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Tag: pie

  • Starbucks closes third Vietnam outlet

    Starbucks closes third Vietnam outlet

    Starbucks Vietnam will close its Hanoi outlet after eight years, following the closure of two locations in Vietnam last year. The Starbucks Lan Vien outlet in Hoan Kiem District will operate until June 30, the company said in a Facebook post. Last year, the coffee chain had closed another outlet in Hoan Kiem District and one in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1.

    Patricia Marques, CEO of Starbucks Vietnam, said earlier this year that the company was finding it challenging to expand the number of outlets in Vietnam due to difficulties in negotiating rent prices.

    The company, however, will continue to expand in Vietnam by focusing on new urban areas where there is a lack of services, she added.

    She also said that in central districts, Starbucks has observed that customers tended to order more takeaways, so it was considering opening small takeaway outlets where customers can pick up their drink right away.

    Starbucks has 78 outlets nationwide, while its competitor Highlands Coffee’s has 500 and The Coffee House has 156.

    The Covid-19 pandemic has forced several food and beverage chains to close outlets amid plunging revenue.

    The Coffee House closed over 20 outlets last year, while Soya Garden shut down its last one in HCMC. Soya Garden still has eight outlets in Hanoi.

  • Boscastle pies to be sold through Woolworths stores in Victoria

    Boscastle pies to be sold through Woolworths stores in Victoria

    Artisan pie brand Boscastle – founded in a gourmet store in Brunswick Melbourne back in 1988 – is now stocked at Woolworths Premium supermarkets across Victoria.

    Pattie’s Foods bought Boscastle’s bakery in 2018, adding it to its portfolio of brands which includes Four’N Twenty and Herbert Adams. Since then, distribution has expanded to 55 retail outlets and cafes across the state.

    “With significant disruptions to in-person dining since the beginning of Covid, we’ve seen a rise in consumers looking for premium food products to enjoy at home,” said Anand Surujpal, Patties Foods group GM of marketing and innovation.

    Research undertaken for Pattie’s Foods shows that since the pandemic arrived, 58 percent of consumers are eating at home more than eating at restaurants, even when government rules allow dining in.

    The Boscastle pies frozen range sold through Woolworths will include Angus Beef and Chicken & Mushroom pies, Gourmet Beef Party Rolls, and Butter Chicken Party pies, sold in single-serve and multi-packs. New packaging allows single-serve Boscastle pies to be heated prior to unwrapping.

  • London’s Duck & Waffle opens in Hong Kong

    London’s Duck & Waffle opens in Hong Kong

    The Duck & Waffle restaurant will officially land in Hong Kong this September at IFC mall.

    Its first destination outside of London, the new venue is designed to welcome guests throughout the day and into the late hours of the night with a large open space and kitchen combined with an “island” bar.

    The restaurant was designed by architecture and interior design firm CetraRuddy.

    The Duck & Waffle’s menu is designed for sharing and offers a take on British cuisine with broad European and American influences. Its signature eponymous dish has sold more than 1 million servings.

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  • New Cheesecake Factory Outlet in Macau to open at Sands Cotai Central

    New Cheesecake Factory Outlet in Macau to open at Sands Cotai Central

    American upscale casual-dining restaurant The Cheesecake Factory in Macau is set to open in Sands Cotai Central.

    The more than 8500sqft restaurant, which will be operated by a subsidiary of Maxim’s Caterers Limited, will offer fresh from-scratch dishes and more than 30 cheesecakes and specialty desserts from the US.

    The venue is sized to accommodate more than 220 guests and is decorated with hand-painted wall murals and artistic lighting features, keeping a consistent look with The Cheesecake Factory restaurants all over the world.

    The Cheesecake Factory in Macau will also feature a Macao-only limited-edition dish with Macao culinary characteristics: Portuguese Chicken, a portion of a half roasted chicken with coconut curry and peanut sauces and crispy potatoes.

    The opening of The Cheesecake Factory in Macau follows launches regionally in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.

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  • The Cheesecake Factory to open at Sands Cotai Central, Macau

    The Cheesecake Factory to open at Sands Cotai Central, Macau

    American upscale casual-dining restaurant The Cheesecake Factory in Macau is set to open in Sands Cotai Central.

    The more than 8500sqft restaurant, which will be operated by a subsidiary of Maxim’s Caterers Limited, will offer fresh from-scratch dishes and more than 30 cheesecakes and specialty desserts from the US.

    The venue is sized to accommodate more than 220 guests and is decorated with hand-painted wall murals and artistic lighting features, keeping a consistent look with The Cheesecake Factory restaurants all over the world.

    The Cheesecake Factory in Macau will also feature a Macao-only limited-edition dish with Macao culinary characteristics: Portuguese Chicken, a portion of a half roasted chicken with coconut curry and peanut sauces and crispy potatoes.

    The opening of The Cheesecake Factory in Macau follows launches regionally in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing.

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  • 108 Matcha Saro opens first store in Singapore

    108 Matcha Saro opens first store in Singapore

    Japanese cafe chain 108 Matcha Saro is opening its first Southeast Asian store, at Singapore’s Suntec City shopping center.

    Set to open tomorrow (July 26), the take-away concept store will be designed to resemble a traditional ancient Japanese teahouse, located in the basement of the shopping center.

    The 108 Matcha Saro stores in Japan feature four different live stations where passers-by can watch staff making Warabi-mochi or Obanyaki, whisking Matcha and assembling Parfaits and Soft Serves.

    Founded in 2014, 108 Matcha Saro has four stores in Japan, and another four in Taiwan.

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  • Taiwan’s 85C Bakery Cafe expands in USA

    Taiwan’s 85C Bakery Cafe expands in USA

    Taiwanese franchise 85C Bakery Cafe is undergoing rapid expansion in the US.

    The firm has branched out from its flagship venue to open more than 60 locations in California, Washington and Texas, with more states expected to follow.

    The self-service bakery concept has around 400 locations in Taiwan and more than 500 in Mainland China. It launched in Australia in 2006 and now has 12 outlets there.

    The concept involves customers selecting from a range of Asian and European pastries with tongs. Its name refers to the brand’s stated optimal coffee temperature – and it is noted for its servings of coffee with sea salt.

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  • Gram Cafe & Pancakes Opening in Singapore

    Gram Cafe & Pancakes Opening in Singapore

    Japanese-based Gram Cafe & Pancakes will open its first Singapore franchised outlet at VivoCity mall.

    Gram is being brought to Singapore by three locals who travelled to Japan and ‘adored’ the chain’s pancakes. A Japanese business partner linked them up with Gram’s owner Takeda Takeshi.

    Established in Osaka in 2014, Gram has six franchised international outlets in Hong Kong, Bangkok, San Francisco, and now, Singapore.

    The 40-seat VivoCity cafe will offer savoury pancakes, such as chilli beef version, as well as an exclusive Japanese Curry pancake set.

    For those who are not pancake fans, the cafe serves French Toast topped with fresh cream, maple syrup, bananas, chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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  • Janice Wong continues expansion outside Singapore

    Janice Wong continues expansion outside Singapore

    Confectionery and food brand Janice Wong is expanding its reach both within Singapore and beyond as it chases a broader customer demographic.

    In Singapore, the local foodie’s popular three-year old restaurant at the National Museum will close after its current lease expires this month, allowing the company to focus its attention on her retail business. Janice Wong plans to expand beyond Paragon, Raffles City Shopping Centre, T Galleria and Changi airport Terminal 3, working closely with brands and key partners, as well as developing the menu of the 2am Dessert Bar, which has just marked its 12th year.

    Chairman of Janice Wong Singapore, Manoj M Murjani, says the company has created “a fun-loving and whimsical brand” that has brought joy to customers in creative and innovative markets like Japan, Singapore, Korea and even London.

    “This is the right time to capitalise on our success and expand our presence in the region and globally. We believe the Janice Wong brand also provides a unique platform for strategic corporate partners who want to engage their customers in a bold and memorable way.”

    In the first quarter of this year, Janice Wong has announced partnerships including new concessions at DFS T Galleria in February and at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 in March, allowing travellers to get a taste of a Singaporean creative chocolatier brand on home ground and broadening the brand’s exposure to a larger demographic.

    Taking her edible art exhibitions abroad, Janice Wong launched her latest installation at the Solaria Plaza shopping mall in Fukuoka, Japan, a 10-day edible-art exhibition featuring 12 ‘edible-flower walls’ made from chocolate and lollipops.

    In South Korea, Janice Wong’s longest-spanning exhibition to date, Wonderbox, in Seoul, will become a permanent work for the next three years, moving to South Korea’s newest indoor theme park, Paradise City in Incheon. It will feature creations such as her Lollipop Ceiling and a four-metre-tall Chocolate Drip Paint.

    In addition to the long-term installation, Janice Wong’s first Wonderbox retail store in South Korea opened last month, featuring a selection of her signature products, such as boxed chocolate collections, chocolate bars and lollipops.

    Three years after entering Japan, the company has formed a new local venture Janice Wong Japan Company. “This newly registered business represents the next steps in affirming a long-term plan in Japan and to significantly growth the brand within this market,” the company said.

    Beyond Asia, Janice Wong is looking to follow up last year’s launch in Harrods in London, with forays into Dublin and Berlin by the end of this year.

    Murjani says that as convenience becomes more significant, the brand will shift its efforts towards innovation and product development within the retail section of the company to meet consumer demands. That will see the brand focus on expanding its retail selection of chocolate-coated products and other confectionery offerings.

  • Vive Cake Boutique Hops Into Easter With ‘Cutielicious’ Easter Bunny & Adorable Chicks

    Vive Cake Boutique Hops Into Easter With ‘Cutielicious’ Easter Bunny & Adorable Chicks

    Celebrity-loved Vive Cake Boutique is hopping into Easter with cutielicious Easter Bunnies and adorable Easter Chicks from 1-30 April at its Central flagship café-store in H Queen’s, 80 Queen’s Road Central and latest pop-up store in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.

    Founder Vivien Lau’s new Insta-worthy dessert sensations are headlined by the most enchanting Easter Bunnie cake in town – ‘Bunny Luvs You’ – a showstopper which is an Easter dessert and table decoration all in one.

    Priced HK$680 for 1lb, this darling creation for the festive holiday is available in an assortment of flavours to suit all tastes: Pistachio Cake with Pistachio Buttercream, Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Fillings, Earl Grey Cake with Earl Grey Cream, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream and Crunchies, Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream filled with Yuzu Curd, Green Tea Cake with Green Tea Buttercream, Banana Cake with Chocolate Buttercream, and Hazelnut Cake with Hazelnut Buttercream.

    Two of the sweetest little treats imaginable are also on the endearing Easter menu. Baby Chick Macacreams (HK$68, available only at Central cafe-store) is confectionary queen Vivien Lau’s charming festive adaptation of her beloved melt-in-your-mouth macarons – styled after chicks hatching from Easter eggs and flavoured with yuzu ice-cream.

    Available at both stores, ‘Easter Meringues’ (HK$55) are the sweetest of treats styled in carrot and chick shapes especially for Easter Bunnies – adapted from a new line of meringues launched with the recent opening of Vive Cake Boutique’s Harbour City pop-up.

    Vive Cake Boutique has proved a roaring success story since being launched with online orders in 2014 by founder and creative director Vivien Lau, who discovered her passion and talent by chance, making her first cake for a friend’s birthday.

    Her signature ‘handmade with love’, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, confectioneries and tailor-made cakes for weddings and special occasions, are all made from scratch with less sugar and finest ingredients sourced from all over the world.

    VIVE’s widespread acclaim includes Time Out’s listing among the “crème de la crème of Hong Kong’s bespoke dessert makers” – with a massive celebrity and socialite following including Aaron Kwok, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Niki Chow, Sharon Chan, Miki Yeung, Ella Koon, Myolie Wu and more.

  • Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan Launched in Philippines

    Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan Launched in Philippines

    Hong Kong dessert shop Hui Lau Shan has opened in the Philippines.

    It is the first time for the franchise to open in the very region from which its special variety of mango is sourced. Its soft launch on March 17 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong city was well-attended by local fans of the brand’s mango-based food products.

    Hui Lau Shan Megamall PH store

    Hui Lau Shan originated as a Chinese herbal tea vendor in the 1960s before blending carabao mangoes in with its other ingredients in the 90s to create a unique dessert.

    The fresh fruit drinks were well-received and the brand now has more than 260 locations globally.

    The firm’s local partner is Fat Daddy’s Group, well-known for its Smokehouse restaurants.

    “The sweet taste of our own fruit has helped propel the brand’s growth in and outside Asia,” said Fat Daddy’s president Freshnaida Versoza. “It’s about time that we bring it here to the Philippines. It’s also our way of supporting the country’s agribusiness since Hui Lau Shan is estimated to consume one ton of premium carabao mangoes per week for 10 to 15 stores.”

    More Hui Lau Shan branches are planned for other malls in the territory, including SM North Edsa, SM Fairview and SM Mall of Asia.

  • Patisserie Janice Wong opens in Changi, Singapore

    Patisserie Janice Wong opens in Changi, Singapore

    Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong has opened her first airport store, at Changi Terminal 3.

    Janice Wong concession at T3 1

    Janice Wong concession at T3 5

    The concession allows international travellers to purchase a selection of Janice Wong’s signature products alongside special-edition chocolate bars, available in three artisanal flavours, ruby chocolate, sea salt and palm sugar.

    Janice Wong concession at T3 3

    Janice Wong concession at T3 2

    Other products include Janice Wong’s chocolate crayon box set, chocolate paint jar set, signature tea, chocolate boxes, bon bons, single-origin chocolate bars, cookies and lollipops.

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  • Chateraise plans to open 200 shops in Thailand

    Chateraise plans to open 200 shops in Thailand

    Japanese patisserie Chateraise, which is known for having its main factory in the middle of a forest, plans to open 200 shops in Thailand and boost overseas sales to 50 per cent of its total revenue in the next 10 years.

    With more than 500 outlets mainly in Japan, it has just opened its second shop in Bangkok, at Gateway Ekamai Shopping Mall, and is seeking franchisees to accelerate store expansion in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

    Its debut shop for Thailand opened in Isetan Bangkok department store in July. Both Bangkok outlets are under franchise.

    In the past two years, Chateraise has moved into eight markets across Asia, opening more than 30 shops. The company sees Thailand as a promising market where sweets consumption is expected to be driven by economic growth coupled with a youthful population, says senior managing director Takako Saito of parent company Chateraise Holdings.

    Based in Yamanashi prefecture, the company produces cakes, pastry, confectionery and beverages at six factories across Japan. It procures raw materials directly from contracted farmers and sells through branded shops.

    Almost all products for Thailand are shipped from Japan, with plans to add ice cream to the lineup. Chateraise plans a third Bangkok shop for next year

    The brand’s first overseas expansion was to Singapore in 2015, and it has since opened stores in Dubai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan, and plans to head to Hanoi and Manila next year.

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  • Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart heading for Vietnam

    Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart heading for Vietnam

    Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart will launch into Vietnam next month.

    The Japanese-inspired Malaysian brand has hinted at its debut with a sign over a kiosk under construction in the Saigon Center shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Meanwhile, the company’s website announces it is seeking staff members for expansion into Vietnam.

    Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart has been expanding throughout Asia with stores already in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Shanghai, Singapore and Australia.

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  • Lady M cake walk comes to sticky end

    Lady M cake walk comes to sticky end

    Daigou (contract buyers) were on to a sweet thing, thanks to the popularity of the new Shanghai branch of New York luxury cake company Lady M, but border authorities have pulled the rug from under their feet.

    It all started because Shanghai residents were unwilling to queue up for hours to buy the gateaux and pastries at the Lady M outlet in IFC Mall, which opened a month ago. However, they were willing to pay well for daigou to bring in the sweet treats from Hong Kong, where there are two Lady M outlets (in Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui).

    So people assisting the Daigou were reportedly paying people to queue at the Shanghai store so as to encourage the parallel trade.

    The shop even had to close for a day shortly after opening because the crowds it attracted were seen as a possible safety hazard, and waiting areas needed to be provided.

    Shanghai customs officers were quick to become wise to the daigou cake courier service, and have warned on its official WeChat account that cake from abroad must not be for commercial use.

    “If you really want to enjoy the cake, be it in Hong Kong, Singapore or the US, enjoy it there directly,” says the post. “As regards bringing it back, you’d better drop the idea.”

    Meanwhile, the Shanghai Lady M shop has changed its takeaway policy. It has introduced a “lottery” system through its WeChat booking site, with winners being able to buy up to six slices of cake at any one time. Three time slots have been designated for takeaways.

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