But he will still see plenty of evidence of American and Japanese cultural solidarity — and plenty of flowers — on the tables Wednesday at the White House state dinner held in his honor and that of his wife, Yuko Kishida.
The White House on Tuesday held a preview of the food and decor that will greet guests at Wednesday’s party, which first lady Jill Biden promised would be “meaningful and memorable.” Guests dining under the two countries’ silk butterflies are expected to understand the subtext: “As our nations sail the winds of change, we do so together as partners in peace and prosperity,” Biden said .
The Bidens’ state dinner style is now well established (this week is their fifth such black-tie gathering): menus typically highlight American produce and produce while incorporating elements of the guests’ cuisine in visit for a stylish mashup. Beef occupies an important place. (And yes, there’s always ice cream, the dessert with which the president has had a decades-long love affair.)
One dish from Wednesday’s dinner that embodies this approach is the appetizer, which White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford said was inspired by a California roll — a menu item you’ll find at most restaurants in sushi in the United States and is widely considered to have been invented by the Japanese. Golden State Chiefs. “It’s been a wonderful innovation from both countries, culinary-wise,” Comerford said of the “iconic” roll. The starter salad features house-made salmon served with crispy watermelon radish, grapefruit, avocado and cucumber, topped with a tempura-fried shiso leaf, a mint-adjacent herb with citrus notes that is often used to garnish sushi.
The homages to Japanese cuisine continue in the main course, a rib-eye steak accompanied by butter flavored with an ingredient often seen on Japanese and American menus: blistered shishito peppers. The accompanying fricassee of spring morels and broad beans will be served with sesame oil zabaglione, an intriguing-sounding sauce that marries the Asian flavor of sesame with a classic French preparation typically found in desserts .
And it wouldn’t be a Biden affair without a scoop to end the meal, although the dessert—a pistachio and salted caramel cake served with Bing cherry ice cream—is full of elegance and Japanese influence, thanks to a ganache flavored with matcha, the green tea powder that has become trendy in recent years among American drinkers (just ask for one at Starbucks). Pastry chef Susie Morrison said the cherry was meant to evoke the flowers that surround our tidal pool each spring (although we’d quibble that they’re actually non-fruiting varieties).
The White House chose to forgo its tradition of inviting a guest chef to assist the regular kitchen team, a practice it continued after the Obamas successfully used it to add even more power to the dinners of state. “Iron Chef” and Japan native Masaharu Morimoto helped out the last time the White House hosted a Japanese leader, when the Obamas feted then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Decor for the dinner, which will take place in the State Dining Room on George W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson china, will feature Japanese motifs of fans and koi fish, as well as 6-foot-tall hydrangeas. top originating from the United States. The United States and Japan, all designed to dazzle. Further proof that we pull out all the stops: after-dinner entertainment is provided by legendary musician Paul Simon.
There’s no sake on the menu, but the wines — a chardonnay from Lingua Franca Winery in the Willamette Valley, a Long Shadows Pirouette red blend from the Columbia Valley and a sparkling rosé from Argyle in the Willamette — all come from the Pacific. Northwest, a region with a large Japanese-American population.
Avocado, red grapefruit, watermelon radish, cucumbers
Blistered Shishito Pepper Butter
Fricassee of beans, morels and cipollini
Pistachio and salted caramel cake
Lingua Franca Bunker Hill Chardonnay 2021, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Long Shadow Pirouette 2019, Columbia Valley, Washington
Argyle Vintage Brut Rosé 2020, Willamette Valley, Oregon
