10pm, a huge screen appears and the latest flicks on DVD and video start to roll until closing time at 4am. When you're finished, relax with a stogie and a glass of cognac in the basement cigar bar.
Oki Bldg B1, 1-4-48 Nishi Azabu, Minato-ku (tel: 03-3746-1997), open 6pm-4am daily. Nearest stn: Nogizaka on Seijoki Dori.

Daidaiya's new twists on Japanese traditionals

Daidaiya
The latest branch of this nouvelle Japonaise powerhouse opened last year, bringing its Asian-influenced washoku (Japanese food) and modern Tomato-designed interior to busy Shinjuku. The menu ranges from sautéed foie gras served on lotus-root cakes to novel sushi reinterpretations like salmon with citron pickled daikon or eggplant with miso. Perfect for a subtly lit dinner a deux.
3F Nowa Bldg, 3-37-12 Shinjuku (tel: 03-5362-7173), open 5pm-midnight daily.
Akasaka branch, 9F Bellvie Akasaka, 3-1-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, (tel: 03-3588-5087), open Mon-Fri. 11:30am-2pm, 5pm-1am, Sat-Sun 11:30am-3pm, 5pm-12am. Nearest stn: Akasaka/Akasaka-Mitsukue
Shinbashi branch Ginza Nine Bldg, 8-5 Ginza, (Tel: 03-5537-3566) Open 5pm-midnight daily. Nearest stn: Shinbashi