Welcome

 

Welcome to the December issue of the USAPEEC ASEAN Regional Office’s newsletter.

This newsletter seeks to provide readers with useful product and major market information for institutional and consumer users of U.S. poultry. Readers will find a variety of general market information, program activities as well as useful product information in every issue.

This issue, we share several activities that took place in Southeast Asia.

 

Contents:

• Consumers Talk Turkey at Cooking Demonstration
• Seminar in Vietnam Highlights Food Safety and Hygiene
• ’Tis The Season for Asian Flavors at the Table
• Gourmet Dining with Your Pets
• In The Region
• What’s Cooking in 2020?
• Kitchens Race to the Cloud

Additional Market Information Available

 

We have updated our website to include more information on market reports and export documentation guidelines.

You can visit our ASEAN website at: www.usapeecasean.com

Consumers Talk Turkey at Cooking Demonstration    

 

At the Singapore Civil Service Club, 42 homemakers and professional working women from the Katong Convent Alumni bonded over a cooking demonstration held November 12.   Chef Benson Tong carved out three new recipes to demonstrate the versatility of turkey meat in local cooking.  Participants were bowled over by the delicious infusion of Asian flavors in some of their favorites like U.S. Turkey Buah Keluak, Moutai Braised U.S. Turkey Leg & Wing, and U.S. Turkey Tikka Masala.  The event spurred a lively exchange of ideas amongst Chef Benson and the participants on recipe ideas and cooking techniques. Participants were impressed with the excellent taste, quality and nutrition content of turkey. Armed with new knowledge from the demonstration, many expressed their interest to experiment with their own recipes using U.S. turkey.

Seminar in Vietnam Highlights Food Safety and Hygiene

 

USAPEEC held a two-day seminar at the Ninh Kieu Riverside Hotel in Can Tho to educate junior chefs, supermarket staff and related food service personnel on the critical aspects of food safety and hygiene. The 80 participants benefitted from the knowledge they gained from Executive Chef & Food Consultant, Norbert Ehrbar on the safe handling, utilization and versatility of U.S. poultry products (turkey, chicken, duck and eggs). Through the demonstration where he presented 5 turkey recipes,  Chef Norbert also showed the proper way of cutting a whole turkey into different parts and explained the different methods of cooking.  Mr Joe Chua, an experienced and qualified food safety expert from Singapore facilitated the food hygiene session where he presented a basic knowledge of micro-organisms, and covered topics ranging from food poisoning and foodborne infections, to food storage and handling, cleaning and sanitizing, personal hygiene and pest control. 

’Tis The Season for Asian Flavors at the Table

 

Hotels and restaurants are pulling out all the stops to create a memorable feast for discerning diners this festive season.  From takeaways (for those pressed for time!) to fancy buffets and set menus, you can look forward to a gourmet selection of traditional roasts, turkeys and yule cakes or tuck into some really fabulous Asian-inspired creations. Eat, drink, and be merry!

Cambodia

 

Two shopping malls to open in Sihanoukville

Two shopping malls are slated to open in the city of Sihanoukville by the end 2019. The Furi Times Square Mall, a development by Singapore and Cambodia-based property developer Furi Corporation, spanning across 12,000 sqm will sufficiently meet the steady flow of 9,000 local and international tourists daily. The Prince Huan Yu shopping center being developed by the Chinese-run Prince Real Estate Group will house a 50,000 sqm space with department stores, retail shops, supermarkets and other services such as food, entertainment and recreation.

 

Indonesia

 

Indonesian poultry company to implement blockchain technology for halal products

Sierad Produce, an Indonesian poultry company is aiming to be the first in Indonesia to implement blockchain technology.  As President Director Tommy Wattimena explained, digital technologies allow consumers from different parts of the world to be kept informed on how halal standards are being implemented, from the farm to the processing plant. Digitization of the halal chicken ecosystem in Indonesia, he said, will also offer export opportunities to Muslim countries.

 

Malaysia

 

A new hospitality and retail experience at The Starhill by 2021

Starhill Gallery, currently undergoing a major revamp will re-open in 2021 under the new brand “The Starhill”. Located along Bukit Bintang's famed shopping belt, the mall will introduce a new concept, combining hospitality and retail experience. Featuring four floors of experiential retail space and three floors of the 162 hotel rooms under the Marriott brand, the new extension will integrate the lower retail space in one vertical seven-floor development – the first of its kind in Asia. Combining JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur and The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, more than 1,100 rooms will be connected to The Starhill.

 

Ikea-integrated Toppen Shopping Centre opens in Johor

Toppen Shopping Centre in Tebrau city, Johor Bahru opened its doors in November. Marking the third Ikea-anchored development in Southeast Asia, the mall is integrated with the Ikea home-furnishings megastore,  adding 1.25 million sqf of space across four floors and 300 stores. Other anchors include a flagship cinema complex built by TGV, Ben’s Independent Grocer and Harvey Norman as well as 30 al fresco food and beverage outlets. The shopping centre is located within walking distance of Aeon shopping centre and is well-connected to the city.

 

AirAsia ventures into retail food business

AirAsia opened its first restaurant, Santan and T&CO at the Mid Valley Megamall. It is the airline’s first foray into the retail food business.  Diners can tuck into Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak, Nyonya Curry Laksa and its signature Malaysian Rice Dish with Chili Condiment. Sound familiar?  That’s because you can find all these items on Air Asia’s in-inflight menu. Also, on short order is a smart menu recommending popular dishes based on time, past ordering patterns and demographic tastes. Customers can order directly or via online through the website or mobile app.  Plans to franchise the brand globally are underway with five outlets slated to open this year and 100 outlets in the next five years.

 

Philippines

 

Panda Express partners with Jollibee Foods to launch first outlet

Partnering with Jollibee Foods, Panda Express opened its first Philippine outlet in SM Megamall on December 12. Panda Express which operates at 2,200 locations in the U.S. is the largest Asian segment restaurant chain.  It is reported to have sold more than 90 million pounds of its most popular chicken dish and aims to popularize American Chinese cuisine through authentic Chinese recipes, as the world’s largest American Chinese concept.

 

New inflight menu takes off on Cebu Pacific

Cebu Pacific has launched a new selection of inflight meals. The menu includes a Singaporean dish (Hainanese Chicken Rice), Filipino cuisine, and a vegetarian option.  Other meals include Roasted Chicken Sandwich, Lechon Paksiw (roasted suckling pig), Pinoy Spaghetti, Beef Salpicao, Chicken Yakisoba and Crab Salad Sandwich. The meals come with information on nutrition for health-conscious travelers.

 

Australian-Mexican restaurant ready for five-country Asian expansion

Australian Mexican restaurant chain, Mad Mex has opened its first Singapore outlet at the Marina Bay financial district, as part of its bigger expansion plans into Asia. The chain runs 70 restaurants in Australia and New Zealand. In partnership with 4Fingers, Mad Mex will gather local market knowledge through its growing brands in Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Founder Clovis Young believes that Southeast Asia is in the midst of a food revolution towards healthy eating, and is confident that Mad Mex’s healthy, quality offerings will resonate with local customers.

 

Singapore

 

Nanjing-based bubble tea chain launches three outlets

The Whale Tea, a Nanjing-based bubble tea chain launched its first three takeaway kiosks at Lot One Mall in Choa Chu Kang, City Square Mall and Chinatown’s China Square Central, with the fourth to open at Rivervale Mall by the end of the year.  The bubble teas are popular because of their unusual blends such as the Brown Sugar Avocado and Volcanic Sapphire Whale drinks. Looking to the future, the chain is setting its sights on a restaurant space to accommodate in-dining.

 

Go Noodle House at Somerset

Malaysia’s Go Noodle House at Somerset is the second overseas outlet after Melbourne. Serving its best-selling pork meatball and mi xian noodles, the franchise has created a Singapore menu featuring fresh sliced mackerel noodles, premium ribeye Australian beef sliced noodles, and frog noodles. Go Noodle currently sells 18,000 bowls daily since opening in Kuala Lumpur in 2014. The company is planning to open five more outlets in Singapore and another five in New Zealand, Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines.

 

Freak-out at Supergreek!

If you’re a fan of Greek food, check out Supergreek at Raffles City! Following traditional Greek cuisine, the menu features a wide selection of healthy dishes, including street food Souvlaki and homemade authentic Greek yoghurt. Offering lean meat, seafood and heart-healthy olive oil, Supergreek’s cuisine aims to promote the healthy, nutritious qualities of its servings. 

 

Thailand

 

Dusit Foods brings South African healthy food to the region

Thai hospitality company, Dusit Foods has entered into a venture with South Africa’s Real Foods Group to bring its popular healthy, fast-casual restaurant concept, Kauai to Southeast Asia. Operating under its Thai brand name, Real Foods, the first outlet has opened in Bangkok, serving smoothies, salads, wraps and warm bowls.  Capturing the original concept, 30 percent of the store design and menu has been adapted to suit local taste-buds. Catering to takeaway and in-dining, the menu carries over 100 superfood ingredients, including free-range eggs, collagen, whey protein, spirulina, kale, broccoli and spinach, used to make a range of nutritious and delicious dishes and drinks with a focus on natural produce. Dusit Real Foods has another three stores lined up through its long-standing relationship with Virgin Active health clubs. The brand is also looking to expand outside of Thailand, leveraging its strong network of hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific, the UAE, Qatar and Oman, in its quest to introduce Real Foods to new markets worldwide.

 

Vietnam

 

3 new shopping malls for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Plans for 3 new mega malls have been announced by Vincom Retail. Vincom Mega Mall Ocean Park, located at one of the largest real estate projects in Hanoi, will span across 56,000 sqm and serve 1.5 million customers annually. Targeted at millennials, Vincom Mega Mall Smart City, also in Hanoi will feature future technology trends covering 68,000 sqm and has a catchment of 1.8 million potential customers. Vincom Mega Mall Grand Park will open in District 9 of Ho Chi Minh City, occupying 48,000 sqm of commercial space, inclusive of five floors and one basement level. According to real estate company CBRE, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City could potentially emerge as one of the top three retail markets in Asia-Pacific.

 

What’s Cooking in 2020?

 

Meat Alternatives on the Rise

 

The growing interest in plant-based food and rising number of flexitarians looking to reduce meat consumption is pushing the demand for meat alternatives that offer texture, flavor, and nutritional profile similar to meat products. Emerging protein sources such as pea protein, chickpea, and other legumes, algae, and mycoprotein (fungal protein) are currently being explored for the production of meat substitutes to mimic the mouthfeel and cooking behavior of meat or poultry products. According to Research and Markets, pea-based meat substitute products are expected to register double-digit growth over the 2019-2023 forecast period because of the growing demand for soy-free, non-GMO ingredients, especially in Western markets. While frozen meat alternatives remain the dominant product category, refrigerated or chilled meat alternatives are expected to gain market share as millennials lean more towards convenient, ready-to-go products.

North America leads the global market due to the expansive growth of its flexitarian population, made up of health-environment-animal welfare conscious millennials.  As innovative meat alternatives hit store shelves and restaurants, Europe and Asia-Pacific are the main contenders. Asia-Pacific has a large vegetarian population.  Most soy-based or tofu products cater to this group and diets are based on religious beliefs. However, the region is also witnessing strong demand for second-generation meat alternative products that taste more like meat.  Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong are major markets that are expected to drive growth in the region.

Plant-based alternatives with a local twist

 

Vegetarian dishes have been a part of Asian cuisine for a long time, however, the trend towards specific vegan meat and meat substitutes has spiked among companies launching these products, reports market research firm, Mintel.  Plant-based alternatives are peaking for many reasons. Some want to add meat substitutes to their diet even if they are not following a vegan or vegetarian diet, while for others, eating less meat is not only better for health but also for the environment.

Kitchens Race to the Cloud

 

Food delivery is big business. Globally, the online food delivery market, worth more than US$95 billion is projected to grow by more than 11 percent annually through 2023. In Southeast Asia alone, the online food delivery market is expected to grow to US8 billion by 2025, a Temasek-Google study reports. The sector is experiencing a paradigm shift to meet the demand from busy urbanites who are opting for convenience when it comes to making food purchases.  “Cloud Kitchens” or “Ghost Restaurants” that cater solely to online delivery are all the rage, taking orders from food delivery apps like foodpanda, GrabFood and Fave Takeaway. Cloud kitchen owners provide multiple cuisines out of the same space. A ghost kitchen on the other hand, can provide different cuisines under various names, enhancing their appeal and authenticity in the eyes of the consumers.

 

Backed by Sequoia Capital, Goldman Sachs and Go-Jek, startup Rebel Food is branching across Southeast Asia, and has set its sights on opening over 100 such kitchens in Indonesia by 2021. Called a “full-stack” operation, they develop virtual kitchens to deliver food under their own brands. Given the huge demand for real estate in ASEAN cities, restaurants in urban centers stand to gain the most by going virtual.  As the region undergoes expansion of its cities, they will continue to attract a steady stream of new online consumers through cloud kitchens. Warehouse or basement spaces can be redesigned and repurposed to service catering institutions and small micro-kitchens.

Disclaimer: All opinions and views expressed in the articles published in the newsletter are those of the individual journalists and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, the newsletter's sponsors or USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.

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