Not Just Any Fusion Cuisine

05.18.07

Officially the capital city of the state of South Australia, Adelaide is unofficially the capital of the Australian wine industry. A lightning visit there last week revealed few culinary gems, but Cheong Liew, the master chef at The Grange, showed that he still has the power to wow with dishes few other chefs would dare. In fact, if I'd seen the likes of suckling pig with salt cod, pineapple, almonds, and sage on a menu anywhere else, I'd run screaming, but, as ever, this inimitable chef pulled it off, presenting a dish that revealed new wonders with each forkful. As dirty a word as fusion may be in many culinary circles these days, Liew laughs it off. "Fusion? I'm from Malaysia—I was born in fusion, and it's totally natural where I'm from, as long as you use your tongue to guide you."

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