Businesses from one of Taiwan’s better known street-food scenes—Yongkang Street in Taipei—are eyeing Cambodia as a gateway to enter Southeast Asia.
The Taipei Dongmen Yongkang Business Circle Development Association plans to send representatives to Cambodia in October for market research, according to a report on Monday in the Taipei Times.
This is the association’s first attempt to extend its reach overseas, Liu Hung-hsiang, the head of the association, told the Times. If the research goes well, “the businesses are expected to make use of their expertise in the nation as soon as next year,” Mr. Hung-hsiang said.
The Yongkang Street scene is known for restaurants such as Din Tai Fung, a well-known steamed dumpling restaurant, whose Hong Kong branch was awarded a Michelin star in the Hong Kong and Macau 2010 edition of the Michelin Guide.
Luu Meng, one of Cambodia’s most prominent chefs and restaurateurs, said he had not yet heard about the interest from the Taiwanese investors, though he was aware of some smaller Taiwanese street-food restaurants in the country.
He questioned whether there were already enough Cambodian shops selling food similar to what the Taiwanese could bring.
“There are already quite a few street-food districts around, like Pub Street in Siem Reap, Container Market and food centers such as the one on the second floor of Aeon mall. They are all pretty nice,” Mr. Meng said.
