Elevating the Asian-Style Appetizer

Written in partnership with Flavor & The Menu

July 29, 2025

Whether it’s Beef and Vegetable Mandu or Buffalo Egg Rolls, Asian-style formats and flavor fusions offer a simple way to elevate any appetizer menu.

Globally inspired appetizers are doing more than just whetting appetites—they’re fueling curiosity, driving engagement and refreshing menus at just the right moment. These small plates serve as entry points into new culinary territories, letting diners explore bold flavors without the commitment of a full entrée. For operators, they offer a low-risk, high-reward means of boosting check averages while tapping into the growing demand for shareable, interactive experiences. And as consumers lean into the thrill of food discovery, one region in particular is proving to be a standout—Asian-style appetizers are emerging as flavorful front-runners in this global grazing movement.

“People have a treasure hunt mentality when it comes to appetizers. They’re looking for something new and interesting to try and to share with friends and family,” says Chef Michael Gunn, Director of Culinary, Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., also noting the low-risk advantages of appetizers for exploring unfamiliar flavors with a less-expensive investment.

Market research affirms ever-growing interest in global flavors across the menu. Among the resonant datapoints from different studies are findings from Datassential, reporting that two in five consumers eat global foods at least monthly (“Authenticity: The Consumer Perspective,” January 2024) and that 70 percent of operators see increased customer demand for globally inspired foods (“Global Flavors Keynote Report, 2021). The 2023 Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., Morning Consult Trends Survey finds that 65 percent of consumers like to explore different cultures through food.

Gunn attributes diner interest specifically in Asian dishes to a combination of the embrace of longstanding favorites with occasions for unfamiliar culinary experiences. “Asian cuisine is so diverse that we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what it has to offer in the U.S.” Applying this interest to the appetizer category is ripe with opportunities to capitalize on diner needs, and working with an industry leader like Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., will help facilitate innovative, yet easy-to-execute, menu applications.

A charcuterie-style board featuring crispy egg rolls, spring rolls and dumplings is an unconventional presentation for a coveted shareable dining experience.

STARTERS THAT WORK HARDER

Asian-Style Appetizers from Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., notably MINH^® and CHEF ONE^® products, offer operators familiar formats in both favorite flavors and inventive profiles. “Egg rolls, spring rolls and dumplings/potstickers have an edge and warrant greater menu presence because those forms are familiar to customers,” says Gunn. In turn, “That gives us license to be more adventurous with the fillings,” addressing that consumer desire for manageable flavor experimentation.

The familiarity factor also allows for greater versatility in menuing these popular Asian-style items in fresh applications, beyond the most traditional approach: on a plate with a dipping sauce. “For example, we see operators add dumplings to salads to create a new entrée or toss a chicken-and-vegetable pot sticker in wing sauce to bring a new twist to an appetizer mainstay,” notes Gunn.

MINH^® and CHEF ONE^® products are menu items that also deliver back-of-house value. “Most of what we offer goes from freezer to fryer, pan or oven,” says Gunn. “Our products help mitigate operator struggles with labor constraints and high food costs. Because our items are fully prepared, operators can reduce prep steps, minimize ingredient waste, reduce spoilage and react to spikes in business.”

Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., offers a wide variety of Asian-Style Appetizers as a means of helping operators boost participation, especially among diners with menu fatigue. “Operators need to maintain customer confidence. Customers have to trust that the restaurateur is going to menu items they will like, that every time they visit, the food will be consistent and that there is good value,” says Gunn. “That’s why we can spend years developing and testing new items. We do our homework and make sure the foods we sell appeal to consumers, are operator friendly and are profitable to menu.”

New CHEF ONE^® Beef & Vegetable Mandu taps into rising interest in Korean flavors, featuring a savory, juicy, bulgogi profile.

DELECTABLE DUMPLINGS

While dumplings have been a comfort-food staple in worldwide cuisines for centuries, they are having a particular moment right now, as confirmed by their inclusion in Flavor & The Menu’s Top 10 Trends for 2025. Dough-encased morsels of savory chicken or pork with cabbage and onions, like CHEF ONE^® Chicken & Vegetable and Pork & Vegetable Dumplings aren’t going anywhere, but it’s fresh flavors and new translations that are driving the trend.

In response, the brand has added a Korean-influenced variety: CHEF ONE^® Beef & Vegetable Mandu. “Korean cuisine is on trend, making it obvious that we need Korean flavors in our product mix,” says Gunn. “Also, our parent company is Korean, so we have a depth of knowledge in Korean cuisine that’s hard to match.”

For this item, the mandu wrapper is thinner-than-thin, accommodating more filling as a result, with a texture that is crispy when pan-fried and soft when steamed. “The dumplings deliver on bulgogi beef, with smoky grill notes, savory beef and soy sauce flavors with a bit of sweetness to round it out,” says Gunn, adding, “These dumplings are larger than average, with a 73 percent filling-to-wrapper ratio, making them juicy and flavorful—and one of my personal favorites.”

Other flavors in the CHEF ONE^® dumpling lineup include:

• Chicken Teriyaki: “It has a classic savory, soy, umami note that is nicely balanced with a little sweetness,” explains Gunn.
• Chicken Lemongrass: “This is another personal favorite,” confides Gunn. “The citrus note of the lemongrass comes through nicely, without being overpowering, allowing the flavors of the chicken, green onions and sweet corn to come through.
• Edamame: “This is very popular because it delivers big flavor while being vegetarian,” he notes. Its complex, savory profile comes from the combination of edamame, cabbage, carrots, green onions, Chinese chives, garlic and shiitake mushrooms.

Leverage a street food vibe by threading pieces of fried egg rolls or dumplings on skewers for a kabob mash-up.

CLASSIC ROLLS IN CONTEMPORARY ROLES

The successful line-up of MINH^® Egg Rolls and Spring Rolls includes conventional offerings such as chicken, vegetable and pork and vegetable egg rolls, plus a vegetable spring roll. But there are a few varieties that promise to be foodservice game-changers, particularly fusions like the Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll and the Philly Cheesesteak Egg Roll. The merger of classic flavor systems in an unusual carrier is a genius move.

“We know that with variable consumer traffic patterns, operators need to provide exciting menus that are on-trend, in-demand and provide opportunities for increased revenue through increased check averages,” says Gunn. “These two items are doing that.”

The flavor profile for each is on point with its name. “The Buffalo Chicken Egg Roll has a nice kick from the Buffalo sauce, with chicken, cheese and celery nicely balanced, making it very craveable,” reports Gunn. “The Philly Cheesesteak Egg Roll has a rich and savory beef flavor, complemented by onion and green pepper and tied together with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.” The crispy wrapper is the differentiating factor.

Asian-style appetizers have an impressive capacity for menu reinventions that will generate all-important buzz. Dumplings served with a flight of varied dipping sauces or savory egg roll shooters demonstrate the range of easy-to-implement innovations operators can try.

CRAVE MEETS CRAFT

Menuing (and marketing) brand-new flavors of iconic Asian-style favorites like egg rolls and dumplings is only part of the equation when it comes to taking best advantage of their potential to score big with diners. Next-level menu applications—in the appetizer and other categories—rely on inventive takes in both concept and presentation.

Take, for example, the traditional approach of pairing crispy rolls and dumplings with a dipping sauce. Menu developers can tap into customer needs for flavor intrigue, customization and interactivity by offering the fried items with a flight of different sauces. Stick with the Asian theme and feature a Thai chile sauce with sweet and sour sauces. Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., also offers its new-to-foodservice bibigo^™ Gochujang Hot & Sweet sauce, which would be a good fit here. Or take a broader approach to the sauce mix in your flight, although Gunn recommends maintaining an Asian flavor narrative with such options as a gochujang-spiked ranch, Sriracha hot honey and Korean barbecue.

Crispy fried egg rolls can be cut on a diagonal and threaded onto skewers with veggies for a unique kabob, lending a street food vibe. Or add sliced egg rolls to a Caesar salad for an alternate protein with a distinctive crunch. Mini spring rolls give a boost to a rice noodle salad with bean sprouts, bell pepper, cucumber and carrot and dressed with nuoc cham. Create a charcuterie-style appetizer board that features a range of egg roll, spring roll and dumpling varieties along with accompanying veggies, fruit and cheese.

Step up your bar menu by using Asian-style appetizers in unexpected menu innovations. “We’re having fun using our egg rolls and dumplings to garnish Bloody Mary’s,” notes Gunn. “I like adding a little gochujang to the Bloody Mary mix, giving them a little Asian flair.” Or prep a line-up of egg roll shooters. “Use spirits that are less sweet, like whisky, vodka, beer, sake or soju,” he advises.

APPS THAT MEAN BUSINESS

As today’s consumers seek bold, discovery-driven bites, craveable classics like dumplings, egg rolls and spring rolls can serve up solutions that meet their interests and your needs. Use the LTO process to lean into boundary-pushing flavors and fun new menu interpretations. According to Datassential research, more than three-quarters of consumers are interested in LTOs that offer a new twist on a familiar dish (Limited Time Offers: Keynote Report 2022). Asian-style Appetizers from Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., are well-positioned for this low-lift, high-impact way to stand out, validate premium pricing and affirm your reputation for trend-forward fare.

Click here to learn more how Asian-Style Appetizers from Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., can help you leverage valuable cross-cultural currency.