SE Asian cuisine favored by Chinese palates, taking bigger place at table

Flourishing as the market is, not every Southeast Asian restaurant survived the three-year pandemic and ensuing lockdowns. Thai Flavor, a restaurant chain once the rage in China, shut down all its outlets in Beijing. Some of its sites in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, were also shuttered. Lotus Thai, which launched its first restaurant in Beijing in 1999, and several more in the capital later on, closed two downtown outlets during the pandemic.

Addison Liew, chef patron of MULU Hutong, said: "The 'secret' to us standing still against the challenges all the way through is that we always place taste as the top priority. Once the taste changes, customers are the first to know."

Team management is another perspective that enterprises may need to consider, Liew said.

"Southeast Asian cuisine consumption in China is full of potential, given the fact that it often has Chinese roots. In terms of taste, it is easily accepted by most Chinese palates. With people's living standards rising, more people are traveling abroad, especially to Southeast Asia, which is a neighbor of China, and consumers are embracing the diversity of delicious food," Kho said.

She said that future challenges remain in terms of market education. "Currently, Southeast Asian cuisine in China has more or less adapted so as to cater to local tastes. However, there is a large variety of marvelous dishes with original tastes that have not been introduced to the market yet. Once customers get to accept and appreciate them, a blue ocean awaits to be tapped."

To reach out to more consumer groups and enhance the company's ability to defend risks, in addition to the mid- to high-end brands MULU has been operating, it plans to launch a bistro brand and more street food brands in Beijing soon.

"Specifically, we train our team on introducing Southeast Asian dishes on the menu to customers, so that customers understand and enjoy the food better. It's all about education," she said.

Cai Hui, an independent financial columnist, said: "The future growth point lies in market education. By offering more authentic Southeast Asian cuisine, consumers may be able to better appreciate the glamor of the food, thus further expanding the market."