The state-run Taiwan Railway Corp’s (TRC) food division has made its presence known at the Keio Department Store’s Ekiben and Japanese Local Gourmet Fair in Tokyo, Japan.
The boxed lunch service is taking part in the Japanese fair in addition to pursuing other initiatives, including hosting the Formosa Railroad Bento Festival and collaborations with foreign counterparts in a push to expand the brand’s international presence, TRC said on Saturday.
Participation in the Japanese event is part of the railroad restaurant’s strategy to boost sales via tourism, it said.
Photo courtesy of TRC
The classic braised pork chop with egg and seasonal vegetables, after some tweaks to its recipe by TRC’s Japanese partner Awajiya, is the company’s main attraction at the fair, it said.
The boxed meals cost ¥3,200, and the TRC stand sold out within two hours after the venue opened its doors, it said.
A vintage-style stainless steel lunchbox engraved with the company’s logo and a canvas handbag come with the meal as souvenirs, it said.
Collaborating with Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau, TRC additionally presented shoppers with information on famous attractions along Taiwan’s railroad line, which sparked interest from local Japanese media outlets, it said.
Taiwan’s semi-public railway corporation is stepping up its marketing campaign by targeting foreign tourists, it said, adding that the company inked a partnership memorandum of understanding with Japanese franchise Awajiya in early December last year.
The TRC revealed a seafood-based lunchbox of scallops, octopus and abalone, created in collaboration with the franchise to mark the agreement’s signing.
The Ekiben fair opened on Saturday and is to run through Jan. 22.
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