Bingsu (left) or cendol?
SINGAPORE: United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un feasted on a nine-course meal that appears to marry Eastern and Western influences to mirror the landmark meeting between the two men.
The lunch menu for the US and North Korea delegations, issued by the White House, featured a prawn cocktail, mango kerabu - a Malay salad - and oiseon, or Korean stuffed cucumbers - and those were just for starters.
For the main course, the two leaders and their teams were served beef short-rib confit, for a Western taste.
Then for the Asian influence, sweet and sour pork with fried rice, as well as a popular Korean dish daegu jorim, or soya-braised codfish.
Here is the full menu:
STARTERS
Traditional prawn cocktail served with avocado salad
Green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and fresh octopus
Oiseon - Korean stuffed cucumbers
MAIN
Beef short-rib confit served with potato dauphinois and steamed broccolini, red wine sauce on the side
Combination of sweet and sour crispy pork with yangzhou fried rice and homemade XO chilli sauce
Daegu jorim - soya-braised codfish with radish and Asian vegetables
DESSERT
Dark chocolate tartlet ganache
Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream with cherry coulis
Tropezienne (brioche pastry with cream in the middle)
Singaporean chefs commented that the menu was a mix of Asian and American, except the desserts which were Western.
Some wished more local food, such as cendol, was represented.
Singaporean chef-owner Pang Kok Keong of local patisserie Antoinette said the menu seems like “a mish-mash of French, Chinese and Korean”, adding that he did not see much of the US in it.
He found the choice of the desserts unusual, such as the Haagen-Dazs ice cream and the French tropezienne. “I love it (the tropezienne), but I’m not sure about its significance in this menu.”
Wild Rocket chef Willin Low said it was "quite a diplomatic choice of courses, with Western and Korean dishes in the first two courses so that no one would be embarrassed with food they are not comfortable with".
"I'm sure the food preferences of the leaders were also taken into consideration," he added. "I am happy to see a kerabu on the menu but wish there was more Singaporean representation. Perhaps a modern version of cendol could have been a great Singaporean sweet ending to the summit."
Chef Petrina Loh, who runs fusion restaurant Morsels, said it was a "safe" menu.
"It's pretty straightforward, not overthinking things. Both parties have something identifiable from their culture and a mid-ground Asian and Chinese influence."
Like chef Pang, however, she questioned the choice of the desserts, especially the Haagen-Dazs ice cream, and wondered why a Korean dessert had not been included.
Pastry chef Janice Wong of 2am:dessert bar called it “a very creative menu showcasing the flavours of three cultures and heritage”. - The Straits Times/ANN
