The parent corporation of the Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express opened the first international branch of sit-down Taiwanese restaurant YakiYan in Hacienda Heights this week.

YakiYan, a Japanese barbecue concept founded in Taipei City in 2004, is the third Asian restaurant chain that Panda Restaurant Group has imported to the United States as a franchise operator in the past year. Earlier this year it opened two branches of Uncle Tetsu, a Japanese cheesecake maker, in Hawaii and Arcadia. It is in the process of opening three locations of Ippudo, a Japanese ramen restaurant, in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Santa Monica early next year.

Panda, which is based in Rosemead and generated revenue of $2.5 billion last year, has also made investments in American restaurant concepts Pieology and Just Salad.

Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda’s founders and owners, have said they have gotten involved in other restaurants as a way to pass on their knowledge and experience.

Retail, restaurants, and hospitality reporter Caroline Anderson can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Caroline_Mander.