23 January 2012 Last updated at 07:48 ET

Asian food is big business in Northern Ireland

By Colletta Smith BBC NI business reporter

Colletta Smith speaks to Cony Fung from Gaze restaurants and Tommy Yeung from Musgrave Marketplace

At the start of the Chinese year, business owners in Northern Ireland are hoping the economic climate wont be as unpredictable as the year of the Dragon has come to symbolise.

In a difficult economic climate, Chinese restaurant and take-away businesses have been fairing relatively well.

In fact, it is performing so well as a sector that Musgrave Marketplace, who run cash and carry stores across Northern Ireland have begun to try and cash in on it.

Tommy Yeung was recently appointed by Musgrave as their Asian Business Development Manager.

A few aisles in a number of stores are now dedicated to Chinese products, and Tommy says they have worked hard on the products and the look of the place.

"We have tried to make it feel like home. Lots of my customers won't have English as a first language so our signs are in Chinese - both simple and traditional characters as well as being in English," said Mr Yeung.

There is increasing competition in the local asian food market

Musgrave say that since September 2010 the company has enjoyed a 133% growth in sales within the Asian market in Northern Ireland.

Of course they are aiming at customers who used to shop in the well established Asian wholesale stores.

But Mrs Pao, who runs Belfast's Asia Supermarket says that their business is still strong, both in wholesale and individual purchases.

"Obviously we are hoping the new year will be a boost, but business is good," she said.

Cony Fung runs Gaze restaurants, who now have five premises in the greater Belfast area, and she says that the economic downturn has benefitted her business.

"Although the economic climate is bad, people are looking for good value." she said.

"We are keeping our head above the water".

With sales in some other retail areas relatively weak, it is no surprise that competition is hotting up to supply to Northern Ireland's asian restaurants.

You can hear more on this story on the NI Business News Podcast (http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/nibusiness/all)