ORIENTAL FOOD REPORT

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That is at the general level, but we also asked consumers
to name their favourite Oriental meal, and to give reasons
why. Here too, ‘flavours’ is the most commonly occurring
word, followed by ‘taste’ and ‘tasty’.
The specific dishes named by consumers as their favourites
understandably include some established menu staples – the
five most mentioned were Sweet & Sour Chicken, Thai Green
Curry, Chicken Chow Mein, Sushi and Crispy Duck – but that
top five also reveals the strength of the wider Oriental food
market, and specifically the impact sushi has made on the
UK consumer.
TOP 5
“I think Thai and Vietnamese
cuisines are very exciting
to consumers at present,
with their street food style
and exotic flavours”
most
mentioned
dishes
1
2
3
Sweet & Sour Chicken
4
5
Sushi
Thai Green Curry
Crispy Duck
Chicken Chow Mein
It is the combination of the flavours, not just spiciness,
which gives Oriental food its consumer appeal. This is
moving to a new level as contemporary operators develop
more imaginative, varied and authentic concepts.
As James Liang, MD of Chinese takeaway and delivery brand
Hotcha, puts it: “I think Thai and Vietnamese cuisines are very
exciting to consumers at present, with their street food style
and exotic flavours.”
Paul Hopper, founder of Hop Vietnamese in London, talks
of the “contrasting and complementary flavours” in Oriental
food, which has become “so exciting and varied, it’s never
boring. Oriental food is so much more accessible now, and
the British are embracing the excitement with open arms.”
A similar point is made by Ed Farrell, co-founder of street
food operator The Duck Truck, who says: “Operators in the
Oriental market are really challenging flavours and mixing
things up, getting you thinking about combinations that
you wouldn’t think should go together.”
Oriental food delivers a flavour hit,
and it’s clearly a hit with consumers.
Wing Yip | Oriental Food Report 2016 Wing Yip | Oriental Food Report 2016