What’s a quesadilla without tortillas? A plate of melted cheese—that is, unless something stands in for the tortillas. New Asian fusion restaurant Izzo swaps them out for Chinese scallion pancakes to create the pork belly quesadilla, a dish that seems on track to become a signature offering.

Izzo, which opened Oct. 7, serves traditional Taiwanese and Chinese food, but owner Frank Chang also plans to emphasize new creations that draw on Asian influences. We sat down with Chang to ask him about the flavors that inspire Izzo’s menu.

Is the pork belly quesadilla a reimagining of classic Chinese scallion pancakes?

Chang: It’s using the scallion pancake as a substitute for the tortilla. [It] is a little more flavorful [with] a lot more crunch to it. We use the pork belly, which is another popular ingredient in Taiwanese and Chinese food. I’m using those three ingredients and adding mozzarella cheese and jalapeño pepper to add a little flair to it. I don’t want to be stuck with traditional Asian Taiwanese food. I want to offer something a little different that no one has done before.

You also serve spaghetti and meatballs—what flavors are you using?

For the meatball we use this particular dish from China called “Lion’s Head.” The ingredients of the meatball include tofu, egg and pork. I’m putting that on our fresh noodles, which are made on site. The sauce, supplemental to the spaghetti sauce, is actually mabo sauce, which is part of a really popular tofu dish that has a little garlic, a little tang, a little sweet. If you look at it, it looks like spaghetti and meatballs, but the flavors are different because we’re using different ingredients.

Your beef noodle soup seems to be popular. Is that similar to the Vietnamese bún bò Huê?

It is a traditional Taiwanese dish. In the Asian cultures, a lot of dishes are very similar, there’s just different styles to it. It’s like pizza in America. You have Chicago deep dish, you have New York. They’re all pizzas, just different types of styles. Our beef noodle soup is the Taiwanese/Chinese way. It is kind of like the bún bò Huê, just different ingredients. Our beef noodle soups are made traditionally, but what’s different about our beef noodle soup is we use fresh noodles.

You have a nice selection of beers. Recommend one.

I’d say Taiwan Gold Medal. It’s one step up from the traditional Taiwan beer. It tastes a little like Stella. It’s really good.

Izzo 1701 Lundy Ave., Suite 100, San Jose. 408.392.8293