Maryland crab cake first course, braised beef ribs main course, and banana dessert are displayed during the media preview of the official dinner during the Wednesday visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee to the White House on April 24, 2023 in Washington, D.C. .
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Crab cakes, beef ribs and a deconstructed banana slice are hits this week at the White House state dinner honoring seven decades of South Korea’s relationship with the United States.
First Lady Jill Biden and her team reviewed the menu and decor on Monday.
Biden said her mother taught her that setting the table could be an “act of love” and she learned from her husband, President Joe Biden, that “all politics is personal.”
“We hope to combine these two ideas as we welcome President and Ms. Kim, honoring 70 years of our alliances with symbols and moments of beauty that reflect both of our countries,” said the first lady, speaking of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ms. Kim Keon Hee.
About 200 guests are expected for Wednesday’s lavish gala dinner, which will be held in the East Room, the largest room in the executive residence. Guests will move down the hall to the State Dining Room, where they will be entertained after dinner by a trio of Broadway stars: Norm Lewis, Lea Salonga and Jessica Vosk.
Chef Edward Lee (center), White House chef CrisComerford (right), and White House chef Susie Morrison present the dishes to be served at the media preview of the White House Wednesday Official Dinner on Monday, April 24, 2023.
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Jill Biden recruited a Korean-American celebrity chef Edward Lee to add a special touch to your meal. Lee’s specialty is combining American cuisine with Korean flavors.
“Chef Lee creates meals that are both familiar and surprising,” she said. “A fusion of different worlds that finds the perfect balance.”
The crabcake appetizer features what Lee described as an updated cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel, and cucumber coleslaw topped with a gochujang vinaigrette, red chili paste, and a small bowl of yellow pumpkin soup. The main course, braised beef ribs with sorghum glazed carrots, is served on a pile of butter bean porridge instead of dried corn.
Dessert is a deconstructed version of the banana split, an American classic, with lemon ice cream, caramelized bananas, fresh blueberries and mint ginger cookies, drizzled with doenjang caramel sauce, fermented soybean paste.
“We really wanted to do something fresh this spring,” said Lee, who was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Louisville, Kentucky.
The first dish of Maryland crab cake is displayed during the media preview of the state dinner during the Wednesday visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee to the White House on April 24, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
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“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. Just add some Korean touches to it,” added Lee. “It’s not traditional Korean food, but it just gives you a little bit of Korean flavors.”
When asked which dish is her favorite, the first lady replied: “First. It’s like an American crab cake. But I love them all.” She predicted that a CEO who likes ice cream will be tempted by dessert.
“Joe’s favorite will be the last,” she said.
Guests will be seated at a variety of round tables covered with light blue silk tablecloths or oblong tables with turquoise plexiglass tops. Each table will be topped by a 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) central vase filled with blooming cherry sprigs, as well as smaller arrangements of pink orchids and peonies. Originating from Korea, azaleas will decorate the tables at the pre-dinner cocktail party.
Place settings and flowers are displayed during a media preview of the official dinner during the visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee to the White House on Wednesday, April 24, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
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Wednesday’s state dinner will be the second in the Biden administration. Biden’s first official dinner was held last December to honor America’s friendship with France.
The White House worked on the details with Jung Lee, the Korean-American founder and creative director of Fete, a New York-based design firm.