Owner and executive chef of Colleyville’s Trio New American, Jason Harper is launching his next project. Kunsei Smokehouse, a Tex/Asian food trailer, will make its debut on the food scene at Fort Worth’s Rahr & Sons Brewing Company on July 10.
For those familiar with Trio’s menu, Jason often experiments with flavor combinations from different cuisines. Now, he’s taking his favorite aspects of traditional Texas barbecue and Asian ingredients to offer something new to his customers. The name (Kunsei is the Japanese word for smoke) pays homage to how these techniques complement one another.
“I honestly can’t say I’ve found Texan smokiness to clash with anything,” Jason says. “People don’t think about these flavors going well together but then they taste it and go, ‘It’s a match made in heaven.’”
The menu is full of classic barbecue go-tos including brisket, mac ’n’ cheese and cream corn, but they are served with a twist thanks to the trailer’s utilization of diverse ingredients.
“It’s very familiar Texas barbecue with really unique Asian flavors,” Jason explains. “I mean I love barbecue, if you are a Texan you have to love barbecue.”
With this venture, Jason is able to explore more of his passion for Asian cuisine.
“That’s really where my passion lies – everything from Japanese to Chinese to Vietnamese, Thai…I have been tumbling down that rabbit hole for years,” Jason says.
Come get a taste of it for yourself. Kunsei Smokehouse will be at Rahr & Sons Brewing Company from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on July 10, and Jason has plans to continue setting up at breweries around the Fort Worth in the coming weeks.