Such is the future direction of food and dining, say some local chefs.
Many of those trends will be showcased tonight at Philly Cooks!, a dinner-dance and silent auction at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, where dozens of area chefs and restaurants will present contenders for the title of "Dish for 2001."
There will be awards for both best dish and best presentation.
The gala will benefit MANNA, an organization driven by volunteers that provides free meals for people with HIV/AIDS.
KYW news anchor Steve Levy will host the event for cosponsors NBC-TV10 and Philadelphia Magazine. Tickets are $60. Call 215-564-7700 or visit www.phillymag.com or www.nbc10.com, and click on the Philly Cooks! button.
The range of chefs participating in the event offers a broad view of what's happening in food.
Cuban and other Latin American cuisines are of primary interest to Cuba Libre chef Joshua Friedberg, who tonight will serve ropa viejo, the classic Cuban brisket stew.
Few realize, he said, that Cuban cooking is already a fusion of African, Chinese and other styles introduced over centuries of migration.
This commixture along with indigenous foods such as yuca (cassava root), malanga (another root vegetable) and boniato (white sweet potatoes) gives Cuban food the "edge" diners seek.
At Cafe Spice, manager Bikram Bhandari sees regional Indian foods getting more attention than Indian fusion. He noted as examples the coconut-laced dishes of Goa, the mustard-oil marinades and seasoning of Bengal, and the fish curry that brought culinary fame to the coastal city of Mangalore.
Elsewhere Asian fusion remains popular, but the Latino influence is becoming stronger and more important, said Francesco Martorella, executive chef at the mod eatery Pod.
Joe Bae, chef at Oasis, sees the lines between cuisines blurring in more than his own Korean-French fusion kitchen.
