The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is organising a Japanese food fair to introduce new flavors from different prefectures of the country to Thailand.

“Discover New Tastes from Japan” is being held at Gateway Ekkamai shopping complex from February 14 to March 23. Seven famous restaurants with different regional specialties are showcasing their signature dishes, which include mille-feuille sushi, healthy soba noodles and croissant-donuts or cronuts.

According to JETRO vice-president Kazufumi Tanaka, the popularity of Japanese cuisine in Thailand has attracted the interest of many Japanese restaurant operators.

Famous restaurants displaying their unique tastes at the fair include Tenjin, Todai Ramen and Croissant Donut New York . These businesses have made plans to expand their branches to Thailand and the fair is an exceptional platform for restaurants to assess Thai consumers.

The organisation noted the kingdom’s growing fondness towards Japanese food as the younger generation appreciates the healthy and convenient nature of the cuisine. There are currently around 1,800 Japanese restaurants in Thailand and the figure is expected to continue rising.

The Organisation to Promote Japanese Restaurants Abroad (JRO) said they expect the number of Japanese eateries in Thailand to jump to 3,000 in three to four years' time, up 50 percent from this year's. Thailand is reportedly the world's seventh-largest market for Japanese food.-VNA