Crabcakes, ribs, banana splits for South Korea state dinner at the White House

Crabcakes, beef short ribs and deconstructed banana splits are White House picks this week state dinner I salute the 70-year relationship between South Korea and the United States.

first lady Jill Biden Her team previewed the menu and decor on Monday.

Biden said her mother taught her that setting the table could be an “act of love” and that her husband, President Joe Biden, taught her that “all politics is personal.”

The First Lady said of President Yoon Suk-yeol, “We want to celebrate our 70-year alliance with a moment of symbolism and beauty that reflects our two countries, and we want to bring these two ideas together as we welcome the President and Mrs. Kim.” and Mrs. Kim Kuni.

About 200 guests are expected for Wednesday’s glamorous formal dinner in the East Room, the largest room in the Executive Mansion. Guests move down the hallway into the State Dining Room where, after dinner, they’ll be treated to a treat by three Broadway stars Norm Her Luis, Lea Salonga, and Jessica Bossk.

Jill Biden joins Korean-American celebrity chef Edward Lee To add his special flair to the diet. Lee’s specialty is a fusion of American and Korean cuisine.

“Chef Lee creates meals that are both familiar and surprising,” she said. “A fusion of different worlds that finds the perfect balance.”

The crab cake appetizer features Lee’s latest coleslaw of cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel and cucumber topped with a vinaigrette made using gochujang, red pepper paste and a small bowl of yellow pumpkin soup. The main course is braised beef short ribs topped with sorghum-crusted carrots on chunks of grits made from butter beans instead of dried corn.

Dessert is a deconstructed American classic banana split with lemon bar ice cream, caramelized bananas, fresh berries and a mint ginger snap cookie crumble.

“We really wanted to create something fresh for spring,” said Lee, who was born in Brooklyn, New York and has a home in Louisville, Kentucky.

“I wanted to tweak my favorite American dish a little bit, and this is also how I cook it at my restaurant. Add a little Korean touch to it,” Lee added. It’s not Korean food, but it gives you a little taste of Korea.”

When asked which dish she liked best, the First Lady replied, “First dish. Very American. Crabcakes. But I love them all.” She predicted that a president who liked ice cream would lean towards dessert.

“Joe’s favorite will be last,” she said.

Guests are seated at round tables covered with light blue silk cloth or rectangular tables with teal plexiglass tops. All tables are lined with 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) vase centerpieces filled with cherry blossom branches in full bloom, along with small arrangements of pink orchids and peonies. Azaleas, native to Korea, adorn the table at his pre-dinner cocktail reception.

Wednesday’s state dinner will be the second for the Biden administration. Biden’s first state dinner was held last December to celebrate the friendship between the United States and France.

The White House worked in detail with Jung Lee, the Korean-American founder and creative director of New York-based design firm Fete.