September 2021 Welcome
Welcome to the September issue of the USAPEEC ASEAN Regional 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, activities as well as useful product information in every issue.
This month's issue:
Contents
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
Vietnamese Consumers Benefit From USAPEEC’s Livestream Event
USAPEEC, partnering with United Tastes, held a Facebook Livestream and Online Media Activity for Vietnamese consumers on August 4. The event educated consumers on the quality and health benefits of U.S. poultry, specifically U.S. chicken. Well-known food blogger, Helen Le demonstrated two easy-to-prepare dishes at home during the lockdown period, namely U.S. Chicken Curry and Grilled U.S. Chicken with Salt and Chili. The event was livestreamed to 110,000 individuals, amassing 43,000 views. A total of 8 online news portals featured the activity, capturing 21,570 views. Vietnamese food blogger, Helen Le showcased two U.S. chicken dishes via Facebook Livestream. U.S. Chicken Curry is an easy-to-prepare dish at home. Grilled U.S. Chicken with Salt and Chili, created by Helen Le.
MICHELIN Guide Singapore Releases Bib Gourmand 2021 Selection
Michelin Guide Singapore has released the Bib Gourmand 2021 list which includes a total of 69 venues, 11 more than in 2019, covering street food establishments, and hawker stalls. Joining the growing ranks of establishments are12 new entries nominated by Michelin inspectors. The selection is based on the best establishments that offer diners very good value for money, with complete and high-quality menu priced at a maximum of SGD 45.
This Michelin category is not to be confused with the Michelin Stars (the hallmark of fine dining) which recognizes dining establishments that meet exceptional food quality and standards. In the early 1990’s, successful awardees were marked with the letter ‘R’ in the Michelin Guide. In 1997, the Bib Gourmand category was introduced and the “R” symbol was revised with launch of the Michelin Man mascot known as ‘Bibendum’, licking his lips. Since then, Bibendum has become a quality symbol for budget-friendly customers in search of exceptional meals.
Taking a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, the fifth edition of the Bib Gourmand Selection returned with a keen eye on Singapore’s evolving hawker offerings. In a country where hawker food has become an indispensable pillar of the local way of life - a melting pot of cuisines where a number of subcultures have formed. In fact, last year, the rich culture and culinary heritage of Singapore’s hawker food earned a well-deserved spot in UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Nine out of the 12 entries that made the Michelin Guide Selection 2021 were hawker stalls:
The other three restaurants include: Da Shi Jia Big Prawn Mee, Kotuwa and The Coconut Club. Twelve new entrants get on The Michelin Guide Singapore’s Bib Gourmand 2021 list. (Photo: Michelin Guide)
Mooncakes Mark The Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second grandest festival in China after the Lunar New Year. Celebrated in the middle of the autumn season, this day is also known as the moon festival because the moon, at this time of year, is believed to be at its fullest and brightest.
The festival originated as the moon worship ceremony about 3,000 years ago during the Zhou Dynasty. Successive dynasties followed through, adding singing and dancing in the moonlight to the ceremony. In Chinese culture, the full moon symbolizes harmony and that’s why families gather for a grand dinner and celebrate with mooncakes.
A couple of facts we learnt about the Mid-Autumn Festival:
This year, Singapore celebrates the Mooncake Festival on September 21, 2021. Retail promotions are already underway, with new offerings to take your tastebuds over the moon. You can find mooncakes stuffed with everything, from black truffle to bak kwa (barbecue meat). Raffles Hotel’s Yunnan Dark Brown Sugar and Rum Truffle Snow-Skin Mooncakes come with a unique caramelization of Yunnan Dark Brown Sugar and a blend of rum and candied winter melon for that decadent, earthy aftertaste. Grand Hyatt Singapore offers a range of unique mooncakes handmade to order. You can indulge in their snowskin creations with flavors like Cherry Brandy and Strawberry Cream Cheese with Oreo Crumble, paired with Champagne, Lychee Martini, and D24 Durian signatures. Mid-Autumn season at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport is taking nostalgic mooncakes up a notch. If you enjoyed the tangy Mango Pomelo and creamy Orh Nee with Gingko Nuts last year, you will be pleased to know that these delicacies are back! New treats include Yuzu for that refreshing balance of sweet and tart Adzuki bean flavors. Chang'e is the Chinese Moon Goddess, whose presence is invoked during the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo: Learn Religions) Mooncakes are synonymous with the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo: China Highlights) Colorful lantern display in Singapore. (Photo: Rove.Me)
The Sizzling Flavors Of Hot Pot
With a history of more than 1000 years, Hot Pot or huǒguō (fire pot in Chinese) has emerged as a cult obsession in Asia in recent years. The cooking method which utilizes a hot mouth-numbing spicy broth, accompanied by various seasonings and dipping ingredients, is a popular comfort pick during the cooler monsoon and winter seasons. Still, there’s no stopping anyone from enjoying hot pot dishes with an ice-cold beer during the summer months.
The hot pot tradition is believed to have originated from Mongolian warriors and horsemen who ate their dinner by circling around a pot on top of a fire. Some sources claim that these horsemen used their metal helmets to hold the broth as they virtually had no cooking utensils. China is also regarded as the place of origin for the hot pot, with many claiming that the dish was created by a boatman in Chongqing in Southwest China. Inclinations for the Sichuan hot pot were also recorded in Chinese poet, Zuo Si’s “Rhapsody of the Three Capitals” (250-305). Regardless of its origin, hot pot remains popular with its communal dining style, bringing together groups of family and friends.
As the hype for hot pot takes over the world, new renditions are teasing palates with new ingredients, broths, and spices with distinct flavors. Be it the Chongqing-style (also known as Sichuan-style), Beijing-style (a clear soup base), Hainan-style (a coconut and chicken soup base), or Shantou-style (a soup base made from boiled meatballs), the social dining concept is really simple. You set a pot of simmering broth on a portable burner in the middle of the table with plates of meat, seafood, and vegetables, all prepped and ready to cook in the broth. Once cooked, diners dish out the food from the broth with the help of some basic accessories like chopsticks, tongs, strainers, spoons into shallow bowls to consumer, with dipping sauces on the side.
Check out some of these Asian hot pot offerings: Singapore: With 8 different bases (including Pork Stomach and Chicken Soup, Sichuan Pickles or spicy base, local Laksa base, and the rich Haidilao-Styled Bai-Yu Soup Base, made with chicken, pork and fish bones), Hai Di Lao in Singapore offers personalized soup base service technology where diners get to customize their own soup base and spice levels. Complementary ingredients include luncheon meat, cheese sausages, chicken slices, tofu, sliced fish, chicken and cumin, noodles, lotus root, corn, and an assortment of green leafy vegetables. The brand’s outlet at Marina Square wows guests with immersive light and sound projections, adding a modern and futuristic take to the traditional cooking style. At Hai Di Lao, you get to choose an assortment of ingredients - from chicken slices, corn, eggs to green leafy vegetables. (Photo: Hai Di Lao FB) Hoang Yen Hotpot offers a rich selection of soup bases like Bamboo Shoot, Tom Yum and Chicken with Bird’s Eye Chili. (Photo: Hoang Yen Hotpot FB) Vietnam: As a restaurant specializing in hot pot, Hoang Yen Hotpot offers an extremely rich menu served ala carte or as a buffet. Soup bases range from a Japanese base to Bamboo Shoot, Tom Yum and Chicken Hotpot Base with Bird’s Eye Chili. The main ingredients come in combos of vegetables and mushrooms, meat and seafood. A wide array of dipping sauces, from soy to seafood peppercorn and spicy flavors enhance the dishes. The ala carte menu also carries eggs, tofu, vermicelli noodles, and more. Just simmer, dip, eat and repeat! Indonesia: The High Style Hotpot in Jakarta attracts diners with its iconic Mala seasoning. The mala oil and animal fat comes in the shape of adorable teddy bears to warm you up. Aside from the Mala soup base, the restaurant serving Chongqing old style traditional hot pot offers other soup bases such as Laksa and Mushroom. Ingredients include premium beef, lamb and duck cuts. The meals are available in three categories Regular, Premium, and Special. And to top it all, the restaurant still recreates an edible version of Lady Gaga’s meat dress on a Barbie doll with meat strips. High Style Hotpot attracts diners with its iconic teddy bear shaped Mala seasoning. (Photo: Tripadvisor)
Study On QR Codes And E-Payments In Singapore
While Singaporeans are warming up to QR codes to enter shops and eateries, there is still hesitancy when it comes to making digital payments.
Despite the convenience, the use of QR codes to store information can easily be scanned and read with a phone camera, has risen only slightly among consumers when paying for goods and services. QR or Quick Response codes, invented by Japanese engineer Masahiro Hainvra in 1994, can store 200 times more information than a standard barcode.
A recent Nielsen study found that 74% of Singapore residents surveyed said they used mobile wallets to make QR code payments at least once in the past six months. This is a 7-percentage point increase over a 2018 survey that found 67% used mobile wallets to pay via QR codes. The study, commissioned by global payment brand UnionPay, was based on a survey of 1,200 Singapore residents aged 18 to 55 years in January and February this year.
Popular mobile wallets used in Singapore include DBS PayLah!, Google Pay and GrabPay. Survey respondents cited convenience, rewards, cashback, and discounts as key reasons for using mobile wallets, but they also highlighted issues like having to top up their wallets and some merchants unwilling to accept this payment method. Their phones were also not able to read the QR codes at times, and in some cases, slow internet connections disrupted transactions.
About 60% of consumers who do not use mobile wallets said they were mainly deterred by concerns over security of personal information held by merchants, mobile phone manufacturers and mobile wallet apps.
On the whole, mobile wallets account for 14% of consumers' monthly spending. The lion's share of the expenditure (26%) is via credit card payments, followed by cash and debit cards that account for 15% each. Excluding card payments, mobile wallets are among the consumers' top five preferred payment methods when shopping at food and beverage places, supermarkets, entertainment outlets, convenience and department stores.
UnionPay said it was expecting a larger increase in mobile wallet adoption compared to 2018 with the government's push to encourage QR code payments for food, even at hawker centers. However, the company is confident that as consumers get used to scanning QR codes everywhere and with more choices for QR code payment applications and merchant acceptance, more consumers will embrace this mode of payment. QR codes and mobile wallets add to the convenience of payments. (Photo: Scanova.io)
Restaurants Offer Beach Getaways!
Pattaya, El Nido, Kuta and Siloso beaches - Asia boasts some of the finest beaches in the world. From exquisite cocktails to delicious food, cool dips in the ocean, laid-back music, soft sand, and relaxing sunbeds, the region is a favorite vacation spot with its beautifully designed beachfront resorts, restaurants and bars. The ongoing pandemic may have induced social mobility restrictions in and out of the country but we can still indulge in the glory of these beaches with a little bit of day-dreaming.
It is often said that “you don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone”. That’s true in these restricted mobility times, and we’ve come to realize just how much we took vacations, leisure travel, and dining at our favorite restaurants for granted. But all is not lost. Consumers, where possible, are happy to spend their travel money as a way to escape cabin fever.
No doubt, the pandemic has pushed restaurants to re-evaluate and re-imagine their dining space and menus - to provide the ultimate customer experience. The concept of alfresco dining in unusual settings is catching on fast as restaurants pivot to new ideas to entice customers. Are you ready for the beach? Tipsy Flamingo has an indoor swimming pool-like section with distinct blue tiles, metal handrails and seating slabs. (Photo: Sam’s Alfresco Coffee) Shore-ly A Good Time
Singapore actor Pierre Png and his wife, Andrea De Cruz recently opened a beach-themed restaurant-bar at the Raffles City Shopping Centre. The Tipsy Flamingo restaurant as it’s called, features an alfresco and indoor dining area, and an indoor swimming pool-like section to boot! This section mirrors the architecture of a real swimming pool with distinct blue tiles, metal handrails and seating slabs - the only difference is, instead of water, chairs and tables for diners take centerstage. The restaurant has two cabanas with curtains – perfect for a private dining experience. You will find a range of fusion dishes on the menu such as Avocado Butter on Toast (sourdough toast topped with poached egg, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and yoghurt foam), Truffle Moonlight Horfun (with grilled chicken or wagyu striploin beef and a poached egg), as well as The Warrior Spicy Wings and Tipsy's Burnt Cheesecake. A collection of fusion cocktails awaits!
Hey Beach Café’s menu serves classic beach treats like burgers, pizzas, and pastas. (Photo: HeyBeach.id) Picnic By The Beach
Offering a short escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, the Hey Beach Café in Jakarta has exploded on social media, luring a large crowd of young, hip customers. The coastal-themed café takes its inspiration from the beaches of Bali, complete with cabanas, picnic tables, rattan furniture and actual sand below the feet – perfect for those Instagram moments. Menu highlights include classic beach treats such as burgers, fish and chips, salads, pizzas, pastas, BBQ pork ribs and a range of fried, grilled, and roasted chicken dishes. And you can refresh yourself and beat the heat with their incredible desserts. How does the Sunny Summer CoCo Ice Cream or Bikini Dragon Smoothie Bowl sound? 7-Eleven’s latest outlet in Thailand is eye-catching with its boat-like structure. (Photo: Pinoy Thaiyo) All Aboard!
Piggybacking off the nautical theme, convenience stores are adopting the beach getaway theme as well. Last year, 7-Eleven opened its largest store in the world in Pattaya, Thailand. Built in the shape of a large boat that is two storeys high, the store also houses an in-house café. Not only do you get to enjoy the convenience of ready-to-eat meals and beverages available around the clock, you get to shop for grocery items at the same time.
Indonesia
Pioneerindo Gourmet targets 15% revenue growth California Fried Chicken QSR chain, operated by Pioneerindo Gourmet International is targeting a 15% revenue growth this year, from USD 26 million in 2020. This is dependent on the decline of COVID-19 cases in the country. Planning ahead, the company’s strategies include menu promotions with competitive pricing, online sales, and opening more outlets close to residential areas.
Malaysia
Limited offer of chicken skin combo at KFC KFC is offering crispy fried chicken skin as part of its 'Snek Jimat' promotion in Malaysia. The Snek Jimat Kombo with chicken skin comes with a loaded potato bowl and drink. According to KFC Malaysia, the limited time 'Snek Jimat' promo will run until October 11 and is only available for purchase from 2 pm to 5 pm daily. Consumers can order the promotional menu item via the KFC app (available for delivery or self-pick-up only). KFC previously launched the chicken skin menu items in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Singapore
Eatbox to open a permanent food market in Tekka Inspired by Thailand’s Chatuchak Night Market and Taiwan’s Shilin Night Market, Eatbox is opening a permanent food market at Tekka Place later this month. The latest edition is housed at a 833 sqm food hall filled with 20 food stores and four kiosks featuring international and fusion cuisine. What’s on the menu? Butcher Truffle Eggstarter by Butcher The Burger Bar, Nasi Lemak by Satay Ummi, Onigiri-Sandwiches by Okinawa Onigiri, and hot BBQ by Mookata. The star attraction, besides the food, are the neon ambient lights and interactive whimsical, locally food-inspired murals by local artists. The murals will change every six to eight months. Other features include an instant-noodle themed playground, pop-up retail stores, and a thematic experience center. For fuss-free orders, paying and collection, the food hall uses a Cloud Operating System.
Shakey's Pizza makes a comeback After a couple of unsuccessful runs in Singapore, Shakey's Pizza is set to make a comeback with an outlet at Lucky Plaza. The U.S. chain, which is very popular in the Philippines, specializes in thin-crust pizza, chicken, and mojos (fried potato slices). Fans can expect items from chain's original menu, with tweaks to comply with halal requirements. This will be Shakey's fourth overseas outlet. The company currently operates about 242 Shakey’s outlets in Philippines.
Notable hawker dishes on SIA Menu Singapore Airlines (SIA), in collaboration with leading Singaporean hawker brands, has added some iconic local hawker dishes to the menu. These include Boon Tong Kee’s Chicken Rice, Song Fa Ba Kut Teh and Kok Kee Wonton Noodles. Soon to be added to the list - Bismillah Biryani Restaurant's Chicken Dum Biryani, Qiu Lian Ban Mian and Beach Road Prawn Noodles. The dishes, on rotation, will only be available to First Class and Business Class passengers on selected flights departing from Singapore. SIA’s initiative is part of the airline's efforts to promote local food culture around the world.
Thailand
Betagro, Nestlé to tap opportunities RTE products Betagro is partnering with Maggi, owned by Nestlé, to launch chilled and frozen RTE products in Thailand. Betagro sees the opportunity to expand its customer base with quality RTE products. The new offerings, available at Lotus’s nationwide, include braised cocoa pork and braised chicken and shiitake mushroom with rice. According to the Food Intelligence Center, the RTE food market could reach USD 701.8 million this year, up from USD 640.7 million in 2020.
Vietnam
Japfa Vietnam expands fresh meat retail segment Japfa Comfeed Vietnam has opened its first Japfa Best meat shop in Dong Nai province. Japfa Best offers 50 meat-based items, including fresh pork, chicken, and processed meat. All are from the company’s feed-farm-food integrated production chain. Japfa currently has 30 butcher shops across the country. An additional 50 stores in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces are on track, as part of the expansion plans.
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. You are receiving this email because you registered to get newsletters from USAPEEC ASEAN. ® USA POULTRY & EGG EXPORT COUNCIL |