Fusion, Fusion, Fusion

Springfield natives love their cashew chicken. But circa 2007, diners want more. Enter fusion. Restaurants who capitalize on 417-land’s Asian food fetish have found that mixing up ingredients in a multicultural way seems to chime perfectly with southwest Missouri’s very American tastes. These fusion eateries are enjoying a time of big expansion in a restaurant scene that’s otherwise precarious, some leading chef-owners say.

Ocean Zen is moving from South Glenstone Avenue to East Battlefield Road, into the building that once housed blah rib joint Tony Roma’s. O.Z. owner John Tan says the new building is roughly three times the size of the current location. Meaning? A bigger bar, dining room and, most importantly, a bigger parking lot. The current site has roughly 25 parking spots; there are 84 at the new Battlefield location. Look for the new site to open in March, says Tan.

About a month after that, John Tan and his brother and co-owner, Johnson Tan, say they’ll open a new Chinese restaurant at Ocean Zen’s current address, 2058 S. Glenstone Ave. John was tight-lipped, but hints the menu will be very modern—closer to P.F. Chang’s than dripping Styrofoam boxes of Chinese takeout. There’s no name yet for the new restaurant.

Unlike Ocean Zen, southside sushi shack Haruno is staying put. That doesn’t mean the owners are standing still, however. Look for Kai—a new restaurant from the same people—to open downtown at McDaniel Street and Campbell Avenue. At press time, Phil Lee, who’s moving from Haruno to be Kai’s general manager, said Kai would open at the end of January (barring construction problems). Lee says Kai will use a mix of international ingredients in its—get this—fusion-style recipes. Expect Italian, French and South American influences on a menu with sushi and Asian offerings. The restaurant will occupy two floors, with a lounge downstairs and the dining room above.

[Editor’s note: This story was exclusively reported in GO Magazine’s December 16
edition. For constant news, entertainment, nightlife and dining updates, visit SpringfieldGO.com.]