When you hear the term “fusion cuisine,” you probably roll your eyes. It became shorthand years ago for snobby cuisine, but is that fair? How many fusion dishes have any of us actually had? Could you name one and where to get it, if pressed?

These two fell in my lap while I was looking at restaurant info online, and they’re both great. I’m always on the lookout for more, please comment below if you know of any. (Especially a good taco pizza.)

Hawaiiana Torta at Ade’s Mexican Deli
5317 Evergreen Way

There’s not a lot of food talk on my neighborhood NextDoor page, but one thread went on for weeks, with people raving about Ade’s Mexican Deli. They developed a large following at their original location near Everett Mall Way, and many of those customers are driving all the way up to International Market, where they recently moved.

From the street, you might wonder about a restaurant space with no windows, but it’s bright and cheery inside.

When I saw the Hawaiiana torta on their Facebook page, I immediately got in the car and drove over. All their tortas start with beans, mayo, lettuce, jalapeño, onions, avocado, and tomato; the Hawaiiana adds sausage, ham, Oaxaca cheese, and pineapple.

Tortas are always huge, so I got mine to go so I could eat half later, along with two tacos.

As I cut it in half, I started to worry it wouldn’t stay together. They come wrapped for a reason, right? I worried for nothing. The melty Oaxaca ran throughout, making the tasty grilled onions stick to the smoky sausage and fresh avocado. Their Facebook photo is a bit intimidating with large pineapple rings, but today’s torta had just the right amount of small, sweet chunks. There’s a lot going on and it all works great together.

TIPS
Traffic is brutal on this section of Evergreen Way at many times throughout the day. If you’re approaching from the North, turn left on 52nd, make your way through the large parking lot, around Pawn Pros, and into International Market’s parking lot.

Be sure to check out the market before you go, they have all kinds of treats. I got three kinds of Shuffles chips and some suckers with glowing sticks.

Pho-rrito at Chop Express
7405 Hardeson Road

Mountain View Plaza has an impressive collection of restaurants you might not know about if you don’t work in aviation. There’s little else for miles, but they’ve got you covered with a deli, teriyaki, Indian, Thai, coffee, sandwiches, and donuts.

Vietnamese is my favorite cuisine, so I’ve been to Chop Express more than anywhere else. Back in December, I noticed a Pho-rrito in their user reviews. Pho-rritos have been a California food truck staple for years, and it’s great to finally find one in Everett. At the time, that single review was the only mention I could find of them online, but everyone who came in after me asked about them and ordered one. Pretty impressive word of mouth.

Even though it’s a Mexican/Vietnamese fusion dish, I was really surprised by the side of fresh, chunky salsa. Turns out, they’re fantastic together. The Pho-rrito is filled with noodles, meat of your choice, sprouts, basil, cilantro, and a hoisin-based sauce. I alternated between bites with nothing added, with salsa, and with Sri Racha.

I regret none of these choices.

TIPS
Parking is limited, and Chop Express is open from 10 AM-8 PM, weekdays only. Consider going some time other than during the lunch rush. You can also order for pickup from Yelp or get delivery from UberEATS if you’re within the delivery area. According to UberEATS, they also have fried rice and chow mein Pho-rritos!

Editor's Note:
Have a big appetite? Make sure you check out the Taco Eating Contest we're holding at Mazatlan on May 9th. You just might win $300 in prizes!

Christopher Bragg works from home in Everett and loves walking, swimming, and cats. You can find him all over town, but only if you keep weird hours and avoid crowds like he does.