(16 Nov 1996) Cantonese/Japanese/Eng

A new contender in the American celebrity restaurant sweepstakes made it's entry into Asia this past week.

The Fashion Cafe opened in Jakarta and broke ground in Manila in its bid to compete in the Eastern Hemisphere.

They have good reason to expect success judging from two other "established" theme restaurant chains already in Asia.

Star quality was evident last weekend as supermodels Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer helped christen the first Fashion Cafe in Asia.

Jakarta was the lucky city to be charmed by the two beauties, whose third partner, Elle Macpherson was away shooting a film.

The Fashion Cafe which started in New York a little over a year ago, has been such a success it has started opening franchises across the globe.

Guadeloupe and Nairobi are their next two targets.

While traditional Asian entertainment was part of the opening, the Fashion Cafe delivered on the type of Western glamour that it promised.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The attraction, mainly... ...no other restaurant in the world like this."
SUPER CAPTION: Claudia Schiffer, Supermodel

Well, not exactly.

But both Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe are not too far off.

Both offer a chance to gawk at celebrity items and both serve American food.

Hong Kong entertainment critic Joanne Shen says each place gives the Asian public what it wants.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It's part of a fascination that Hong Kong people have.....vision the people have of America, Hollywood."
SUPER CAPTION: Joanne Shen, HK Magazine

And Planet Hollywood surely makes the most of that vision.

The faces of famous stars are all around, as are the props that made them famous.

You can find the car that Bruce Lee drove as the chauffeur Kato in TV's "The Green Hornet" or the dinner jacket worn by Sean Connery, as 007 in "Goldfinger".

Even some famous lips make the walls here.

And patrons say they come for these little special items they can't find anywhere else.

SOUNDBITE: (Cantonese)
"It's different than those restaurants we normally go to, that's why I came to check out this place, it's different. I get to try something new to eat."
SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)
"It's American food isn't it? I quite like the taste of it, such as cheese and things like that."
SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop

Yes, the food is one of the big attractions here.

No matter what the theme, people come back to get American tastes and American portions.

At the Hard Rock Cafe they are quick to point this out, although the decor and the memorabilia is also a source of pride.

Manager Kenny Ho says that the Hard Rock will have more than 20 outlets in Asia by next year, and they count on their reputation to keep them going strong.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Once again, we've been around for 25 years......on top of everything."
SUPER CAPTION: Kenny Ho, The Hard Rock Cafe

Well, they are on top for now, but there are a few others that aim to reach it as well.

And judging from the attention that these lovely entrepreneurs attract, the top may be a modest goal.

However, the restaurant business requires more than just a pretty exterior, and people in Asia will only keep applauding if the interior maintains star quality.

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