The largest Asian food and beverage industry conference in North America, “2023 Taste of Asia,” backed by renowned restaurants discovery platform and incubator CHIHUO, is returning to San Jose, California, for the fourth year in a row on August 27th.
CHIHUO, literally meaning “food squad” in Chinese, was launched by former international student Amy Duan on social media while she was pursuing a master’s degree in digital media management at the University of Southern California over a decade ago. The idea was to spotlight authentic Asian cuisines in Greater Los Angeles that cater to the needs of local Chinese expats, and the platform has since expanded to cover most metropolitan regions across North America, including New York, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Seattle, garnering over a million followers on WeChat.
“I noticed a significant discrepancy between local crowd-sourced reviews and recommendations sites, such as Yelp, versus what Chinese expats were actually looking for — restaurants and eateries offering cuisines that remind them of their home, which is why I launched CHIHUO that helps centralize these information,” Duan said.
The “Taste of Asia” annual summit is an extension of CHIHUO that aims to connect emerging Asian entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry with top-notch connoisseurs, operators, suppliers, and investors, helping propel forward the entire AAPI community. Over the years, “Taste of Asia” has cemented its foothold in fostering the next-generation Asian American leaders in the food service and consumer sectors, bridging forward-thinking conversations among industry professionals, influencers and mainstream media outlets, while offering critical insights. Previous luminaries include Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer, Jonathan Gold; 626 Night Market’s founder, Jonny Hwang; COO of Din Tai Fung, Jason Lee; and Hu Xiaojun, founder of Lao Sichuan Group.
This year’s conference will be hosted in conjunction with cross-cultural branding agency Asia Creative and community-serving nonprofit North America Asian Food Industry Association (NAAFIA), and it anticipates thousands of registered attendees to learn about the latest trends and innovations in the burgeoning Asian food scene.
“Asian cuisines are definitely growing in popularity across North America, especially Chinese food and culture,” said Shen Qiu, former executive from Uber Eats and a Taste of Asia keynote speaker. “The conference provides unparalleled insights on how Chinese restaurants can effectively increase their conversion rates by leveraging CHIHUO’s programs and other delivery apps.”
Against the backdrop of a growing appetite for diverse Asian food and beverages, mounting interest in Asia-centric pop culture, and rapidly-changing U.S. demographics, this year’s event will further help restaurateurs and CPG operators navigate in a dynamic consumer landscape to maximize their market resonance. Our extended list of prestigious keynote speakers, panelists, and exhibitors in 2023 include Cervantes Lee, a renowned hospitality instructor from UNLV; Jennifer Bonilla, an executive at the National Restaurant Association (NRA); Meredith Sandland, former Chief Development Officer of YUM! Brands; Naomi Osaka-backed Boba x Ice cream; globally reputable Filipino fast-food chain, Jollibee; Toast, the nation’s largest restaurant POS system company; and Lark, a leading specialist in business collaboration tools.
Strategic marketing, brand elevation, and new product development will be at the forefront of our live discussions that aim to help address the overall challenges facing the food industry in a post-pandemic era, coupled with a toughened macroeconomic environment and intensified geopolitical tensions in 2023 and beyond.
By leveraging their years of operational and marketing expertise, CHIHUO and Asia Creative will jointly release the “2023 Annual Report On The Food & Beverage Industry” during the conference based on thousands of survey responses and 60-plus focused interviews. The report will highlight the macro development of the North American food and beverage market, white-space opportunities, while deep diving into evolving trends.
Returning to the event is our prestigious “2023 Taste of Asia Awards,” designed to honor those who have shaped and reshaped the Asian food and beverage community by telling their unique stories and empowering future pioneers who are spreading Asian culture through culinary exquisiteness.
For more information and tickets, please visit Eventbrite and tasteofasiaawards.com.
