What is the state dinner menu?... Crab cake and braised beef ribs symbolizing 'Korea-US harmony'

Dessert is Ice Cream Topped with 'Doenjang Caramel'
Dr. Jill Biden Invites Korean-American Chef to Prepare Dinner
Dinner Venue Decorated with Korean Symbols Including Taegeuk Pattern

On the 24th (local time), two days before the state dinner of the South Korea-US leaders, Maryland crab cakes, the dinner menu, are displayed at the White House in Washington DC, USA.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 26th (local time), the dinner hosted at the White House in the United States for President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden will feature foods symbolizing both Korea and the U.S., such as crab cakes and braised short ribs.

The U.S. White House announced on the 24th during a pre-briefing that the state dinner menu for the Korean and U.S. presidential couples will include Maryland crab cakes and braised short ribs, with ice cream and banana splits served for dessert.

The first course of the dinner will begin with crab cakes accompanied by cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel, and julienned cucumber, and will conclude with a cold pumpkin soup. The main course consists of beef, Korean kidney bean grits (a dish made by drying, grinding, boiling, and mixing with butter and milk), carrots coated with sorghum, and pine nuts.

For dessert, a "deconstructed" banana split will be served, featuring lemon-flavored ice cream bars, fresh strawberries, mint ginger cookie crumbles, and doenjang caramel sauce.

Maryland crab cakes were also served at the Korea-U.S. summit held in the U.S. in May 2021.

Jill Biden, wife of President Biden, joked during the briefing about the ice cream dessert, saying, "My husband’s favorite will come out last." President Biden is well known for his love of ice cream.

On the 24th (local time), two days before the state dinner of the South Korea-US leaders, the dinner table was displayed at the White House in Washington DC, USA. [Image source=Yonhap News]

For this dinner, the White House specially invited Korean-American star chef Edward Lee as a "guest chef" to prepare a menu combining the cuisines of both countries. It is known that Jill Biden personally selected Chef Lee.

Mrs. Biden stated that she worked with the existing White House chefs and Chef Lee to select the menu.

Mrs. Biden brought Chef Lee and others who prepared the dinner to the briefing. She introduced him by saying, "There is no one better than Chef Lee to express the harmony of two cultures. His cooking style reflects his Korean family, the environment he grew up in New York, and his Kentucky hometown. Chef Lee creates fusion dishes that are familiar yet surprising, perfectly balancing different worlds."

Chef Lee, who is 50 years old this year, is a famous chef gaining popularity for his fusion cuisine combining Southern American food with Korean flavors. Reflecting on the dinner, he recalled that "the first person I called was my mother," who immigrated from Korea to the U.S., and said, "Returning to my roots and being able to give back like this is a very proud moment for both myself and my mother."

When asked what advice his mother gave him, Chef Lee said she told him, "Just don’t mess it up."

Korean-American star chef Edward Lee announcing the menu for the Korea-US summit state banquet
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The table setting for the dinner was handled by Korean-American Jung Lee, who runs the design company Pet in New York. Jung Lee was born in Korea, raised in New York, and graduated from New York University.

The dining hall design was decorated with elements symbolizing both countries, including the Taegeuk pattern. The chair covers featured designs reminiscent of traditional Korean ink wash paintings, with peonies symbolizing wealth and joy, and bamboo representing longevity and resilience. The dining tables were adorned with vases filled with nearly 2-meter-tall fully bloomed cherry blossoms.

Mrs. Biden explained, "From animal paintings representing both countries to table decorations with swirling colors reflecting the Korean flag, and symbolic flowers such as peonies, hibiscus, azaleas, and orchids, we hope to show a harmonious image where our (Korea and the U.S.) cultures and peoples come together. Guests will enjoy their meals under cherry blossom branches symbolizing the renewal of spring."

On the day of the state dinner, sculptures symbolizing the U.S. and Korea, such as magpies, tigers, bison, bald eagles, roses, and stars, are expected to be installed at the entrance of the White House East Wing.

The White House added, "The design and decorative elements were inspired by the Taegeuk, the symbol at the center of the Korean flag representing balance, harmony, and peace," and "The background design of the dining hall was inspired by Dancheong, the traditional Korean architectural coloring commonly seen in temples throughout Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.