It seems cuisine is over the singles scene. For the past couple of decades, fusion has been the online dating game of the food industry, hooking up different types of cuisine that may have otherwise never come together, breaking all the rules and shaking up the restaurant scene. Many are scared to venture into fusion and try what may appear to be an unlikely combination. But those who embrace it often come away with new love.

True fusion is the merging of flavors and techniques from various culinary traditions to create an original flavor. Merely offering dishes from different international influences doesn’t cut it.
Perhaps because of their incredible spectrum of flavor, Asian elements seem to be the most popular options for one half of any given fusion duo. Chinese and Mexican. Indian and French. Japanese and Italian. All good.

Through experience and creativity, smart chefs — matchmakers, if you will — have introduced some highly successful blends that have revitalized menus and awakened taste buds. On the flipside, some combinations fail miserably. Like Britney and K-Fed or a mash-up of Metallica and Celine Dion, certain things just don’t work well together.

But one of Carytown’s newest restaurants, Cajun Bangkok, has identified a strong match. The spicy, popping flavors of Thai food have met, courted and married the equally zesty, rich flavors of Cajun. And a single common denominator — a high regard for the hot and spicy — seems to make the marriage work.

The writing on the front window sums it up: “Cajun Bangkok: Spicy Cuisine.”

“I didn’t know how else to describe it,” chef Lek Saengplai said, “so we just say spicy cuisine.”

Fair enough. After all, it is challenging to adequately describe — especially on a window — what Creole and Thai flavors do to each another when merged. How do coconut and coriander treat

Tabasco and thyme? You simply have to taste to understand.

Chef Lek Saengplai originally launched the Thai on the bayou concept in Northern Virginia, where it was well received. The original Cajun Bangkok in Alexandria pulled in good reviews, as did

Saengplai’s other venture, Lex Cajun Grill.

But looking for a new adventure, the chef closed up shop in Northern Virginia and moved his concept to Carytown nearly five months ago.

Saengplai’s extensive experience with Creole cuisine and his Thai heritage make him the perfect candidate to pull off such a combination. And according to many Northern Virginia critics, he has pulled it off nicely.

The Cajun Bangkok menu features traditional New Orleans-style dishes infused with Thai elements, and vice versa. The she-crab soup, for instance, offers the customary not-quite-chowder, not-quite-bisque creamy crab base, but with a delightful blend of Thai spices.

The gumbo is prepared sans roux and combines the expected rich flavors of this Cajun classic with soy sauce, various Thai spices and a touch of lemon, which brightens the dish.

As flavorful as the food may be at Cajun Bangkok, the atmosphere is rather lackluster. The décor is less than spicy — perhaps even a bit dreary. A bouquet of chili peppers and white paper napkin rings adorned with red and green chili peppers are the only decorative elements to speak of, but at least they are consistent with the theme.  It’s clear that spice and flavor are really what it’s all about, not necessarily fancy lighting and mahogany booths.

Some gripe about what they deem an inordinate number of Thai restaurants in Carytown. After all, it is already home to Mom’s Siam, Thai Diner Too and Ginger. And yes, Cajun Bangkok replaced the Thai Curry House, which in turn took the place of Chopstix. But Cajun Bangkok’s hook differentiates it from the crowd and presents something new to try: a bit of unexpected, spicy romance between two bold types of cuisine.