Fastest-Growing Ingredients at Chef-Driven Independent Asian Restaurants
According to Technomic’s 2026 Top 200 Canadian Chain Restaurant Report, Asian/noodle operators are seeing significant sales momentum, up 6.3% for LSRs and 12.7% for FSRs in 2025. So, what types of ingredients are on the rise in Asian operations? Looking at operators of chef-driven independent Asian restaurants, it’s clear that well-known, cross-cultural condiments, vegetables and proteins are driving growth.
The uptick in peanut sauce and spicy mayonnaise demonstrates how operators are leveraging condiments that seamlessly merge authentic Asian flavour profiles with familiar Western tastes. Peanut sauce, rooted in Thai cuisine, is paired with proteins including beef and chicken. Spicy mayonnaise is drizzled atop sushi rolls and poke bowls for added heat.
Shallots and red onions are also on the rise, both extremely versatile kitchen staples. Shallots pair well with mushrooms and seafood such as tuna and salmon for textural contrast and refined sweetness. These small onions are also made into oils used atop seafood entrees. Red onions are popping up in curries and salads—showing how independent operators are maximizing ingredient efficiency while creating layered flavour profiles.
Salmon rounds out this list, menued as an entree and in sushi rolls. The dominance as both a centre-of-the-plate protein and sushi staple illustrates salmon’s dual functionality in both cooked and raw preparations.
