Jill Biden unveils menu and decor for South Korea state dinner
Crab cakes, short ribs, butter bean grits and banana splits are on the menu for Wednesday night’s state dinner, the White House announced Monday.
The ice cream is a special dish for President Joe Biden, who is known for his love of sweet treats.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host their administration’s second state dinner for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee on Wednesday.
Around 200 guests are expected for a glamorous evening full of music, dance and good food.
“It’s been a busy week,” said Jill Biden as she previewed the menu and theme of the state dinner on Monday.
Guest chef Ed Lee was brought in to design the menu for Wednesday’s state dinner, working with first lady Jill Biden on the dishes
A busy week indeed.
There are reports that Joe Biden will announce his re-election campaign on Tuesday. He has said he intends to participate, but would not confirm the timing of the announcement. Tuesday would mark the four-year anniversary of announcing his 2020 campaign.
“I told you I’m planning on running,” the president said Monday as he departed from an event at the White House Rose Garden. “I’ll let you know when soon.”
And on Saturday, the first couple will attend the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
But their first formal occasion of the week is on Wednesday, when they don black tie clothes to dance and dine under cherry blossoms in the East Room of the White House.
They eat American food with a Korean twist. The first lady said her favorite dish was “crab cake” because “it’s so American.”
“But I love them all,” she said. “Joe’s favorite will be the last.” That’s the ice cream for dessert.
The dinner will take place in the East Room of the White House, the largest of the formal rooms on the White House’s state floor.
The menu was designed by Executive Chef Edward Lee, a Korean-American chef known for infusing traditional American classics with Korean flavors.
“That was the first thing I was told – ice cream,” he said when talking about the menu process.
Lee, who has appeared on Top Chef and owns restaurants in Washington DC and New York, created a dozen dishes for Jill Biden and her team to try and get to the final menu.
“I wanted to take some of my favorite American foods and just tinker with them a bit. And that’s how I cook in my restaurants too – just to add a little Korean touch. Again, it’s familiar yet unexpected, and it’s not traditional Korean food, but it just gives you a little touch of Korean flavors,” he said.
He said the first person he told he had been asked to be guest chef for that night was his mother, an immigrant from Korea.
“We have always felt tremendous gratitude towards the United States of America for the opportunities it has had, which I have been able to get. So to come full circle, to give back and to be able to do this was, you know, a very proud moment for me and also for my mother,” he said.
And as for the advice his mother gave him, “She just said don’t mess it up.”
Cherry blossoms tower over the tables for the upcoming state dinner
The seating arrangements use the china of George W. Bush’s presidency
White House Pastry Chef Susie Morrison, left, standing with guest chef Edward Lee, center, and White House Chef Cris Comerford, right, discussing the dinner menu
A state visit is the highest diplomatic honor the US bestows on its closest allies. Biden’s first went to France last December and took place in a glass tent on the South Lawn. Wednesday night is the first state dinner at the White House.
The first lady and her staff worked with Fête, an events and design firm owned by Korean-American Jung Lee, to help create the theme and setting.
Jill Biden said the setting was to “show the harmony of our cultures and our people intertwined.”
When guests enter the East Room, they see scenic landscape designs featuring some of the most American symbols – American bison, the bald eagle, roses, stars – and Korean images – the Korean magpie and Korean tiger.
The decorations are inspired by the Taegeuk, the symbol in the center of the flag of the Republic of Korea, which the White House believes represents balance, harmony and peace.
And it pays homage to the 70-year alliance with the Republic of Korea. It includes platinum tablecloths and flowers that are important to both countries.
First lady Jill Biden with (from left) White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and guest chef Edward Lee
The table decorations of the state dinner
The decor pays homage to the 70-year alliance with the Republic of Korea
Cherry blossoms decorate the transept of the White House
But its most dramatic features are the six-foot-tall cherry blossoms that tower above the tables, providing a canopy of pink flowers for guests to dine under.
“You have to admit that’s pretty spectacular,” Jill Biden said of the set.
The seating arrangement uses the porcelain from the administration of President George W. Bush. The plate has a golden eagle in the middle. Each napkin features a fresh flower blossom.
Some tables are made of teal Plexiglas, which reflects the cherry blossoms back at guests.
The bamboo chairs have blue upholstery reminiscent of traditional sumukhwa (Korean ink brush painting). The designs are branches with peonies, representing prosperity and joy, and bamboo elements, representing longevity and strength.
Peonies and the first lady of South Korea’s favorite flowers.
They are smaller vases of flowers as part of the seating arrangement: peonies, orchids, cherry blossoms and azaleas (a native Korean flower). They are all pink, red or white. Candles sparkle between the flower arrangements.
The entertainment portion of the evening will feature Broadway stars Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk performing American musical classics.