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Sizzle Showdown: Singapore National Culinary Championship

Singapore F&B Industry Gathers For U.S. Poultry Networking Dinner

USAPEEC Consumer Workshop Organized in Hanoi, Vietnam

U.S. Poultry and Egg Classes at ITE College West

Discover the Diverse Range of U.S. Duck Products Ready for Import

Untapped Thai Market For Value-Added Products

New Country Reports

Country Reports from USDA offices in the ASEAN region have been updated. See Export Assistance under Resources and Library.

In The Region

Cambodia

Indonesia
Pioneerindo targets 25 new outlets this year
Pioneerindo Gourmet International, a quick-service restaurant (QSR) company in Indonesia, best known for its flagship brand, California Fried Chicken which has close to 300 outlets in the country, aims to add another 25 retail outlets across its three QSR brands by the end of 2024. The company has opened 10 of the 25 outlets in the first quarter of 2024.

Growing demand for grilled sausages in Indonesia
Indonesia’s grilled sausage market is growing rapidly due to increasing consumer demand for new and appealing sausage products, according to Erik Subiyanto, head of Rama Putra Djaya, an Indonesian company specializing in the processing and production of frozen food.

Malaysia
Sabah fried chicken brand plans national expansion this year
Borenos, a locally-owned fried chicken QSR that opened in 2015 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, and has since expanded to two other locations within the state of Sabah, expects to expand to other states of Malaysia by the end of 2024. According to co-founder Janice Yeo, the company will move forward with self-owned outlets instead of a franchising or licensing model as they want to maintain full control of the business and ensure consistent quality and service across all outlets.

Tim Hortons announces Malaysia debut
Canada’s largest QSR will open its first outlet in Malaysia in August, a move part of the brand’s expansion plans in Southeast Asia. Aside from its usual menu, Tim Horton’s Malaysian outlet will also feature special Malaysia-exclusive menu items that will be revealed at the restaurant’s launch.

Philippines

Singapore
SFA approves 16 species of insects for consumption
With immediate effect on July 8, 2024, SFA will allow the import of insects and insect products belonging to 16 species, including a wide range of crickets and mealworms. Examples of companies making the most of the clearance are House of Seafood and Insect Food. House of Seafood, a restaurant that specializes in seafood, is reportedly cooking up a menu of 30 insect-infused dishes such as sushi topped with juicy silkworms and a salted egg crab dish with superworms. Before the official approval, the restaurant received several calls daily enquiring about its insect-based dishes. It anticipates that sales from the insect-based dishes will boost its revenue by around 30%. For Insect Food, the company will soon launch its ready-to-eat packs of dried insects on e-commerce platforms as well as in supermarkets and restaurants.

KFC Chizza makes its limited-time return
Chizza is a dish with a chicken patty topped with an array of pizza-style toppings such as cheese, pepperoni, and sauces. This time, Chizza comes in two flavors – Chizza Tomato and Chizza Alfredo. According to KFC, when the item was last in town in 2017, it was sold out within two weeks as more than half a million Singaporeans flocked to try the dish.

KFC launches new limited-edition chicken and egg tarts
From July 17 to September 3, consumers in Singapore can enjoy KFC’s limited-edition Mala Goldspice chicken, which combines the flavors of mala (spicy and numbing seasoning) and salted egg, and Ondeh Ondeh Egg Tarts (pandan-flavored egg custards).

New ‘har cheong gai’ kiosk opens in shopping mall
Har cheong gai, also known as prawn-paste chicken, is a popular Singaporean style of fried chicken made using batter with fermented shrimp paste. The kiosk, opened by four partners including one former MasterChef contestant and one one-Michelin-starred chef restaurant owner, is located at Junction 8 and sells a wide variety of har cheong gai items such as wings, burgers, and rice boxes.

Thailand
Betagro to expand with more retail outlets
Betagro, a leading agribusiness and food company in Thailand, is set to expand by opening 160 new retail outlets selling pork, chicken, and value-added products this year. These will include 10 ‘Betagro Shops’ in tourist areas and 150 ‘Hygienic Meat Shop’ kiosks in traditional markets. Currently, Betagro operates 150 Betagro Shop outlets and 1,150 Hygienic Meat Shop kiosks. The company aims for a 19% sales growth for Betagro Shops and a 12% growth for Hygienic Meat Shops in 2024. The expansion plan reflects the company’s commitment to meet the demand of foodservice operators.

GOPIZZA secures US$10 million investment from CP Group
GOPIZZA, a prominent South Korean pizza brand, has recently secured a US$10 million investment from the Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group. Known for its diverse menu that includes not only pizzas but also items like Korean fried chicken and pasta, GOPIZZA has established a strong presence in several countries beyond South Korea, including Indonesia, India, Singapore, and Thailand. This significant investment will be directed towards expanding GOPIZZA’s footprint in Thailand, with an ambitious goal of opening 20 new outlets by the end of the year.

Vietnam