Remember when fusion cuisine was all the rage? Just the mere thought of the culinary mashup of East and West sends us into a nostalgic reverie inflected with dot-com boomtime excess and Clinton administration swagger. And according to Michael Bauer, fusion seems to have died right along with them. SF Weekly’s Jon Kauffman takes exception with that, calling out a number of spots he thinks are carrying the fusion torch right on into this decade. But much as it was back in the day, many of Kauffman’s mainstays of fusion — Ame, Slanted Door and Aziza, to name a few — hover on the high end of the fine dining scale.

We’ll take it one step further: Some of the best examples of the spirit of fusion are alive and well in the most humble foods in the city. Here’s our guide to a few of the best bites that don’t require selling your tech stocks on margin.

Filipino + Mexican = Adobo Hobo
The explosive trend toward street food in San Francisco has also created a stage for some really out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to mingling culinary influences. On the heels of LA’s famous Kogi BBQ’s Korean tacos, a number of street carts are following the trend. Adobo Hobo will serve you up a nice helping of chicken adobo over jasmine rice if you like, but why not get that in taco form? Or better yet, how about tacos with sizzling pork sisig with fresh jalapeños and crushed chicharrones? ¡Viva la fusion!

Indian + Mexican = Curry Up Now
When you stop and think about it, Indian and Mexican are not so different. Just swap that naan for a tortilla, sub in some tikka masala sauce in lieu of the salsa, and you’ve got yourself a top-notch burrito with a twist. Curry Up Now’s tikka masala burritos are a hit to be sure, but of you’ve got the (teflon-lined) guts, go for the searing heat of their Hyderabadi Biryani Burrito. Serious pepperheads only, please — this is a burn that will last with you a long time. And that’s as much as we’ll say on the matter.

Vietnamese + Italian = La Cicciolina
The “tasty salted pig parts” at Boccalone make for some mighty savory sammies under any circumstances. But the combination of the richness and complex texture of their porchetta di testa with pickled carrot and radish with chili and mint, then slapped down on a crunchy loaf of Italian bread and seared up on the panini press, proves an uncannily apt marriage between two venerable food cultures. It pays homage to the great salumerie of Italy, and the vibrant and balanced flavors of the bành mí of Vietnam. East meets West, and it’s a marriage made in heaven.

[Photo: La Cicciolina by Emily Heller]

Tags: burritos, filipino, Food, fusion, indian, italian, mexican, sandwiches, street carts, street food, tacos