ABC Bakery Vietnam

Washington wheat has become a staple in many of Vietnam's fast food restaurants, and it's largely thanks to the efforts of chef Kao Sieu Luc, the owner of ABC Bakery in Ho Chi Minh City. The bakery has branches across Vietnam and supplies baked goods to many of the country's fast food restaurants. When the Washington Grown team visited Vietnam, we spoke with Kao about his business, and why he loves Washington wheat.

What does ABC Bakery make?
The bakeries serve all kinds of baked goods, including bread, pastries, cookies, muffins, brownies, and buns. ABC Bakery also supplies hamburger buns, cakes, pastries, and other baked goods to fast food chains across Vietnam. Every day they make more than 80,000 baked goods, according to Kao.

Which restaurants does ABC Bakery supply with baked goods?
The bakery's clients include Burger King, KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks, and Domino's Pizza. "All the fast food chains in Vietnam, I calculated that about 98% of the customers are supplied by ABC," said Kao.

Why does the bakery prefer to use Washington wheat?
ABC uses Washington flour in its baked goods, and Kao said the reason is that Washington wheat absorbs water better, makes cakes softer and fluffier, and it is generally just a higher quality than other wheat. "I believe in quality," he said. "Quality is very important for us."

How does the bakery get its wheat from Washington?
ABC Bakery handles its own importing of wheat, dairy, and other ingredients. "Many years ago ... there was nobody to import the good quality to Vietnam," said Kao. "They worry about the price only. They don't worry about the quality. But I'm different."