Cowboys & Indians, Houston TX

I took my friend Jeff to Cowboys & Indians in Houston, Texas for his birthday recently. We both like Indian food, and of course we're big fans of Mexican and TexMex. 

There is an abundance of Indian, Mexican, and TexMex restaurants in Houston

The fare of Cowboys & Indians, while good, is not truly "fusion." It's more like a pairing of Texan and Indian cuisines. Although excellent, the Indian entrees we ordered had no hint of anything Texan or TexMex.

I had the Butter Chicken Tikka Masala ($18.00). My friend had the Lamb Vindaloo ($22.00). We shared a Hummus Plate ($12.00). 

Cowboys & Indians does have a couple of fusion items on their "Shareables" (appetizers) menu. The "Naan-Chos" ($15.00) meets the definition of fusion, as do the "Naan Quesadillas" ($14.00). But that's about it. 

Any fusion on the "Dinner" menu? One item, kind of, maybe. They offer, the "Himalayan heat burger," with "tomato-onion jam, jalapeno, romaine lettuce, mozzarella cheese, cilantro raita, brioche buns" and is served with "seasoned fries." 

Okay, but what's Indian or "Himalayan" about any of that? Sure, the raita is an Indian yogurt sauce. But come on. If they added mayonnaise instead of that, would it be French fusion? After all, mayo was invented in France. For that matter, there's nothing uniquely Texan about hamburgers. 

For the high prices, the portions could be a bit more generous. The unimaginative "Accompaniments" (sides) has very little fusion; nearly all items there are straightforward Indian or TexMex/American Southern. Most Indian restaurants will give you complimentary naan with an entrée; those that charge for naan will be more generous.

BUT WHAT IS FUSION CUISINE?