Asian fusion chef Susur Lee rises on the lower East Side
On a cold, cloudy November afternoon, celebrated chef Susur Lee sat quietly in the back room at Madeline’s, one of two chic restaurants he owns and operates in the fashion district here, pondering over the final details of his boldest menu yet. “The Chinese always say, eating is heavenly,” he said. “That is the way of life for us. It doesn’t have to be glamorous food, but good food.” The New York Observer, 11/18

Asian restaurants preparing to open doors
The sign is up, confirming that Jeanie Wah-Gorman, who had been managing Gene's Restaurant until it closed recently with the sale by the family of the property, has a new location for her restaurant with a new name. Called Jeanie Wah's Chinese and American Bistro, the restaurant will be located at 1360 S. 4th Ave. That's the old location for Sizzler's and more recently Pio Pio Chicken. Yuma Sun, 11/15

More Asian in Austin
Mama Fu's Asian House is opening its fourth Austin, Texas, location at 100 Colorado St., in the heart of downtown's Second Street District. Located at the corner of Colorado and Cesar Chavez streets, the newest Mama Fu's restaurant is opening in later this month. The Mama Fu's outdoor patio, which seats more than 70 diners, provides a truly Austin experience, as it overlooks the iconic Congress Street Bridge and Lady Bird Lake. QSR, 11/13

All Chinese food products containing dairy held up at U.S. border
The Food and Drug Administration has begun stopping imports of Chinese dairy and dairy-based products from entering the country in an effort to keep out food contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. The Washington Post, 11/13

Bringing an artist's touch to a range of Asia cuisine
Dinner indecision can strike the best of us. Will it be sushi tonight or Chinese? Thai or Malaysian? If you can't decide, Etsogo in downtown Lowell is an excellent venue for a top-notch pan-Asian feast. The restaurant's extensive menu offers a range of choices from across East Asia. The Boston Globe, 11/09

Asian carp is now a danger in U.S. waters
Currently, the fish in the Illinois River are working their way toward Lake Michigan, which would be an environmental catastrophe for the linked Great Lakes. These fish are bad in two ways. Also called flying carp, silvers leap up to 10 feet from the water when motorboats disturb them, and sometimes crash into the occupants. When a 40-pound airborne fish hits a person or vessel, bones get broken as well as boats. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 11/07

Introducing Asian food to kids
Parents can now cultivate palates for global cuisines by introducing Asian Flavored foods to their little ones. Asian ingredients, like lentils, coconut and spices, are showing up in emerging kids' foods, and committed parents are updating tired lunch boxes with colorful Bento Boxes. These homemade lunches include globally inspired mini-portions of nutritious foods in fun, appealing forms with a greater focus on grains and vegetables in re-usable plastic containers that cut down on waste. MarketWatch, 11/06

Asian food offers six taste elements
To me, the Asian palate is somewhat broader than the standard Western palate. I attended last month's first Asian Food Symposium in San Francisco, where the opening reception was an event of exploration and experiencing the six taste elements of Asian cuisines: bitter, spicy (hot), sour, salty, sweet and umami. By tasting various Asian ethnic dishes that showcased each taste element, we experienced how they functioned alone and how they worked together. The Vancouver Sun, 11/05

Samurai Sam's lightens up the holidays with healthy Chinese food
It's no secret this year's holiday season is expected to be a stressful one. Retailers are projecting an all-time low in sales profits, flights are expensive, and fuel is costly. With all these elements adding pressure to Americans' pocket books, the Asian food gurus at Samurai Sam's thought this was the perfect time to offer new, affordable, Chinese menu items served up with a little humor. MarketWatch, 11/04

Last Month's News

Bulgogi: Seoul's tabletop barbeque
Bulgogi literally means fire meat -- bul is fire and gogi is meat in Korean. This savory dish, typically thinly sliced beef marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, onion, sugar (or honey), sesame oil and black pepper, is grilled in front of you at the table, with sliced leeks and mushrooms. It's served with side dishes of cooked or pickled vegetables that range from crunchy and cool to sharp, tangy and spicy. Wall Street Journal, 10/31

All Asia Food tradeshow concludes in Los Angeles
The All Asia Food/Expo Comida Latina tradeshow concluded on October 14th, with more than 300 booths of products from around world, including pavilions and representation from Indonesia, Korea and Malaysia.

The culinary demonstration program was highlighted by the founder of the Sushi Chef Institute, Chef Andy Matsuda, who gave a lively sushi demonstration and prepared the popular dragon roll, demonstrating showmanship by using a handheld torch on unagi (eel). Matsuda also prepared a caterpillar roll to demonstrate avocado-cutting technique, and a special cucumber roll that used a cucumber sheet to roll the ingredients instead of seaweed. Matsuda then demonstrated the artful carving of a pineapple into birds and other animals to demonstrate knife skills and decoration. The colorful display of sushi was then laid out for the audience to taste. The Sushi Chef Institute teaches the art of sushi-making and food carving skills to its students and to companies or chefs by private lesson. Chef Matsuda has dedicated his life to teaching others the Japanese tradition and art of making sushi.

The educational program was highlighted by a talk given by Erica Bohm, Vice President of HealthyDiningFinder.com. Bohm discussed how Healthy Dining helped the Mongolian Hot Pot & Grill Restaurant in San Diego to market to and draw customers with a healthy dining campaign. Bohm also provided insight from a Chinese restauranteur who shared his experience of working with a nutrition menu consultant from Healthy Dining. The audience came away with a better understanding of how to capitalize on the healthy dining trend.

Demand for soy to reach $55 billion by 2015
Over the years, soy foods have moved away from small natural food stores to mainstream food products, buoyed by improvement in taste and product innovations. Popularization of soy foods is mainly due to health promoting qualities or disease prevention benefits. In addition, soy proteins are alternatively used as meat substitute that encourages aged consumers to consume soy products. PR Web, 10/28

Wal-Mart hunting in Asia
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is planning to pursue its strategic expansion into Asia with renewed vigour, as consumers in North America pull back on spending because of the economic slowdown. Sources say the U. S. retail behemoth has told investment bankers in Hong Kong to prepare for a "beauty contest" as the company looks to secure a long-term banking partner for its Asian expansion plans. Canada Financial Post, 10/28

A sign of lost confidence at Asian food markets
Empty rice shelves encase a fear that has transcended American culture, as consumers have learned that things they saw as entitlements - food staples, fuel for a commute, toys, and toothpaste free of poison - could no longer be taken for granted. The Boston Globe, 10/27

Baltimore restaurant serves bite-sized food with an Asian influence
Baltimore's foodie community is abuzz about the fact that Jill Snyder, its executive chef, is a contestant on the fifth season of Bravo's reality show Top Chef, which will kick off on Nov. 12. It turns out that besides the executive chef, things have changed remarkably little at Red Maple. A fork is offered as well as chopsticks these days. The food has more global influences. But that's about it. My guess is that the owners found a winning formula and have stuck with it. Baltimore Sun, 10/26

Tainted eggs from China discovered in Hong Kong
Hong Kong food inspectors have found eggs imported from northeast China to be contaminated with high levels of melamine, the toxic industrial additive at the heart of an adulteration scandal in Chinese milk products. New York Times, 10/26

Sushi's catchin on in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to restauranteurs and suppliers
Raw fish – on a pad of rice or wrapped in seaweed – is taking the place of salty chips and greasy burgers for some Dallas diners, in a clear sign that North Texans' tastes are changing. The Dallas Morning News, 10/23

Chef Jacky Yu adds modern zest to Chinese cuisine
Advertising executive turned celebrity chef Jacky Yu epitomizes the East-West spirit of his home city of Hong Kong. Yu is known for his idiosyncratic dishes that draw on an array of Asian tastes to bring about a "contemporary Chinese" culinary style food. Sometimes dubbed Hong Kong's answer to British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver for his high-profile TV shows and cookbooks, Yu's Xi Yan group runs restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore. Reuters, 10/21

Move over vodka, here comes shochu
Sake? Any sushi aficionado in the Bay Area knows what this is. But ask them if they know what shochu is and you'll draw some blank stares. In Japan, however, the consumption of shochu, a distilled beverage made from a variety of starches and grains, has exceeded that of sake. San Francisco Chronicle, 10/17

PepsiCo to invest $500M in India
PepsiCo Inc. will invest $500 million in India over the next three years as part of a plan to triple its revenues in the South Asian nation by 2014. Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi disclosed the initiative – which includes funding for pilot programs that will address water conservation, hunger and extreme poverty in India – late last month during a gathering of PepsiCo’s 26-member executive committee in New Delhi. Indus Business Journal, 10/17

From Mumbai to New York, Find Out How Food Ties Us All Together
This year at Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food, Chef Shashi Sanamvenkata will present authentic cuisine served during in-flights to Europe, Asia, India and other Latin destinations. Learn how he has mastered the challenges that exist with in-flight dining without compromising quality and authenticity. PRLog.Org - Bucuresti,Romania, 10/16

Rules for Dim Sum -- and then some
The title of Steven A. Shaw's new book, fittingly, is a mouthful: "Asian Dining Rules: Essential strategies for eating out at Japanese, Chinese, Southeast Asian, Korean, and Indian restaurants." Mr. Shaw, co-founder of the eGullet Web site that caters to serious eaters, imagines a scene that is all too familiar. "You walk into an Asian restaurant, and you order a few things from the menu. While you're eating your moo shoo pork, pad Thai, chicken teriyaki, or chicken tikka, you notice there's a big table of Asians across the room eating completely different food--dishes that you didn't even see on the menu." The Wall Street Journal, 10/15

Jet Tila opens Wazuzu in Las Vegas' Encore
Jet Tila is well known for his widespread knowledge of Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian cuisines. At Encore, he opens Wazuzu, a modern Asian bistro, named after a Chinese word that means "Nine Dragons." The name references a well-known painting of nine young dragons from the end of the 16th century. In homage to the original work, a large crystal dragon comprised of 90,000 Swarovski crystals and 2,400 flickering lights graces Wazuzu's wall. PR Newswire, 10/14

China recalls more milk items for testing
The Chinese government ordered a recall on Tuesday of all milk products produced before Sept. 14 that are still on the shelves so the products can be tested for the toxic chemical melamine. Melamine, a substance illicitly added to watered-down milk to falsely indicate a higher protein count, has led to the deaths of at least three babies; at least 53,000 other children have fallen ill. New York Times, 10/14

Chef Shashi Sanamvenkata to deliver culinary demo at All Asia Food Convention
As the executive chef at Continental Airlines, Chef Sanamvenkata coordinates the meal plans for the vast armada of travelers all over the world, bringing a unique perspective on how to maintain the right balance between budget requirements and the joy of presenting delightful food at 30,000 ft. This year at Expo Comida Latina and All Asia Food, Chef Shashi Sanamvenkata will present authentic cuisine served during in-flights to Europe, Asia, India and other Latin destinations. 10/08

Zagat names Momofuku Ko best newcomer restaurant in New York
Momofuku Ko, a small eatery in Manhattan's East Village, where diners sit on hard bar stools to enjoy Asian-spiked American fare, is named Best Newcomer in Zagat Survey's 30th annual ``New York Restaurants'' guide, published today. Bloomberg, 10/07

China bolsters dairy supply oversight in effort to rebound from scandal
Beijing -- China is posting inspectors to monitor dairy companies and imposing rules to improve accountability among milk suppliers, as it moves to restore consumer confidence in the industry. Meanwhile, authorities detained six people Sunday in Hohhot, a major dairy-production base, for allegedly selling melamine, the industrial chemical used in baby formula that has sickened tens of thousands of children in China. The Wall Street Journal, 10/07

FDA makes determination on melamine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, spurred on by the still-widening Chinese dairy scandal, has concluded any level of melamine or melamine-related compounds in infant formula creates a serious public health concern, especially if formula is the sole source of nutrition. The Cattle Network, 10/06

Consumers interested in trying more Asian vegetables
Asian vegetables, a diverse group of specialty vegetables grown and consumed throughout Asia, are becoming an integral part of the American diet. The demand for Asian vegetables is rapidly increasing in the United States thanks to increasing ethnic diversity in the population, a rapid rise in popularity of Asian cuisines, more emphasis on healthy and specialty foods, and increasing familiarity with the foods' culinary uses. Science Daily, 10/06

Teriyaki Experience restaurant scouts sites
Quick-serve Japanese dining could be on the menu in the Buffalo area early next year in as many as six locations. Clear Creek Development, a Town of Tonawanda-based restaurant franchise broker, is eyeing several local sites for the Made In Japan Teriyaki Experience chain. The Canada-born restaurant concept is found in shopping mall food courts, strip plazas and power centers. The Buffalo News, 10/06

Surge in Asian carp could lead to expanded range
The carp’s push toward the Great Lakes — the biggest home in the world they could ever hope to find — has mysteriously stalled for the past two years about 15 miles below the experimental electric barrier, but nobody’s relaxing. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did get worse. A lot worse,” says Matt O’Hara, a researcher with the Illinois Natural History Survey in Havana, Ill. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 10/05

FDA sets the threshhold for the contaminant melamine
Responding to concerns about the presence of the contaminant melamine in numerous foods made in China and exported to the United States and elsewhere, the Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that consuming a very small amount of the chemical poses no serious risk. The Washington Post, 10/04

Parents file lawsuit in China against dairy firm
A lawyer says the parents of a baby allegedly sickened by tainted infant formula are suing the dairy at the heart of China's contaminated milk scandal, as 15 more companies were accused of producing spiked products. CNN Asia, 10/02

More contaminated Chinese candy found in U.S.
More contaminated Chinese candy was discovered in the United States on Wednesday, this time in Connecticut, where consumer protection officials issued a public warning against eating the sticky sweet. The New York Times, 10/01

Overfishing brings changes to Asian restaurants in San Francisco
Glance at the menu of Tataki Sushi & Sake Bar in San Francisco, and you'll notice some glaring omissions. Notably missing from this tiny, 7-month-old establishment are such traditional staples as bluefin toro, hamachi, unagi, octopus and ever-popular spider rolls made with blue crabs from Asia. Because these species are considered overfished, the restaurant is not serving them. Tataki is believed to be the only sustainable sushi bar in North America, the first to tout "sushi without guilt." San Francisco Chronicle, 10/01

Not just for vegetarians, tofu has subtle charms
Do you tofu? If there isn't a block or shred of soybean curd in your refrigerator right now, chances are it crosses your plate only in restaurants, or not at all. Vegetarians, vegans and dietitians know that tofu is high in protein, iron and calcium, has little saturated fat and may help lower cholesterol. Washington Post, 10/01

Archived News

Fearing tainted milk, Asian groceries yank dairy products
Some Asian grocery stores in the Las Vegas Valley have stopped selling milk products imported from China. They've cleared their shelves of such products as a precaution because of the scandal over tainted milk in that nation. Las Vegas Sun, 09/29

A happy marriage of Thai and Vietnamese dishes
Maybe when you were a teenager you liked drinking what you called a frappe, a milkshake, or even a cabinet. These days, teenagers at Arlington High School are exploring a different beverage option: boba. Lady Siam opened on Massachusetts Ave. in Arlington last May, a stone's throw from the high school. It serves Thai and Vietnamese food and Boba, or bubble tea, which originated in Taiwan in the 1980s.The Boston Globe, 09/28

Asia food tainting spreads, leading to recall in U.S.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said Friday that some instant coffee and tea drinks, all containing a nondairy creamer made in China, had been recalled for fear of contamination. It is the first recall in the United States growing out of the melamine scare. New York Times, 09/26

Teamakers seek overseas growth
Beverage makers have started full-fledged campaigns to sell sugar-free Japanese tea drinks overseas, as they see limited chance of growth on the domestic front. Target markets include the United States, China and Southeast Asia. The key focus is on young women and people with high incomes who are sensitive about their health and weight, the companies said. The Japan Times, 09/26

One sushi chefs take on essential Asian sauces
Chef Andrew Nam earned his nickname, "Sauce Man," the old-fashioned way. He worked hard for it. The driving force behind Stingray Sushi in Scottsdale, Nam has built a loyal following for the sauces he creates for dipping, stir-frying and marinating. The Arizona Republic, 09/25

China withdraws milk as Fonterra decries Sanlu delay
China pulled more than 7,000 metric tons of dairy products from shelves as the nation's new quality regulator pledged ``forceful'' measures to tackle chemical contamination that's killed four infants and sickened 53,000. Bloomberg, 09/24

Wolfgang Puck plans Asian-influenced restaurant in Dallas
In December, Chef Puck plans to open fine-dining spot No. 16 – Asian-influenced, as yet unnamed – in the star-spangled globe atop Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. It will mark his entrée as a Texas restaurateur. Dallas Morning News, 09/24

New dressed up Chinese takeout shop in the Wst Village draws customers
The usual Chinese takeout joint doesn’t have mirrors in baroque frames and red leather banquettes. But the quick service restaurant Philippe Chow Express has the same food as its Midtown parent, Philippe, so why not the same décor? New York Times, 9/23

Nestle assures that milk products in China and Hong Kong are safe
Nestlé reaffirms that all its milk products in China and Hong Kong are absolutely safe. No Nestlé milk products in China and Hong Kong are made from milk adulterated with melamine. This is confirmed by tests carried out by independent, government-approved laboratories in China and Hong Kong. Asia Business Wire, 09/23

China Food Safety Chief resigns after dairy scandal
China's top food-safety official resigned as a dairy contamination scandal brought more international recalls of Chinese products and heightened fears among dairy farmers that their livelihoods were in danger. On Monday, Nestlé SA was forced to recall a type of milk it sells in Hong Kong and New Zealand's prime minister criticized her country's top dairy company for not speaking out sooner about problems with the baby formula it produces in a Chinese joint venture. Wall Street Journal, 09/23

U.S. steps up inspections to keep out tainted milk from China
Although no trace of infant formula from China has turned up in this country, U.S. authorities said Friday they are taking added precautions to keep out tainted milk products. The Food and Drug Administration has widened its inspections at ports of entry to focus on shipments of bulk food ingredients from Asia that are derived from milk, such as milk concentrate and whole milk powder. Associated Press, 09/20

Maximum umami: the rise of the noodle
If you haven't heard the term "umami" before, I recommend making a reservation at Capitol Hill's Boom Noodle.  Umami is a Japanese word that describes the fifth taste sensation (the others are salty, sour, bitter and Dopey), usually associated with Asian flavors.  Like charisma, umami is hard to describe, but you'll know it when you see it – or in this case, taste it. Seattle Post Intellegencer, 09/20

Chinese dairies face worsening crisis due to tainted milk
As China's baby-formula scandal widens, the country's multibillion-dollar dairy industry is reeling. Consumers, wary of domestically produced milk, are flocking to buy foreign formula and other products, and shares of the country's largest dairy companies are plunging. Wall Street Journal, 09/19

SkyPeople Fruit Juice introduces new mulberry juice product
SkyPeople Fruit Juice, Inc., a leading processor and manufacturer of concentrated apple, kiwifruit, pear and other fruit juices and fruit products in the People's Republic of China, today announced that it has officially launched the large-scale production of concentrated mulberry juice at the Company's Jingyang production base as of September 2008. PR Newswire, 09/19

Texas Chicken enters India
Texas Chicken®, the international brand of Atlanta-based Church’s Chicken®, proudly opened its first restaurant in India, at Hyderabad. This marks the first of 30 restaurants planned for Andhra Pradesh in the next five years. Yahoo Finance, 09/19

Starbucks recalls Megniu milk products in China
Starbucks Corp. said Thursday it has voluntarily pulled all offerings in China made with milk from producer Mengniu, after melamine was found in some batches of the supplier's liquid milk. Mengniu, China's largest milk producer, supplies milk only to Starbucks' mainland China locations. Yahoo Finance, 09/18

Ancient Asian tea makes U.S. debut
Launching a healthy and unique new tea into the US food and beverage market, Dakota Valley Products, Inc announced the debut Sunday of Bushido® Organic Mugicha Tea at a meeting of the Women's History Club Tea Society in Sioux Falls. Pronounced "moo-gee-cha", the ancient tea has been enjoyed for centuries in countries like Japan and Korea. PR Web, 09/17

China reopens to most U.S. poultry, beef still banned
China has agreed to lift a bird flu-related ban on U.S. imports of poultry products from six states but remains closed to all imports of U.S. beef, U.S. trade officials said. China also agreed to adhere to a more streamlined process by which U.S. makers of medical devices obtain approval for imports of their products to China and to step up efforts to prevent contamination of its own pharmaceutical exports. Washington Post, 09/17

Asian Food Information Center sponsors World Heart Day
The incidence of high blood pressure is growing in Asia as diets and lifestyles change. The 2002 Chinese Nutrition and Health Status Survey reported that 18.8 percent of men and women over 18 years of age had high blood pressure. In parts of India, the incidence is as high as one in two adults. The Seoul Times, 09/16

Heinz increases market share through its Asian label, ABC
While ketchup sales are still strong for the ketchup giant, the company attributes a 44% increase in sales over 2007 to a brand it purchased back in 1998. ABC, the Asian label of Heinz, markets soy sauce, chili sauce, and beverage syrups to Indonesia and other emerging markets. Marketing Examiner, 09/15

Benihana rolls out new ad campaign
Benihana Inc. has launched an integrated campaign designed to position the teppanyaki chain as a destination for a “special dining experience.” The “Now That’s Special” campaign, created by Cronin and Company LLC of Glastonbury, Conn., includes print, billboards, rich media/banner advertising, a 15-second pre-roll video and a new website. Nation's Restaurant News, 09/15

China vows better food safety after baby milk scandal
China vowed Sunday to improve its food safety supervision after confirming 432 babies suffered from kidney stones and at least one died after drinking contaminated milk powder. An efficient system should be set up to combine efforts of various ministries and bring food safety supervision "to a new level", Xinhua news agency reported, citing Health Minister Gao Qiang. AFP, 09/14

Celebrated Culinary Experts lead First Annual Asian Food Symposium in San Francisco
San Francisco's historic Ferry Building is the backdrop for Asian Food Beyond Borders, a weekend celebration of Asian food and culture that takes place October 10 - 12. World-renowned food experts, such as author Madhur Jaffrey and celebrated chef, teacher, and TV show host Martin Yan, will lead a series of provocative conversations, special tastings, and engaging demonstrations. PR Web, 09/14

China could become the wine industry's next Chile
Western wine connoisseurs once derided the Chinese as simple drinkers who mixed wine with soda, and regarded the country's top vintners, like Dynasty, as local oddities serving up inexpensive wines in an immature market. International Herald Tribune, 09/14

Blossom Asian Bistro is the place for fusion excitement
When it comes to fusion cuisine, Blossom Asian Bistro is the real deal. It's not a sushi place with a few items from China or Thailand thrown in for lip service. While there is indeed a sushi bar with extensive choices, the excitement here is provided by the regular menu and the list of varied specials that don't have Japanese roots. New Jersey Star-Ledger, 09/14

Suppliers and manufacturers seek to manage seaweed shortage
A shortage of seaweed from Asia Pacific is having a serious affect on supply and pricing in the hydrocolloids market, and may ultimately prompt some users to reconsider formulations or seek new assurances from their suppliers. Food Navigator, 09/12

Celebrating the Chinese Moon Festival
Many people in China and throughout Asia celebrate the Harvest Moon, falling on the 15th day of the eighth month on their lunar calendar. This year, it falls on September 14, 2008. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon or Moon Cake Festival, is a joyful holiday celebrating the abundance of food and family, similar to our Thanksgiving. Ethinc Events, 09/11

China's challenge to the King of Beers
Without leaving home, an obscure Chinese beer is challenging Bud Light's position as the world's top-selling brand of suds. Market watchers say Snow Beer, the product of a joint venture between London-based SABMiller PLC and China Resources Enterprise Ltd., will overtake or has already overtaken Anheuser-Busch Co.'s Bud Light in terms of consumption, depending on how the numbers are crunched. The Wall Street Journal, 09/11

A Chicago chef offers tips for those cooking Asian food at home
Asian cuisines offer myriad exotic flavors and techniques that are accessible to the home cook. Ethnic enthusiasts have always combed the aisles of Asian stores for great equipment values and exciting ingredients, but the stacks of woks and strange jars and bottles can be a bit daunting to the uninitiated. Chicago Tribune, 09/10

Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill offers variety to customers
The new Stir Crazy Fresh Asian Grill is known for the "create your own stir fry" feature, allowing diners to pick the fresh ingredients they like and watch them cooked. While it's a fun way to dine, Stir Crazy operating manager Matt Stensrude points out "that while the create your own stir fry concept is very popular, it's not something we focus on. Gulf Coasting Live, 09/10

Kikkoman CEO reflects on 35-years of business in the U.S.
Yuzaburo Mogi reckons he has visited Wisconsin more than 200 times. The chairman and chief executive officer of Kikkoman Corp., the globe-spanning Tokyo-based food company, began visiting the state more than 35 years ago to joust with zoning authorities in Walworth to set up a soy sauce factory. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 09/09

Forget China's dairy boom, here's a real bargain beverage
If you've ever popped into a grocery store or used a vending machine in Hong Kong, you may well be familiar with Vitasoy. Soy-based drinks – in flavours from jasmine to chocolate - are hugely popular there and Vitasoy is the Coca-Cola of the soy drinks market. MoneyWeek Asia, 09/09

Proliferation of noodle shops boosts ramen renaissance
Nearly four decades after the first instant ramen noodle factory opened in the U.S., Japan's beloved comfort food finally is making inroads -- even achieving cult status -- in a nation where burgers and pizza still rule. The Oregonian, 09/09

Mamafuku Ko's $255 lunch leaves diners hungry
David Chang makes diners sit on hard wooden stools for three hours in a stuffy, tiny room in Manhattan's East Village. Welcome to Momofuku Ko's new lunch service, apparently inspired by an economy-class flight to Siberia but with better food. The Asian-spiked American fare is worthy of Michelin stars; there's just not enough of it. I spent over $300 for a meal and left hungry. Bloomberg, 09/09

New Asian and Cajun restaurant comes to Austin
A new restaurant offering an array of appetizers, traditional Asian food and an assortment of southern style seafood soon will open in Austin. Owners Paul and Samantha Keo, from Rochester, are opening their business in the former Bamboo Hut at 501 Oakland Ave. W. The restaurant, called Paul's Seafood and Grill, will have its grand opening Sept. 15. Austin Post-Bulletin, 09/09

China to review Coca-Cola bid for juicemaker
Coca-Cola Co. will have to submit its bid to buy a Chinese juice producer for review under China's new anti-monopoly law, state television reported, setting up the first major test of the legislation.
Coca-Cola's $2.5 billion offer last week for China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. already has stirred nationalist opposition. Comments posted on Chinese Web sites criticized the sale as the loss of a leading company to foreign owners. CBS News, 09/08

Tofu noodles get a lift from Hungry Girl.com
Spaghetti-shaped noodles made of tofu and yam flour — and packed in water in a refrigerated plastic bag — have rather suddenly started showing up in grocery produce aisles: Gristede’s, D’Agostino, Whole Foods. New York Times, 09/07

Identifying trends in food labels among Asian food buyers
To gain a better understanding of how consumers in Asia choose foods and the ways in which they use nutrition information on food labels, the Asian Food Information Council (AFIC) undertook research in China and Thailand in October/November 2007. The respondents (about 400 in each market) were aged 13 to 49 years of age and were the main grocery decision makers in their family or social unit. Non-grocery shoppers were also surveyed to see if there were any differences in their attitudes. The Malaysian Star, 09/07

Why Chinese food isn't hip
Why did I wander out to Long Island on a steamy day, traveling some 14 miles from the center of the American restaurant scene to a dumpy place at the end of a New York City subway line? It seemed crazy to go all that way to visit Golden Szechuan. That is, until I plunged my chopsticks into a dish of ma po dou fu, that tongue-numbing classic of China's famed regional cuisine. The Wall Street Journal, 09/06

$3 million Asian restaurant has big dreams
Last Thursday, Duc Tran and nine other investors made a bold move — opening a $3 million Asian restaurant. It is one of the biggest if not the largest in King County. Tea Palace Asian Restaurant in Renton has a floor space of 20,000 square feet on one level and an 800 seating capacity. Located next to the Viet Wah Supermarket and mall in Renton, also owned and developed by Tran, Tea Palace has a beautiful grand entrance — much like a mansion with hundreds of parking spaces outside the facility. Northwest Asian Weekly, 09/06

Trader Vic's completes LA Live lineup
The developers of the massive LA Live shopping-and-entertainment complex announced Thursday that they had leased the last space in the $2.5-billion downtown development -- to an outpost of the fabled tiki restaurant chain Trader Vic's. Southern California has been without a Trader Vic's restaurant since its Beverly Hills location, the legendary Rat Pack watering hole that helped launch a national tiki-bar craze, was closed in April. Los Angeles Times, 09/05

China to grow modified corn and soybean crops
China, the world's biggest grain consumer, plans to grow genetically modified corn and soybeans for the first time starting next year, the country's largest independent agricultural researcher said. The country now has the technology and is ready to use it to create ``sustainable growth'' in farming incomes and boost grain output, Hanver Li, managing director of Shanghai JC Intelligence Co., said in an interview at a forum in Chengdu. Bloomberg, 09/05

Indian restauranteur boosts Teriyaki Experience U.S. bid
Makhan Bains is an Indian restaurant industry heavyweight in the San Francisco region, with two restaurants and a large catering business. Canadian franchise concept Teriyaki Experience is banking on Bains’ restaurant savvy to expand the brand in Northern California. IndUS Business Journal, 09/03

Coca-Cola to buy China's Huiyuan for $2.3 billion
Coca-Cola Co. agreed to buy China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd. for HK$17.9 billion ($2.3 billion), doubling its share of the nation's fruit-juice market with the company's largest overseas acquisition. Bloomberg, 09/03

Solidarity for Korean grocers in the produce aisle
Few immigrant groups are as closely identified with an occupational niche as Koreans with grocery stores. While mom-and-pop produce stores have become an engine of economic mobility and opportunity for some Korean families, Korean produce merchants in New York City have often found themselves in conflict with white wholesale distributors, black customers and labor unions representing Hispanic employees, according to a new book by a Queens College sociologist. New York Times, 09/02

Canadian chef brings secrets of China and some of his own to New York
The difference between Susur Lee in Toronto and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the New York-based chef with whom he has been compared, is that Mr. Lee has no competition. For more than 20 years he has been the face of high-end culinary dazzle in his adopted Canadian hometown. New York Times, 09/02

Jackie Yu, Asia's Jamie Oliver, serves a designer feast in Hong Kong
Jacky Yu is Hong Kong's answer to Jamie Oliver -- a young, talkative, engaging chef who has converted culinary skill into celebrity status. Like Oliver, Yu hosts his own TV food show and has written three bestselling cookbooks, making him one of Asia's most popular gourmets. Unlike his U.K. counterpart, who campaigns for better food at schools and is opening a chain of low-priced Italian eateries, Yu's Xi Yan group runs several restaurants in Hong Kong offering high-end and casual dining. Bloomberg, 09/02

Community finances Asian restaurant in Vermont
When Steve Bogart of A Single Pebble decided in 1994 to launch the first incarnation of his Asian restaurant in Plainfield, he approached friends in the community and asked if they’d each be willing to lend him $888, a lucky number in China. “I was kind of desperate,” Bogart recalls. “I told them I’d give them back $1,000 and free meals.” Burlington Free Press, 09/02

Tea: when treatment is really a matter of taste
Apart from water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage on the planet. In some countries, tea is a safer drink because the water is boiled first. Different types of tea are consumed in different parts of the world, with green tea being the traditional tea in China, Japan, India and parts of the Middle East. The black tea more traditionally used in Ireland is made from the same plant as green tea, Camellia sinensis, as is oolong tea. This evergreen plant is native to east Asia, but is now cultivated in many parts of the world. The Irish Times, 09/02

Australian Chef Kylie Kwong talks Asian cuisine
For chefs of Asian heritage, travel to our near neighbours is less about nostalgia than endless inspiration. Whether it's opulent restaurants in Hong Kong or roadside stalls in Malaysia - they just can't get enough of the tastes of Asia. Travel + Leisure's Joanna Savill asked five leading Asian-Australian foodies for their expert guides to this dynamic region. The Age, 09/01

The passionate foodie: a new Asian option
I used to dine at Antoinetta’s Restaurant on Broadway in Everett but I had not been there in a while. When I recently drove by the area, I found that Antoinetta’s was gone and in its place was Sei Bar, a new Sushi, Thai and Asian restaurant. I later learned that Sei Bar has a second location in Medford but I have only been to their Everett one. Based on their Web site, the Medford location has the exact same menu. The Stoneham Sun, 08/31

Asian citrus pests found in San Diego
A tiny insect capable of carrying a disease that could devastate California's $1.2-billion citrus industry has been found in a lemon tree in San Diego, state agriculture officials said Friday. The identification of the bug as an Asian citrus psyllid in San Diego is preliminary, pending confirmation at a U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Washington, officials said. Los Angeles Times, 08/30

Jakarta's salad packs a crunch
In Bahasa Indonesia, the word gado-gado means potpourri or medley. That's a fitting description of this dish, a mixed-vegetable salad with a nutty dressing that is served in various incarnations all over Indonesia. In Jakarta, where it's known as gado-gado Betawi, the dish is made with cooked vegetables and bean curd or tempeh (nutty-flavored fermented soybean cakes) tossed in a spicy sauce of roasted nuts, chilies, shrimp paste and lime or tamarind juice. The Wall Street Journal, 08/29

Critics dispute Michelin regard for Tokyo food
Paris might still be good if you've got a big wad of cash and want the best of the best. But Tokyo is really where it's at food-wise, at least according to the French people who keep track of these things.When the venerable Michelin guide came out with its first Tokyo edition, it was so full of praise that it almost read like a press release for the Japan Restaurant Association. Its conclusion -- Tokyo is the culinary capital of the world. But is it, really? CNN, 08/28

Rice crisis still on the boil in Asia
The real stand-out oddity is rice. Three billion people live on it, those same three billion people are supposedly eating more of it and at the same time live in dread of roaring inflation. And yet in the paddies of Vietnam, you can barely give the stuff away. The UK Times, 08/28

From army cook to bistro chef: Jack Liang's Asian Bistro
Jack Liang first started cooking in the Taiwanese army. The chef-owner of Asian Bistro in Arlington Heights grew up in Taiwan, and learned Sichuan cooking from his mother and grandfather, who came from the Chinese province. Chicago Daily Herald, 08/27

Hot Asian food meets its match in a cold brew
Don't hand me a wine list when I'm dining on Sichuan or Indian or Thai cuisine. For me, wine tends to lock in the heat of the heavily seasoned dishes of South and East Asia and fares poorly itself. ''Curry's main ingredients - garlic, chilies, lemon grass, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger - all those warming spices meld wonderfully with the toasty flavors of malted barley,'' says Lucy Saunders, author of ''The Best of American Beer & Food'' and a contributing writer to Asian Restaurant News. Salt Lake Tribune, 08/26

U.S challenges Chinese rules on pork and wheat
The United States has challenged China to justify the legality of its tax, subsidy and export rules for farm products such as pork and wheat in what could signify new tensions between the two trading giants. The Washington Post, 08/26

Chiquita goes to China
Chiquita Brands International Inc. entered into a joint venture with Haitong Food Group Co., Ltd. for the processing, sale, and marketing of value-added fresh produce in China, marking the company's initial entry into an important emerging market. "Introducing the Chiquita brand to the emerging Chinese value-added produce market is an important strategic step in becoming a global leader in branded, healthy, fresh foods," says Fernando Aguirre, Chiquita chairman and CEO. QSR, 08/26

Chicken Ramen celebrates 50 years
Nisshin Food Products Co. celebrated Monday the 50th anniversary of the market debut of Chicken Ramen, the world's first instant noodles. The company began a three-day event in Osaka, the birthplace of instant noodles, during which it will show the public the production process of the Chicken Ramen that debuted Aug. 25, 1958. The Japan Times, 08/26

Japan's Kirin Holdings to buy Australia's Dairy Farmers
Kirin Holdings Co., a Japanese food and beverage company which is already Australia's biggest milk seller, said Monday it will buy Australia's Dairy Farmers for about US$763 million as it seeks to make a global push amid slowing domestic sales. Canadian Press, 08/25

Chef Tran shows off one of his Asian specialties
Ever considered becoming a chef of Asian cuisine, or are you looking for the perfect appetizer to impress friends. The New Albany-Floyd County Public Library may have exactly what you are looking for. Thursday night, the library will offer a workshop on Asian cooking featuring Danny Tran, co-owner of Orchid Asian Café, 400 W. Main St., in New Albany. Tran will show participants how to prepare crab rangoon and talk about Asian cuisine ... something he knows plenty about. The Evening News & Tribune, 08/23

North Korea develops a special noodle
North Korean scientists have developed a new kind of noodle that delays feelings of hunger, a Japan-based pro-Pyongyang newspaper has reported. The noodles were made from corn and soybeans, the Choson Shinbo said. They left people feeling fuller longer and represented a technological breakthrough, the newspaper said. BBC News, 08/23

Deceptively labeled sushi called into question in New York
The news — to hit the metaphor perhaps a bit too hard — swam downstream through New York’s sushi bars on Friday afternoon: That spicy tuna roll you ate last night could — like a handbag from Canal Street — have been fake. New York Times, 08/22

Taiwanese specialties, and bubbles to boot
Unlike the saying about pizza, "Even when it's bad, it's good," the same cannot be said of Chinese food. Good Chinese food, on the other hand, and the mix of flavors -- sweet and sour, fried and steamed, crunchy and soft -- can introduce your taste buds to delicious combinations. Asia Taste and Tapioca, a small Chinese and Taiwanese restaurant on the corner of a Rockville small strip mall, is good Chinese food. The Washington Post, 08/22

Mars' Snickers gets Olympic lift
Among the meager edible offerings at Olympics venues -- lukewarm sausages on sticks and packets of dry noodles -- is an all-American snack that is hard to miss: Shilijia, or Snickers. Fifteen years after Mars Inc. introduced the Snickers brand to China, the world's biggest-selling candy bar is finally taking off in the most-populous country. The Wall Street Journal, 08/22

Authentic Thai restaurant relies on quality food
Dining out in Thailand is typically a no-frills affair. Many eateries are a hodgepodge of mismatched tables and chairs, pictures in gold-coloured frames nailed to the walls, and fans whirring overhead. It's the food that leaves the lasting impression. The Vancouver Sun, 08/21

Japanese researchers clear paprika of health risk concerns
The increasing use of paprika as a food colour does not present any safety concerns for cancer or chronic toxicity, Japanese researchers have reported. A study with rats showed that no effects were observed when consumed at a level of 2.5 per cent in the diet, while the no-observed-adverse-effect level is five per cent in the diet, according to results published in this month’s issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology. Food Navigator, 08/21

Asian bistro strives for more
Asian Bistros opened on Trexlertown's busy Hamilton Boulevard in the spring. At two recent visits, the restaurant's service was excellent, but the food yielded mixed results. From the looks of its simple, square building, the small dine-in and takeout eatery must have been a gas station at some point. Amazing what a little renovation will do. The Morning Call, 08/21

Wolfgang Puck's new Asian restaurant, Jai, opens in La Jolla
Attention dining enthusiasts: Wolfgang Puck has landed in La Jolla. No, we're not talking about a new line of gourmet pizzas in the freezer section of your local grocery store. We're talking about Jai (pronounced Jay), a brand new restaurant smack dab in the heart of UCSD's campus. La Jolla Light, 08/20

Fonterra forges bravely ahead in Asia
Ultimately demography drives economics. This is a phrase that Mark Wilson is fond of. He repeats it several times during our interview and says he uses it as a guiding light. As a business mantra it is an apt one for a man in charge of Fonterra's operations for a region accounting for about 60 per cent of the world's people whose impressive gross domestic product growth rates are helping to drive the current international dairy boom. The Dominion Post, 08/20

Corn kernels popping up everywhere in China
Since arriving here for the Olympics, I've had the good fortune to sample some delectable Chinese food: succulent, crackling-skinned roast duck; crisp, juicy Asian apple-pears; and demure little soup dumplings that burst with robust broth upon the first bite.But what's the deal with the corn? Chicago Tribune, 08/20

Asian breakfast restaurants in Los Angeles
Everybody knows about pancakes and waffles, and many are at home with Latin American breakfast staples. But Asian breakfasts are perhaps less well known. Except for dim sum, which is more of a fancy brunch option, what is Asian breakfast? One of the first things the explorer discovers about Asian breakfasts is that, a lot of the time, they don't exist. Los Angeles Times, 08/20

Chef Ming Tsai casts western spin on Asian cuisine
Ming Tsai has been lauded for his Western interpretation of Asian cuisine since the opening of his restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, Massachusetts a decade ago. The classically trained chef is showcasing his knowledge and East-West spin on traditional Chinese dishes as a television correspondent during the Beijing Olympics. His TV work will continue when the sixth season of his cooking show "Simply Ming" debuts in October. Reuters, 08/19

Global food crisis spurs Japan's rice policy re-think
This spring, with some nations close to panic over global rice supplies, Japan confronted a different problem -- huge swathes of paddy fields lying fallow due to a 37-year-old price support policy that limits planting. Now, with the world more anxious about its future food sources than any time since the 1960s, some analysts and politicians say it's time for change. Reuters, 08/19

India may harvest record wheat crop
Farmers in India, the world's second-biggest wheat producer, may increase planting starting October because of above-average rainfall, possibly helping the nation gather a record harvest for a second year. Bloomberg, 08/19

Sushi Tatsu: Watch chefs work their magic at Fairview restaurant
Dining at Sushi Tatsu in Fairview Heights is like taking a Sushi 101 class. Father-son team Daniel and Johnny Chen are fans of the Japanese delicacy made with rice wine-seasoned sticky rice, fish and vegetables. Sushi refers to the seasoned sticky rice, the foundation of the entree. Belleville News Democrat, 08/19

Rice flour on the rise as substitute for wheat in sweets
The Swiss roll looks no different from any other at a cafe or patisserie. But take a bite and something in the texture — finer and chewier — proves looks can be deceiving. The difference? The roll is made from rice flour, not wheat. With global wheat prices going through the roof and the gap between rice flour shrinking, an increasing number of retailers are producing sweets and breads made from rice flour. The Japan Times, 08/19

Tea at the night market in Seattle
Tianyuan Li, 37, remembers attending night markets as a girl in China. "Every day after dinner, it was too hot to stay inside," Li said. "You go out, talk to people, sit down and drink tea, then go home." It was a lot like Saturday's night market in Hing Hay Park, said Li, who now lives in Arlington and attended the event with her husband, Steve Tenison, and two children, 5-year-old Jasmine and 3-year-old Gabriel. Seattle Times, 08/18

Hong Kong restaurants to go in Michelin guide
Hong Kong looks set to become the second Asian city to have its restaurants put on the international culinary map by France's prestigious Michelin guide, hotels and a media report said Monday. Reviewers for the famed red book that can make or break chefs have been spotted making discreet visits to some of the city' finer eateries in the months since Michelin launched its first Tokyo guide in November. Agence France-Press, 08/18

Morning meal drives foodservice industry in China
“The morning meal drives the foodservice industry in China, and it has an effect on all aspects of the foodservice market,” said Bob O’Brien, president of Global Foodservice Development at The NPD Group. “The top food and drink items are driven by what Chinese consumers buy for their morning meal and what can easily be produced and distributed by foodservice operators.” Business Wire, 08/18

Baltimore's budding Asian dining scene
From bulgogi to tempura, pad Thai to vindaloo, diners craving Asian food will find no shortage of choices in the Baltimore region. The whole globe seems to be represented here, with restaurants focusing on food from Japan, China, Persia, India, Thailand, Korea and even Nepal. And if those aren’t enough, there are also Asian fusion restaurants blending the best of several cuisines. Maryland Daily Record, 08/15

American food retailers bite into Singapore's favorite foods
Top US retailers, suppliers and distributors, food services companies and food media were in Singapore recently as part of the annual business programme "Tasty Singapore Culinary Mission". They include Safeway, HEB, Westpoint, Food Services of America and Compass Group as well as Sigma Alimentos from Mexico and Sodexo Canada. The Earth Times, 08/14

At Saigon Bistro Vietnamese food shines
The lighting at Saigon Bistro says hip city and speaks volumes about its cool factor. At this Asian joint, single hanging bulbs shaded in colorful egg-shaped acrylic dangle at various heights around the room. Red, purple and blue all seem to speak to one another about the lucky patrons below. Treasure Coast Palm.com, 08/14

Slow food, Asian style
Andrea Reusing, a self-taught chef, opened Lantern restaurant in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 2002. Her restaurant has since become a dining destination, receiving critical praise as one of Gourmet magazine's "Top 50 restaurants in America" and "best farm-to-table restaurants." The Wall Street Journal, 08/13

Noodles & Company inspires creativity
Noodles & Company, the quick-casual, globally inspired noodle restaurant that serves a balanced menu of freshly sauteed Asian, Mediterranean and American cuisine, is encouraging its guests to have fun with food and get creative by designing a personalized doodle of themselves using their favorite edible items like fruits, vegetables, pasta, candy, cookies, chips -- and the list goes on and on. MarketWatch, 08/13

Seek out Asian Isle if you favor the familiar
Lang Lang, one of the stars of the Beijing Olympic opening ceremonies recently told the New Yorker, "Western classical music in China is usually like Chinese food in the West - familiar but not quite the real thing." The classical pianist (basically China's answer to Pavarotti) was talking in the context of his trade, but the quote could easily be reversed to address the representation of Chinese flavor in our neighborhoods. Salt Lake Tribune, 08/13

China's fast-food chain Panda Express thrives on orange chicken
Andrew Cherng remembers pacing through his Chinese restaurant in Pasadena wondering whether any customers would show. It was a difficult time. He had borrowed from family members and the Small Business Administration to open the eatery and had debts to pay. Thirty-five years later, Cherng, 61, and his wife, Peggy, control one of the largest family-owned fast-food empires in America. Los Angeles Times, 08/12

Locals open Asian market north of Cuesta Grade
A market that brings together all the ingredients necessary to make a dish from several Asian countries around the world has opened in Atascadero. The business, A & A’s Market, opened on July 15 after owner Anek Thammuenyong realized that while many of his customers at Thai Elephant Restaurant asked how to cook Thai dishes, there was no place in the North County where they could buy the items to do so. Atascadero News, 08/12

Asian restaurants in Australia may ration rice
ASIAN restaurants could have to ration out portions of rice to customers to deal with worldwide shortages and sky-rocketing prices. Chefs and suppliers said prices for the “staple food” have more than doubled in some areas. One wholesaler said a 10kg bag of rice had gone from $12 to $21. The Australian, 08/12

Tesco to develop cash & carry business in India
Tesco PLC will develop a wholesale cash-and-carry business in India, with an initial investment of up to £60m in the first two years. The new wholesale outlets will be designed for the Indian market following local research and will offer a comprehensive range of great value fresh food, grocery and non-food products to small retailers, restaurants, kirana stores and other business owners. Based initially in Mumbai, the business will benefit from over a decade of experience of setting up local businesses in international markets. Tesco.com, 08/12

New premium grapes auctioned for $910 in Japan
A new variety of premium grapes debuted in Japan on Monday, with a single bunch fetching as much as $910. A Japanese hotel manager paid that amount, or about $26 per grape, for a 1 1/2 pound (700-gram) bunch of the Ruby Roman grapes to serve guests at an upscale hotel, officials said. Associated Press, 08/11

L.A. chef Jet Tila to open restaurant in Vegas
Los Angeles chef about town Jet Tila has been tapped to open a to-be-named pan-Asian restaurant at casino mogul Steve Wynn's new Wynn-adjacent Encore resort in Las Vegas. Tila, whose family owns L.A.'s Bangkok Market, has been teaching cooking classes -- at the New School of Cooking in Culver City and Sur La Table, among other venues -- and consulting for Bon Appetit Management Co. Los Angeles Times, 08/11

Cargill looks for opportunity in cocoa business in Malaysia
American agribusiness giant Cargill Inc, which owns palm oil refineries in Kuantan and Port Klang, is keen on buying into cocoa and specialty fats businesses in Malaysia. "We've attempted to make a couple of acquisitions in Malaysia in the last few years but they fell apart in the final stage," said Cargill Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd president Paul Conway. Red Orbit, 08/11

Kerala Curry wins award at Fancy Food Show
Congratulations to Kerala Curry, a small Indian food company from Pittsboro that won an award at the most recent Fancy Food Show in New York. The owners, Ann and Rollo Varkey, sent a few products to the show. In competition with 2,191 other products, the Varkeys' tomato chutney won a "sofi," a specialty outstanding food innovation award. The News & Observer, 08/10

Monchique water exported as luxury in the Orient
Renowned for its salt and mineral properties, Monchique’s spring water is now being exported to the Far East where it is retailed as a gourmet product that is beneficial to health and boosts the body’s natural defenses. The Portugal Daily News, 08/09

Japan halts beef imports from Cargill in U.S.
Japan has suspended beef imports from a Cargill Inc meatpacking plant which shipped a package of minced beef that is banned under current bilateral agreements, an Agriculture Ministry official said on Friday. Reuters, 08/08

Lee's Sandwiches goes international
Lee's Sandwiches, the largest Vietnamese sandwich franchise chain in the United States, unveils their first international Lee's Coffee in Vietnam, on this great day of fortune and prosperity of 08/08/08. In a major partnership with the Korean-based pastry company, Deli Manjoo, Lee's Coffee is opening in the Central Business District 1 of Saigon, Vietnam. PR Newswire, 08/08

Aramark serves 3.5 million meals in 16 days in Beijing
After catering 13 Olympics since 1968, Aramark has pretty much seen it all—from scrambling to get enough staff for the Atlanta Games in 1996 to construction challenges in Athens four years ago. But feeding athletes, staff, and media at the Beijing Games is its toughest challenge yet.
Business Week, 08/07

You don't have to attend the Olympics to try authentic Chinese food
In the suburbs and exurbs, Chinese buffets are the most recognizable face of Chinese food in America today. They are monoliths, abundant and often delicious but with only faint echoes of China's culinary regionalism. South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 08/07

China and Canada strike canola research deal
The National Research Council Canada (NRC) and the Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have agreed to collaborate on genetic research to improve the production of the crop. Food Navigator, 08/07

Pizza delivery expands in China
Restaurant giant Yum Brands Inc. is betting that, as China's expanding middle class continues to demand more of the typical Western middle-class lifestyle, consumers will develop a taste for one of America's favorite convenience foods -- pizza, delivered. The Wall Street Journal, 08/06

Cook an authentic Chinese meal for the Games
With the opening of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the entire world is celebrating Beijing, China. So why not fete Beijing right here in Memphis? After all, Chinese cuisine makes for perfect finger food, ideal for Olympics-watching TV parties, whether on opening night or later in the games. The Commercial Appeal, 08/06

P.F. Chang's celebrates 15th anniversary with new menu items
These new dishes and cocktails showcase unique flavor combinations and highlight P.F. Chang's contemporary take on classic preparations. "We have received great feedback from our guests on our grill dishes and wanted to be able to expand our grilled offerings and create some fun new craveable appetizers," said Robin Stotter, P.F. Chang's R & D Chef. Business Wire, 08/05

Intertek opens food testing lab in Beijing
Intertek, the leading international provider in quality and safety services, opened a new, innovative food testing laboratory in the southwest area of Beijing, China to offer an array of services to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who produce, import, buy and sell food products in Beijing and Northern China. MarketWatch, 08/05

Japan's Itochu to join China's largest food company
Itochu Corp. is joining forces with China's largest state-run food dealer-producer in a wide range of operations, including joint farm produce purchasing, sources said Monday. Itochu and China National Cereals, Oils, & Foodstuffs Corp. will combine their bargaining power to procure foodstuffs, including grains and dairy products, from around the world on advantageous terms, the sources said. The Japan Times, 08/05

Sake is not so hot in Tokyo - but now it's cool with trendy New Yorkers
Centuries after their ancestors first turned rice into wine, the Japanese are falling out of love with their traditional tipple. Once a staple in homes and restaurants, sake is being squeezed out of the affections of the average drinker by imported wine and shochu, a fiery local spirit that is undergoing a renaissance in the trendy bars of Tokyo. The decline in national sake sales is making manufacturers pin their hopes on the increased popularity of the drink overseas. The Guardian, 08/04

"Dreaming Kitchen - flavor of Asia" offers glimpse into Asian cuisine
The best, and perhaps most enjoyable, way to learn about a new culture is through its cuisine. But not everyone has the time and money to go around traveling the world and enjoying gustatory delights of different countries. "Dreaming Kitchen ? Flavor of Asia'' promises to provide a rare glimpse inside the kitchens of Asian countries including Cambodia, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and the Philippines. The Korean Times, 08/03

Green's lean crusade with Asian food
When it comes to eating healthily, Daniel Green’s credentials are impeccable. He’s the epitome of it, because he’s the guy who as a teen turned a former flabby self into male model en route to becoming celeb chef, starring alongside top British cooks on TV. Today, it’s all come full circle for Green, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to promote his three cookbooks and host eating healthy sessions all centred on the theme of “beautiful, tasty, healthy and low-fat dishes”. The Malaysian Star, 08/03

Qin's offers Antioch chic setting, reasonable prices
Amidst a parade of chain eateries, Qin's Asian Bistro & Bar deserves kudos for daring to offer East Contra Costa residents a more upscale dining experience at a comfortable price. Contra Costa Times, 08/01

Let the meals begin: finding Beijing in New York
Everything tastes different in Flushing, Queens, the best neighborhood in New York for tasting the true and dazzling flavors of China. The dumplings are juicier here, the noodles springier, the butter cookies flavored with a bit of salty green seaweed, as a cookie at a French bakery might be sprinkled with fleur de sel. New York Times, 07/30

Cooking in common: chilling out with noodles
At first glance, the kitchen equipment at Ohgane Korean BBQ Restaurant in Oakland looks fairly standard. There are two sets of stoves, a grill, and a flat-top griddle, several sink stations scattered throughout, and a long, rectangular countertop situated in the middle of the room. San Francisco Chronicle, 07/30

Brewer aims to put Laos on the map
A Soviet-trained female brewmaster is trying to turn an obscure Laotian lager into the world's next great cult beer, largely by tapping into the buzz about the brew being carried home by visitors to this small communist country. The Wall Street Journal, 07/30

Food imports from Asia are increasing on grocery shelves
Like other retailers, food companies are increasingly reaching around the world to Asia for products that often can be produced at lower cost or are more available for seasonal or other reasons. The value of fruits and vegetables imported from China into the United States have more than doubled since 2003 and fish and shellfish imports have nearly doubled, according to the foreign trade division of the U.S. Census Bureau. Chicago Sun Times, 07/30

North Korea slips into massive food shortage
With shriveled harvests and a cutback in imports, North Korea has slipped back into a serious food shortage that is causing millions of people to go hungry, the United Nations announced Wednesday. The main U.N. aid agency in North Korea, the World Food Program, will resume emergency operations there in the next two weeks to help feed more than 5 million people over the next 15 months at a cost of $500 million, said Jean-Pierre de Margerie, the agency's country director in Pyongyang. Washington Post, 07/30

Exploring China's cuisines
In Martin Yan’s China, which premieres on Asian Food Channel (AFC) early next month, the famous chef criss-crosses all over China – from the back alleys of Beijing and the busy streets of Shanghai to the heart of Yunnan – exploring the many people, cultures and cuisines that make up this vast nation. The Malaysian Star, 07/29

Secret brews in China: Coke's the next big thing?
Coca-Cola, a company first famous for mixing South American coca leaves with African kola nuts, is trying to repeat history. For months, the Atlanta-based drinks giant has been working quietly to perfect prototype beverages using Chinese herbal cures. Analysts and executives suggest the project could be as important to the company's future as its original formula was to its past. Altanta Journal-Constitution, 07/29

Asian Food Channel co-founders speak about channel's success
Asian Food Channel (AFC), Asia’s first and only regional food television channel, is into its third year and has grown to be a much-talked about channel. StarTwo posed some questions to AFC co-founder and managing director Hian Goh and AFC co-founder and managing director (acquisitions and programming) Maria Brown. The Malaysia Star, 07/29

FMC Corporation acquires China's CoLiving Foods
FMC Corporation announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CoLiving Food Ingredients based in Guangzhou, China. The acquisition will enhance FMC's leadership position in supplying specialty hydrocolloid products and services to the rapidly growing food ingredient market in China. Stockhouse, 07/28

Asian countries demand rice protection as part of global trade pact
India and Indonesia have led demands for a "special safeguard" to be included in a new global trade pact being negotiated in Geneva, despite opposition from the United States and agricultural exporters in Latin America. Trade Minister Mari Pangestu of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, said she has to ensure the survival of some 60 million farmers — mostly small-scale rice growers — who are vulnerable to competition from large foreign producers. International Herald Tribune, 07/28

Black tea shown to aid in focus and alertness
New research has shown that tea makes a difference in helping you focus. This, along with a host of other health benefits of tea, including the potential to help maintain a healthy heart, was presented at a recent Tea Science Symposium in Singapore. The Hindu, 07/27

South Asian leaders met to discuss climate change and food insecurity
Experts, NGO workers and politicians at a roundtable said South Asian leaders need to reach a unanimous agreement to combat the devastating effect of climate change and food insecurity in the region in the upcoming Saarc summit in Colombo. The Daily Star, 07/27

Japanese sushi rage threatens iconic Mediterranean tuna
The rage for sushi and sashimi, Japan's raw fish dishes that overtook the West and have now spread to increasingly prosperous China, risks wiping out one of the Mediterranean's most emblematic residents: the bluefin tuna. Yahoo News, 07/27

Taiwanese food industry prominent at New York's Fancy Food Show
Foods from 26 manufacturers were on display in a pavilion set up by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). Nancy S.Y. Hsu, project manager for TAITRA's products section, said that the products on show were of a very high standard. "Taiwan is displaying a wide range of organic, natural and healthy foods," she said. "Oolong tea is our major export item, followed by confectionery and saki." Taiwan Journal, 07/25

Hawaii's largest wholesale bakery to be sold by Japanese parent company
The state's largest wholesale bakery is being sold by its Japanese parent, returning ownership of the 157-year-old company to Hawaii, officials said Wednesday. Daiichiya-Love's Bakery will be purchased by its local management from Japan-based First Baking Co. Ltd. The sale is expected to be completed within two months and the company's name will be changed back to Love's Bakery for the first time in 27 years. Yahoo Business, 07/24

P.F. Chang's closes Japanese venture
P.F. Chang's quietly shuttered its Japanese-concept restaurant at the Borgata of Scottsdale this week. Although Taneko Japanese Tavern had a customer e-mail list of 1,000 and was frequently crowded, the restaurant became a victim of Wall Street pressures and the financial crunch. "I'm not surprised that it closed," said Joe Blankenship, vice president of research for Source Capital Group Inc. in Scottsdale. The Arizona Republic, 07/23

Chandler restaurant adds modern accents to traditional Asian cuisine
When it's 100 degrees in the shade and the air is thick enough to cut like a pie, most of us develop a mild case of eating ennui. Except for iced tea, ice cream and other food and drink with chilly connotations, nothing sounds particularly appealing. So it's counterintuitive, I suppose, that my friends and I have eaten like stevedores at Latitude Eight, a small, elegantly streamlined Thai restaurant in downtown Chandler. The Arizona Republic, 07/23

ASEAN ministers to tackle soaring food prices
Prices of rice have increased sharply due to shortages of supply coupled with soaring international prices of oil. "Even some of ASEAN's largest producers are having problems exporting rice to their neighbors and the rest of the world," Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda told reporters. TMC.net, 07/21

Detroit's Asian village closes after a year
Asian Village of Detroit has closed after just a year in operation just east of the GM Renaissance Center. The $4.5-million project, which in the early days included an upscale restaurant Fusia, a coffee shop and an Asian food court, changed its offerings after four months. Detroit Free Press, 07/21

McDonald's, Starbucks...Sakae Sushi?
Barely six months after launching its first outlet at New York City's Chrysler Building in January this year, Singapore's Sakae Sushi opened a second outlet in the same city last month. As its founder Douglas Foo told my paper recently, the chain wants to be the McDonald's or Starbucks of sushi. Asia One Business, 07/21

Seaweed calcium supply is safe, despite rising demand from Asia
Demand for calcium from new markets such as China had forced up the global spot price of dairy-sourced calcium as increasingly wealthy Asian consumers developed a taste for dairy and dairy ingredient-fortified foods and beverages. Nutra Ingredients, 07/21

Prolific Tofu Village restaurant moves in and brings classic Korean dishes
Locals looking to get their Korean food fix or just grab a meal downtown have a new restaurant option on Brand Boulevard. Tofu Village, the first Glendale venue in a Southern California restaurant franchise that serves tofu stew and other East Asian food, opened July 11 in a space most recently occupied by Takeshi Ramen, a Japanese restaurant. Glendale News Press, 07/20

Asian-born insect destroys citrus crops
There's a threat at the border, and it's after your oranges. The insect in question is the Asian citrus psyllid, a fruit-destroying pest that was discovered last month in Tijuana, in one instance about four blocks from the border just east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Sign On San Diego, 07/18

Starbucks to expand in China despite U.S. downsizing
Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee-shop chain, will expand in China after announcing plans to close underperforming U.S. stores and slash jobs. The chain's changes will affect Starbucks' China operations "more positively,'' the Seattle-based company's Greater China President Wang Jinlong said in an interview today in Hong Kong. "There will be more innovation, more new products, more resources, not only investment.'' Bloomberg, 07/16

India expects good rice, corn & soy crop yield
India is expecting a good rice, corn and soya bean crop this year because of "encouraging" monsoon rains, the country's farm minister has said. Sharad Pawar said higher prices paid to farmers for the crops would boost agricultural production. BBC News, 07/16

Chattanooga-based Gordon Biersch enters Asian market
Chattanooga-based Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant Group, Inc., which operates 27 flagship Gordon Biersch locations in the U.S. and celebrates its 20-year anniversary next month, marked its official international debut with the opening this week of its first Asian location in Taipei, Taiwan. The Chattanoogan, 07/15

Kona Grill rejects buyout bid
Kona Grill Inc., owner of 19 grill-sushi casual-dining restaurants, rejected last month a going-private buyout offer from investor Mill Road Capital LP, according to a late Thursday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Nation’s Restsaurant News, 07/15

Au Bon Pain to add 100 stores in India
Au Bon Pain plans to add a total of 100 units over the next two years in India. Au Bon Pain’s menu in India will include a line of vegetarian sandwiches as well as other vegetarian items to accommodate cultural traditions and religious dietary needs. Boston Business Journal, 07/15

Food crisis a wake-up call for Asian agriculture
When world rice prices hit 1,000 dollars per ton in May, more than doubling over five months, Asian governments were forced to do something they haven't done for decades: take a serious look at their neglected agriculture sectors. Relief Web, 07/15

The diverse cuisine of Singapore: Asia's melting pot
At first glance, the visitor is struck by how Western Singapore appears; it's not until you get into the street scene and the food that you understand the depth of its culture. Food is a national obsession -- and rightly so. Its cultural development through the years has resulted in this amazing fusion of cuisines from around Asia. The Gourmet Retailer, 07/14

World’s most expensive coffee to be sold in Orlando
Kopi Luwak coffee beans get their distinctive flavor through a very unusual process. They pass through the digestive system of a small mammal called the Asian Palm Civet, which is found on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi. PR Newswire, 07/14

MSG ok in small doses for most
Purified, crystalline MSG became available in 1909, and was patented and marketed by a Japanese company. Shortly thereafter, Asian cooks began to add it to their dishes. Calgary Herald, 07/14

Thai Basil recalled
Lucky Green Trading Inc . of Garden Grove, CA is recalling Thai Basil , because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella , an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. FDA Lucky Green, 07/14

Rice from Asia is a staple to many diets
With over 100,000 varieties of rice grown throughout the world – no one knows the exact number – it's hard to know where to begin when tackling this interesting topic. Especially interesting to allergy sufferers in the Western world because relatively few have developed allergic reactions to rice – although in Asia where rice has been a staple of the diet for many thousands of years rice allergies are much more common. Supermarket Guru, 07/14

Benihana founder Rock Aoki dies
In 1964, when Mr. Aoki opened his first Benihana steakhouse, on West 56th Street in Manhattan, he introduced New Yorkers to dining as theater and chefs as culinary acrobats. Seated around a flat steel grill, customers watched chefs sharpen their knives, toss them in the air, drizzle the grill with oil, sizzle the chicken, shrimp, or steak on the grill, and flip the food onto the plates. Boston.com, 07/14

Vintage future seen for Chinese wine
China is set to become the world's largest producer of bulk wine in 50 years time as well as a major force in fine wine, experts are forecasting. BBC News, 07/13

At Quincy’s large Kam Man a new American melting pot has a Chinese taste
Wan Wu ducks out of the small office he shares with his employees and heads out into the bustling Kam Man Market, the emporium that anchors Quincy's President Plaza. Boston.com, 07/13

Glanbia bolsters Chinese presence with new facility
After 20 years of doing business in China and the Asia Pacific, Irish-based dairy and ingredients group Glanbia has established its first plant in the Chinese city of Suzhou, near Shanghai. Nutra Ingredients, 07/10

Asian fusion restaurant offers an Asian greatest-hits menu in Oldsmar
At an Asian fusion restaurant, menu language is seldom intimidatingly foreign, choices are broader and no one has to compromise. It's like a greatest-hits list, globetrotting from one beloved spot in Asia to the next, somehow all of it playing nicely together. Tampa Bay.com, 07/09

On the go Vietnamese food popular in Utah
It's one sandwich that bursts with many contrasting flavors. The Vietnamese-style hero sandwich - called banh mi - is a melding of a crusty baguette, seasoned meats, crisp Asian vegetables and cooling herbs. It's been called "French and Asian fusion at its best" and even "cheesesteak sandwich meets spring rolls." Salt Lake Tribune, 07/09

Twin cities Dragon Festival
Chinese legend is that approximately 2,400 years ago, Qu Yuan, a poet and loyal court advisor in the kingdom of Chu, drowned himself in the Mi Lo river in Hunan province when he could not reverse the corruption in the kingdom. Twin Cities Daily Planet, 07/08

Culture of eating well has blossomed in China
Today's Beijing is packed with eateries at every corner, open at all hours and offering regional cuisines of all kinds — a reflection of China's stunning economic success after almost three decades of convulsive growth. Yahoo News, 07/07

Desi Wok’s hot – like the food
The restaurant features both Indian and Asian dishes that are sure to put you in a whole new atmosphere. With its small, quaint ambiance and personal service, you'll fit right in. Pictures of the restaurant's dishes on the walls are simple but get you drooling for some Blazing Noodles or Tikka Masala. Tulsa World, 07/07

Singapore bakery titan started at the bottom
It is no exaggeration to say that BreadTalk Group Ltd. has revolutionized the way many people in Asia eat and think about bread. When BreadTalk's first boutique bakery opened in 2000, its flagship product, the pork-floss bun, took Singapore by storm. Even people who didn't include much bread in their diet started craving the soft, slightly sweet buns smeared with mayonnaise and topped with savory pork floss -- seasoned cooked pork that is dried and processed to a cotton-fiber-like texture -- and they thought nothing of joining long queues to purchase them. Wall Street Journal, 07/07

Gannon Group to invest $90 million in Vietnam brewing plant
Vietnam is one of the fastest growing beverage markets in the world and beer is leading that charge,’’ said Walter Blocker, Gannon’s chief executive officer. Construction of the brewery will start at the end of the year and will complete in mid-2010. Thanhnien News, 07/05

Asian bistro coming to Casper
Casperites hankering for Kung Pow chicken, Hong Kong fire steak or a pu pu platter will see their options expand as soon as mid-August. Jenny Ho, co-owner of House of Sushi, is working with her father, Nguyen Ho, and business partner, Simon Chan, to open Lime Leaf Asian Bistro. Jackson Hole Star Tribune, 07/04

Best Japanese foods you can't get at home
Foreigners who visit Japan think they have a solid grasp of Japanese food before they even set foot in the country: sushi, teriyaki, maybe some noodles. They arrive expecting to see sushi bars at every corner. But raw fish is really only the beginning. It's just one part of a gastronomic experience that includes many foods you can only sample within the country. Forbes, 07/03

Asian Grill offers vegan options
"The food we eat impacts global warming more than transportation," said Aashish Bhimani, a volunteer for an organization called Compassion Over Killing. "As more and more people are getting concerned about how their personal actions affect others and are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, they are eating more vegetarian and vegan foods." Fairfax Station Clifton Connection, 07/03

Asian markets offer interesting menu ideas
A unique feature of most Asian countries is the tradition of open-air markets. Whether nestled outdoors in the highlands of Vietnam or located cheek-by-jowl to swish malls in Singapore, these “wet” markets are the Asian version of farmer’s markets, but open daily. Gourmet Retailer, 07/03

South Korean president call for end to beef disputes
South Korea's president called for an end to a festering dispute over American beef imports, saying Thursday it was time for the nation to concentrate on overcoming domestic and economic difficulties. Yahoo News, 07/03

H Mart brings a world of Asian foods to Tigard
As you gaze at dozens of giant jars of different brands and styles of kimchi, the Korean national dish of spicy fermented cabbage, you may suspect that you're not in Kansas anymore.  Or Tigard, more to the point. But you are still in Tigard, standing in front of the wall o'kimchi in the new H Mart on Oregon 99W. The only Oregon branch of the Asian-food megamart opened a month ago in the space formerly occupied by a Haggen Food & Pharmacy store. The opening was a big event among local Korean American and other Asian communities, and caused much twittering and blogging among Portland foodies. The Oregonian, 07/03

Gelato heads to Asia looking for connoisseurs
Amore Gourmet Gelato co-founder Nayyer Hussain, 46, says Amore makes and stores its ice cream with machines imported from Italy. The brand's ice-cream cones -- from Tiramisù to Guava sorbet -- sell for an average price of about a euro. That's more than double any local store's price, says Mr. Hussain. The bigger challenge, however, is spreading the word among Indian customers, who prefer complex flavors like star aniseed with cumin and ginger to simple, traditional Italian flavors like pistachio or plain egg cream. The Wall Street Journal, 07/03

Pork Company Smithfield sells 5% stake to China firm
The nation's largest pork processor is getting a cash infusion from a Chinese company in a deal that spotlights China's growing importance in the world meat market. Wall Street  Journal, 07/02

New York’s Fancy Food Show concludes on a satisfactory note for Malaysoan exhibitors
"You don't come here to sign contracts. In fact, the contract comes at the end of a protracted process of negotiations," said Nancy S.Y. Hsu of Taiwan Trade Development Council, which promotes the islands foreign trade. Hsu’s views were echoed by Malaysian exhibitors, many of whom were happy with the business contacts they had made at the show. Bernama.Com, 07/02

Franchisee turned owner revives Mama Fu’s
Mama Fu's Asian House is the latest brand from Atlanta-based Raving Brands to find a new home. Austin, Texas-based Murphy Adams Restaurant Group purchased the concept from Raving Brands for an undisclosed amount in March. Chain Leader, 07/02

Innovative California dim sum chef dies
Jack Wai Lim apprenticed as a cook in San Francisco's Chinatown district before taking over Wong's Islander restaurant on Freeport Boulevard in 1975. He brought more ethnic Chinese cooking to the California capital and emphasized family-style dining at his eatery, which was enlarged to seat banquets of up to 700 guests. Sacramento Bee, 07/02

After 30 percent slide, Asia rice could find floor
Asian rice prices have tumbled even faster than they surged to record highs earlier this year, but the nearly 30 percent slide will soon end as a Thai government price-support scheme is about to kick in. Reuters, 07/01

In food crisis, Asians look to agriculture
In this Indonesian city, what used to be 100