ASIAN FOOD ON U.S. PLATTER CUISINE GROWS BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

Whether it's supermarket sushi, frozen stir fry or General Tso's chicken, Americans are hungrier than ever before for the widening menu of Asian foods moving into the mainstream.

Sales of Asian foods - both ``authentic'' and ``Americanized'' - grew by 27 percent between 2000 and 2004, according to a report by MarketResearch, a consumer tracking firm based in Maryland.

Everyone from major companies like Hormel to fast-food chains like Panda Express to sit-down restaurants like P.F. Chang's are cashing in on the trend.

``We're widely known in some markets, but, surprisingly, a lot of people are just learning who we are,'' said David Landsberg, vice president of business planning at Rosemead-based Panda Express. The chain is just starting to break into such markets as Dallas, San Antonio and Chicago, for example.

Panda Express has opened more than 100 new restaurants annually in the past two years, a growth rate the company plans to boost to 130 stores this year.

The market is being driven across the board by the nation's burgeoning Asian population, which is introducing a broader range of flavors into the mainstream, the report by MarketResearch notes.

The Census Bureau states the Asian population in the United States grew by 72 percent between 1990 and 2000.

What makes Asian fare a mass-market hit is the ability of companies to make it accessible to the American palate, said Andy Harris, a restaurant operations consultant with Harris & Associates.

``(P.F. Chang's) is successful at Americanizing Asian cuisine for the American palate. They take the cuisine and combine it with American service,'' he said.

P.F. Chang's Bistro on Wednesday reported first-quarter revenues grew by 18 percent over the same time a year ago. Sales grew by 26 percent last year.

``The bottom line is that (Asian food) is the fastest-growing segment in the restaurant industry,'' said Laura Cherry, spokeswoman for P.F. Chang's.

Americans' desire for Asian food is going beyond Chinese cuisine, with a proliferation of Vietnamese and Thai dishes in mainstream restaurants, she said.

Popular high-end restaurants such as Roy's Hawaiian Cuisine, which recently opened in Woodland Hills, are also successful at presenting Asian fare in a manner mainstream America finds accessible, Harris said.

A non-Asian person might otherwise be wary of walking into an ``authentic'' restaurant for a variety of reasons, including a fear of being charged differently, Harris said.

Major companies like Hormel and The Schwan Food Co. are reaping the rewards of the rising popularity of Asian foods too, with companies like Nestle rolling out Asian-style lines of frozen dinners.

The desire for Asian-flavored foods will lead to a greater usage of Asian ingredients at home, especially given the fact Asian supermarkets have become more widely available, the report notes.

Asian sauces and dressings are already used by 47 percent of the U.S. population. Those who seek out gourmet foods are also more drawn to Asian foods, the survey found.

Once associated primarily with Chinese and Japanese foods, today's offerings reflect a greater range of cultures from the Asian region.

Some foods poised to break into mainstream tastes include staya, Vietnamese sandwiches known as ``banh mi'' and bubble tea.

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com