RACE FOR TASTE
Deep Dives into the Best NYC Food Trucks
By Somin Virmani
I have always loved exploring restaurants and bars around the City, discovering their best dishes, their chefs’ stories, and more. Alongside that focus lies my fascination with food trucks. Whether it’s running over to Hooda Halal by Morton Williams for some late-night fuel or seeking out the best birria trucks around the City, I’m here to dish the secrets of Manhattan’s beloved food truck industry
Why You Should Go For Fusion
Go for Fusion, located right on 116th and Broadway, serves up bold Indo-Chinese food in generous portions. The owner, Tenzin, hails from India and brings an eight-year career in Indo-Chinese fusion cuisine to his truck. With experience in fast-paced kitchens such as Junoon (a trailblazing, eight-time Michelin Star Indian restaurant rated 4.2 stars on OpenTable with over 2,000 reviews) and a brief stint in the hotel industry, Tenzin’s cooking skills are bolstered by his warm personality. He shared that the act of cooking for others brings him immense satisfaction, and I can guarantee that whatever Tenzin whips up provides equally immense satisfaction.
Scanning over Tenzin’s menu, I decided to order the Chicken Manchurian, a dish I grew up eating at home and know to be a hallmark of Indo-Chinese cuisine. Gladly, Chicken Manchurian is Tenzin’s specialty: in his entire career as a chef, there hasn’t been a single day when he hasn’t made the dish. For $10, you get a large serving of charred chicken alongside peppers and a helping of rice, smothered with a dry, spicy Manchurian seasoning. This was the first time I tried Manchurian without a thicker savory sauce, and I found Tenzin’s recipe to be a welcome change. All the flavor in Tenzin's dish comes from his original spice rub, so the dish inevitably packs a kick. My pro tip for handling the spice is to add Paneer, Indian cheese, to the mix. Overall, the dish was high-quality, filling, and tasty. While Manchurian is certainly his specialty, Tenzin mentioned that he recently added Garlic Chili Noodles to his menu and was surprised by how popular they became. The next time I visit Go For Fusion, I am definitely giving these noodles a try!
Come by Go For Fusion for a high-quality Indo-Chinese fix, and stick around for whatever new dishes Tenzin has in store! Go For Fusion accepts Apple/Google Pay, Venmo, cash, and credit card via the Hippo platform,
Somin Virmani is a freshman in Columbia College majoring in Economics and Neuroscience-Behavior. A musician, dancer, and aspiring sommelier, Somin often explores the City for great scenes and even better eats. Somin prefers tea over coffee, and he is more than willing to prepare you a cup in proving his stance. Dates and spiced nuts provided too, of course.