From mala hotpot to small plates

According to Market Research Singapore, the number of Chinese food and beverage brands operating locally grew from 32 in mid-2024 to about 85 by August 2025. Together, they operate more than 400 outlets, making it one of the fastest foreign expansions in recent years. Assoc Prof Dylan Loh from the public policy and global affairs programme at NTU says that such a market-led expansion carries a cultural dimension that state-orchestrated efforts rarely achieve. “Soft power is most effective when it is independent of state-led efforts. In this case, it is a lot of private entrepreneurs and businesses who are leading the charge and it is pretty much a market endeavour more than anything else,” says Prof Loh. “Food diplomacy is very real and is commonly used around the world. But in this way, because the state has largely stayed out of it, what we have is more authentic and genuine.”

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