Asian Ethnic…Now for Everyone (2/4)

Whether remaining 100% authentic to the specific cuisine, fusing it to another, or tweaking it to the American palate, Asian-themed restaurants, such as PF Chang's China Bistro, Thaifoon, RA Sushi, and Big Bowl, are flourishing. Even mainstream American restaurants with broad-based menu concepts have tapped into the movement, incorporating Asian ingredients into contemporary cooking--be it French, Latin American, or even Southwestern. As an example, one may have already tasted the Thai ingredients offish sauce or shrimp paste in other cooking before having them in a Thai dish itself. Dashboard Dining Makes Tracks These days, processors of prepared Asian foods could be just about anyone. Focused on the growing niche of mobile foods, Dell Dashers[R] Premium Meal Oriental Cups, with a decidedly regional Chinese influence, are hit-ting the mark. Three popular refrigerated varieties, Kung Pao Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken (both with rice), and Lo Mein Noodles with Chicken, are packaged in clear, microwaveable cups with domed tops and are de-signed to be eaten anywhere. Available in C-store delis, they are ready to eat in less than two minutes and generally consumed within two hours of purchase. The dessert fortune cookie stashed under the top is a novel touch. The company's Oriental Bowls, found in supermarket delis, offer the same flavor selections in a larger size that can be brought home and consumed within five days. Recognizing the appeal of ethnic foods, the company also markets a similar line of Italian Pasta Cups and Bowls. "The Oriental menu provides quick, powerful (taste) satisfaction," remarks Roman Forowycz, president of Fun Fresh Concepts LLC, a new product concept company that commercialized the Deli Dashers line. He says the product delivers "a lot of value for its price. Our goal was to create something different than what the consumer will see out of the frozen case." The predominance of spices and acidic sauces in Asian cuisine yields a naturally occurring preservative effect, making it ideal for a product with extended shelflife (ESL), he also notes. Product formulators can be of more than one mind when deciding how authentic to be with ethnic flavors. Commenting that truly authentic meals may require a more sophisticated consumer palate. Forowycz has found that tailoring his product flavor profiles to please 70% of the public has been successful, without sacrificing product appeal. (In some cases, he even adjusts them to a particular regional market within the U.S.) It All Started with an Egg Roll Columbus, Ohio-based Kahiki Foods Inc. was inspired by the reception of its signature egg rolls at the Kahiki Supper Club, a forerunner to the company. Encouraged to commercialize the product by local supermarket execs who dined at the establishment often, Kahiki began supplying the products for their stores. By the time the restaurant of 39 years closed its doors, the Kahiki Foods brand was five years into marketing a line of authentic, restaurant quality Pan-Asian/Pacific-Rim frozen foods and supplying supermarkets, club stores lad foodservice. Borrowing from Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Indian, Polynesian and Hawaiian cuisines, products include egg rolls and potstickers (shrimp, pork, chicken or vegetable, or some combo thereof), appetizers (mini vegetable egg rolls, chicken potstickers and spicy beef Tiki Bites [TM]) and party platters. With a company motto of being either "first, best or different," Kahiki's Bowl and Roll Combos[TM] is the company’ s answer to the Uncle Ben's Rice Bowls, says Alan Hoover, senior vice president of sales and marketing. All packaged with a vegetable egg roll and dipping sauce, product profiles include General Tso's Chicken, Mango Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Sesame Orange Chicken, and Beef & Broccoli. (To counter sogginess when heating, a special susceptor sleeve crisps the egg rolls in the microwave.)