Singapore's SaladStop! goes to Tokyo

SINGAPORE - SaladStop! is the latest home-grown food and beverage (F&B) chain to venture into Tokyo, following the footsteps of established brands such as Bee Cheng Hiang and Wee Nam Kee.

It opened its first store in Japan today (Nov 1) along the posh Omotesando shopping street, serving up salads, wraps, and grain bowls, just like the 15 branches here.

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The store in Tokyo also offers the signature Oh Crab Lah! Salad, made with chilli crab dressing, as well as organic vegetables grown in Singapore.

Patrons can look forward to additional ingredients such as myoga (Japanese ginger) and mizuna (Japanese mustard) which are exclusive to the Japanese outlet.

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According to Japanese media, the Tokyo menu will change with every season.

For the coming winter, for instance, there is the warmer offering of grilled tuna with avocado, which Woman Wellness Online recommends as a "must-try".

SaladStop! managing director Adrien Desbaillets is planning to open about 20 branches in Japan within the next three years, Fashionsnap.com reported.

The chain currently has nine overseas branches in Manila, one in Jakarta and another slated to open in Hong Kong in the first quarter of next year.

Other home-grown F&B brands overseas

SaladStop! joins a list of local F&B chains that have expanded into the notoriously difficult Japanese market.

Last month, barbecued pork chain Bee Cheng Hiang opened its first branch in Japan - its 11th overseas market - in Tokyo's glitzy shopping district of Ginza.

Read also: Bee Cheng Hiang in Tokyo: 6 other Singapore food brands which have expanded overseas

Chicken rice restaurant Wee Nam Kee also has an outlet in Ginza, on top of its overseas branches in Jakarta, Manila, Seoul and Busan.

In April, Singaporean pastry chef Janice Wong opened a dessert bar in Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku area, a month after she opened her first overseas restaurant in Hong Kong.

Back in 2010, Mr Bean set up shop at Tokyo's busy Shibuya Station, and the outlet has become a hit among Japanese commuters. The soya milk chain has two other overseas outlets in the Philippines.

Other Singaporean F&B companies that have ventured overseas include Tai Sei Hei, which produces soya beancurd under the brand Lao Ban. It made its overseas debut in 2011 with a cafe in Ho Chi Minh City.

Restaurant chain Crystal Jade has branches in 10 countries outside of Singapore, including Cambodia, South Korea and the US.

Ya Kun Kaya Toast has been expanding since 2003, into countries from Indonesia to China. It also supplies its kaya jars to a supermarket chain in South Korea.

huizhen@sph.com.sg