Casian Cuisine: Californian chef draws on her roots, fusing Asian and Cajun food

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You can find Chinese food all over the world. But it takes on new twists as it adjusts to other cultures and tastes. CGTN's Mark Niu introduces us to a chef in California who's drawn on her roots to inspire a new fusion food.

At the newly opened restaurant Roux and Vine in Oakland, California, the menu tonight celebrates Chinese New Year.

Leilani Baugh is preparing dishes and pairing rather unexpected ingredients. Chinese style chicken-corn soup and Asian shrimp but inside a Western pastry puff.

Spareribs with traditional Chinese sauces like Hoi-sin and Five spice but also with plenty of Cajun heat.

LEILANI BAUGH, OWNER ROUX "Casian is a combination of Asian and Cajun. I look at my menu every day and how can I infuse it more, what else can I do to add, I really just want people to kind of eat a little of my heart."

Leilani is Chinese from her mother's side, African-American from her father's side.

She learned to cook from both of her grandmothers, who inspired her to create dishes that blend cultures.

CRYSTAL MATSON CUSTOMER "This one has a ginger flavor which you don't usually get in other cuisines. Especially not in Cajun food because Cajun food is more spicy. I feel like the ginger kind of balances out the spice, which is nice."

MARK NIU OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA "Inspiration from Grandma is evident at Roux and Vine's Chinese New Year Dinner. And also later this year, Leilani plans to come out with her own cookbook, entitled 'From My Grandmothers' Kitchens'."

LEILANI BAUGH, OWNER ROUX "My grandmother didn't speak English, my other grandmother didn't speak Cantonese, or Taishan. They would exchange food. So My grandmother started by bringing my Chinese grandmother some greens and ham hocks. My Chinese grandmother immediately put it over rice. And she was like, oh this is great. And then she would steam fish for my other grandmother."

Leilani just shared her seafood preferences in the Taishanese dialect, which she's fluent in.

At the co-work space called the Forage Kitchen, she spends hours testing out new recipes such as a Cajun spiced pulled pork that uses traditional Asian ingredients like garlic and green onions.

In addition to running a restaurant five days a week, she also runs a virtual catering service where customers can place orders with just 12 hours' notice.

LEILANI BAUGH, OWNER ROUX "It scares me when the email says 400 people at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. I'm like okay, I've got to get to the restaurant. Right now. In the times that we are in, people are doing so much more social media, so much more, everybody needs everything that they want right now, so I want my food to be included in that right now."

Having started her culinary career by selling plates of food out of her home and in parking lots, the delivery methods have changed dramatically, but the satisfaction remains the same.

Mark Niu, CGTN, Oakland, California.