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Chains tweak Asian-inspired dishes to appeal to U.S. diners

Chains tweak Asian-inspired dishes to appeal to U.S. diners

CHICAGO National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

“In the United States, if you’re delivering the taste, you’re being authentic,” said Nation’s Restaurant News food editor Bret Thorn, who previously worked in restaurants in Thailand. He described authenticity as “a moving target,” noting that many foods that once were authentic or traditional in other countries have evolved to more contemporary combinations. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Dan Coudreaut, director of culinary innovation for McDonald’s USA, said the burger chain’s Asian Salad, which rolled out last year, has developed a following, even though salads are not typically served in China. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Doug Martinides, vice president of culinary development for Philadelphia-based Aramark, said he and his staff sometimes “bridge” a less-familiar ethnic item with a more familiar ingredient. One example is to make a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich with chicken instead of pork and to serve it on a baguette. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Coudreaut noted that edamame, a crunchy green soybean, was ultimately chosen as one of the ingredients in the Asian —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Salad because it wasn’t too much of a stretch for the typical McDonald’s patron. “We can’t go overboard,” he said. “We have to be strategic in deciding what to push.” —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Cooks at Noodles & Company use lower-heat wok burners as well as small sauté pans so they can customize the dishes to appeal to American palates, said Ross Kamens, the chain’s executive chef. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Moderator Robert Danhi, chef-owner of Chef Danhi Inc., asked panelists what they think will be the next Asian trend and received a variety of responses. He noted that there still are no Thai chain restaurants although independent Thai restaurants have become commonplace. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

“There is still so much to learn about Chinese, Japanese and Thai foods that I think we will explore different aspects of them first,” —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Thorn said. “For eight years everybody has been waiting for Indian food, but it hasn’t happened yet.” —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Martinides said he personally is fascinated with the diversity of Vietnamese food, as well as with taking dim sum out of America’s Chinatowns and bringing it into the mainstream. “Maybe there’s an opportunity for suppliers to help us,” he said. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Kamens suggested that the distinctive flavors, French influence and fresh herbs of Vietnamese food hold appeal for Americans, as do the spiciness and other elements of Korean barbecue. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Martinides noted that elementary school children like Asian flavors, while Thorn added that adults who like Chinese food are ready to move on to similar cuisines from other Asian countries. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

An audience member asked the panel how they balance our gluttonous society with health and wellness in the Asian category. Danhi responded that Asian foods get away from the “unholy European trinity” of salt, fat and sugar. “You can deliver flavor without enormous portions or high salt, fat and sugar content,” he said. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Coudreaut said he thinks foodservice can be part of the solution to bad nutrition, although he doesn’t think the restaurant industry is the origin of the problem. “We can come up with different new products that don’t have a lot of fat, for example,” he said. “I am very optimistic about the future.” —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Asked if there are emerging Asian influences in the beverage category, Thorn mentioned cocktails that use ginger, yuzu or lychee. In nonalcoholic drinks, he said he sees opportunity in teas—especially green teas—and coffee. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

One attendee asked Coudreaut if McDonald’s would experiment with more Chinese-influenced products since it will be a corporate sponsor of the 2008 Olympics in China. “In theory, yes,” Coudreaut said. However, he noted that coming up with new items, including limited-time offers, takes a tremendous amount of work. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

Sourcing is one of the biggest challenges large companies face when introducing new menu items, Martinides said. —Authenticity is not all that important in creating Asian-influenced menu items that are good sellers in this country, said corporate chefs and other experts participating in “Seven Steps to Catch the Asian Wave,” a seminar held here during the recent

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