11 well-loved Asian dishes with Western roots
Asian cuisines are often framed as ancient, sealed systems—unchanged, self-contained, pure. The truth is far more interesting. Trade routes, missionaries, navies, cafés and colonial administrations brought with them ingredients, techniques and habits that local cooks absorbed, resisted, reshaped and ultimately made their own. These Asian dishes are not footnotes of influence but living records of adaptation: foreign ideas bent to climate, palate and necessity. What survives is never a copy—it’s something sturdier, more practical and often more delicious than the original. Here are iconic Asian dishes that began elsewhere, yet now feel entirely at home.
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Omurice (Japan/Korea)
A French omelette reimagined for a rice-first culture (Photo: Leo Okuyama/Unsplash)
Omurice was born in early-20th-century Tokyo at Renga-tei, a restaurant serving yōshoku—Western-style food for a Japan eager to modernise. At its core is a French omelette, but the filling tells a different story: rice fried with onions, chicken and ketchup, itself a Western import turned pantry staple. The dish reflects a period when Western meals were aspirational but still needed to satisfy Asian expectations of fullness. Over time, the omelette softened, the rice sweetened and presentation became theatrical, with chefs slicing the egg open tableside. Today, omurice survives not as novelty but as comfort, and it maintains its reputation as one of the most boldly unique Asian dishes.
Budae jjigae (Korea)
A survival stew that became a shared indulgence. (Photo: Anya Dunes/Pexels)
Budae jjigae emerged in the ruins of postwar Korea, built from necessity rather than nostalgia. Near US military bases, surplus rations—Spam, hot dogs, processed cheese—were repurposed into stews anchored by Korean fundamentals: gochugaru, kimchi and anchovy stock. The result was loud, salty, spicy and unapologetically filling, a dish that didn’t pretend to be elegant. Over decades, what began as improvisation became ritual, cooked at the table and shared communally. Today, it appears in both modest eateries and polished restaurants.
Bánh mì (Vietnam)
A baguette rebuilt for heat, speed and contrast (Photo: Amy Tran/Unsplash)
The baguette arrived in Vietnam during French rule, initially dense and wheat-heavy in a climate that resisted it. Vietnamese bakers adapted by blending rice flour into the dough, producing a lighter crumb and shatteringly thin crust. Inside, pâté and mayonnaise were joined by pickled carrot, daikon, cilantro and chilli—ingredients that cooled, cut and refreshed. The sandwich became portable, fast and balanced, designed to be eaten standing up. What survives is not the French café sandwich, but a street food engineered for humidity and movement.
Hong Kong-style French toast (Hong Kong)
A European breakfast pushed through a deep fryer (Photo: Eric Zhu/Pexels)
Hong Kong’s cha chaan teng culture translated Western café food into local logic—bigger flavours, faster service, more fat. French toast was reimagined as thick white bread, stuffed with peanut butter or kaya, dipped in egg and fried until sealed. Condensed milk or syrup replaces powdered sugar, pooling rather than dusting. The dish is served hot, heavy and unapologetic, usually alongside strong milk tea. It behaves less like breakfast than a controlled indulgence, engineered for pause.
Japanese curry (kare-raisu)
A British interpretation, perfected through repetition (Photo: Kelsey He/Unsplash)
Japanese curry arrived not from India but through Britain, standardised and simplified for naval kitchens. The Japanese adopted it quickly, thickening it with a flour roux and adding potatoes, carrots and onions—ingredients that travelled well and fed many. The dish became institutional, served in schools, ships and homes, prized for its reliability. Over time, regional variations emerged, from sweeter versions to spice-forward styles. What began as imported military fare is now one of Japan’s most emotionally loaded comfort foods.
See more: Curry across the borders: how the world co-opted this beloved dish
Tempura (Japan)
A European frying method honed into Japanese minimalism (Photo: Jason Leung/Unsplash)
It may be surprising to learn that one of the most iconic Asian dishes didn’t actually start in Asia. Tempura traces back to Portuguese missionaries in 16th-century Nagasaki, who fried battered vegetables during Catholic fasting periods. Early versions were heavier, oilier and closer to fritters. Japanese cooks refined the technique, lightening the batter and controlling oil temperature to create a crisp, nearly transparent coating. The focus shifted from seasoning to ingredient quality—shrimp, fish and vegetables left to speak for themselves. Tempura endures because it stripped the idea down to precision rather than excess.
Spaghetti Napolitan (Japan)
Spaghetti Napolitan was created in postwar Yokohama, inspired by American GIs and their pantry staples. Lacking Italian ingredients, cooks relied on ketchup, sausages, onions and bell peppers. The result was sweet, savoury and completely unconcerned with authenticity. Served in cafés and homes alike, it became a nostalgic staple rather than a culinary curiosity. These days, Japanese-Italian cuisine has spawned its own culture.
Filipino macaroni salad
Introduced through American influence, macaroni salad in the Philippines took a decisive turn toward sweetness. Elbow pasta is mixed with condensed milk, fruit cocktail, cheese and sometimes ham, served cold during any celebration from birthdays to fiestas. It sits comfortably beside roasted meats and rice, functioning as both side dish and dessert.
Egg tarts / dan tat (Hong Kong)
A Portuguese custard smoothed into precision (Photo: Moonyang Lin/Unsplash)
Egg tarts trace their lineage to Portuguese pastel de nata, arriving in Hong Kong by way of Macau. The caramelised, blistered top was replaced with a pale, glassy custard, reflecting local preferences for clean surfaces and uniform texture. The crust shifted toward shortcrust or flaky pastry rather than laminated puff. In bakeries, they’re timed carefully to avoid browning, custard just set, not wobbling. The result is restrained, calibrated and unmistakably Cantonese in sensibility.
Cà phê sữa and cà phê muối (Vietnam)
French colonial coffee culture introduced brewing methods, but not abundance—fresh milk was rare, refrigeration unreliable. Condensed milk filled the gap, sweetening robusta beans whose bitterness demanded it. Salt coffee came later, using salinity to suppress bitterness rather than overwhelm it with sugar. The result is quieter than it sounds: rounder, heavier, less sharp on the finish. In modern cafés, the technique is treated with near-ceremonial care, salt measured in pinches rather than statements.
Katsu and yoshoku cutlets (Japan)
European cutlets filtered through breadcrumbs and rice. (Photo: Cody Chan/Unsplash)
Breaded meats were not always typical Asian dishes. They arrived with Western dining, but tonkatsu transformed it into a Japanese staple. Panko replaced fine crumbs, oil temperature sharpened the crust and sauce added sweetness rather than acidity. The cutlet became something eaten with rice, cabbage and miso soup, not bread. Over time, variations appeared—chicken, pork loin, seafood, curry-topped versions—but the structure stayed fixed. Crispness, thickness and that delicious sauce remain the measure of success.
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