While many Chinese students spend their time in the U.S. buried in their books, and hanging out with other Chinese students, Ms. Lu appeared to embrace American culture, including its food, its art and its sports.

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"I spent a lot of time studying American fast-food merchandising and had heard how Chinese and Russians lined up for hours just to get their first McDonald's hamburgers, " says Oshima.

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The fire at the facility in Jilin province came as American regulators and consumers begin to scrutinize a bid by Chinese food company Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd. to buy U.S. pork producer Smithfield Foods Inc.

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Similarly, the food offered at Tokyo Disneyland is noticeably different from the US, infusing both Chinese and American flavours with Japanese cuisine.

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Though Mr. Yoon, 42, is often identified as a Korean-American chef along with peers David Chang and Roy Choi, he'll be cooking Chinese and Southeast Asian food, heavy on what he calls his "pet ingredient": Sichuan peppercorns.

WSJ: Chef Sang Yoon | In My Kitchen