"They either have to change or let the American consumer develop a taste for their authentic food product," Higbee said.
However, several factors have fostered the development of Asia-based food chains: telecommunications that enable companies to manage business from overseas, growing ethnic populations, and marketing channels aimed at specific audiences in ethnic publications and Internet portals.
"We are just learning by doing, giving it our best shot and seeing how far we can go," said Mark Kao, 48, who opened the first US branch of Taiwan's Sheng Kee in San Francisco's Sunset District two decades ago. As the tech boom attracted large numbers of Asian engineers, the bakery opened more stores in Silicon Valley and on the Peninsula.
"I think most immigrants, have a certain cultural shock. So we try to appeal to those people who miss food from their hometown," Kao said. That means cakes less sweet and bread less crunchy than in Western bakeries.
Goldilocks, a tiny bakery and cafe founded by two sisters in a Manila suburb in 1966, now has 12 stores in California and 142 in the Philippines.
With the founders' grown children now at the helm, the chain is planning more California stores in Concord, Mountain View, San Jose and San Diego. Though still family-run, Goldilocks hired a number of professionals to expand its business.
Costco, a membership warehouse chain, sells Goldilocks spring rolls, sausages and breads. Goldilocks also ships goods from its Hayward manufacturing plant to retailers across the country.
Balancing American tastes with traditional recipes is tricky, said Mary-Ann Ortiz-Luis, daughter of one of the Goldilocks founders.
But she wants to popularize Filipino food as a matter of national pride. Spanish, French and Chinese tastes have influenced the island nation's cooking. The Goldilocks menu includes ensaymada, akin to a Spanish brioche; mamon, which is like a French sponge cake; and noodles with Chinese origins.
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