Is it Chinese fusion or evolved authentic Chinese food?

It’s all about sensibility and intention. The “soul” of Chinese cuisine should still be there. The chef should be working in the context of a Chinese cuisine palate using new techniques and ingredients for an audience familiar with Chinese flavors and appealing to a Chinese palate. If you’re craving Chinese food, this wouldn’t be excluded from your Friday night options.

The trend in the 80s/90s was combining Euro and Asian flavors without context. It neither felt Asian, nor French. It was something else entirely. Opposite of “evolution” which is about context, it was about ingredients/techniques out of context but still working. That’s fusion. And with the intention of appealing to an everybody audience and the elimination of borders. If you were craving Chinese food, you wouldn’t think of going to this place. You would go here because you’re interested in trying “the new”.

The Kogi taco is hard to categorize. It feels more like an evolution of the LA food scene and feels like comfort food for those who grew up with LA flavors. It’s fusion, but feels completely familiar. Like it should have always existed.