A spring-themed menu inspired by American and Japanese cuisine and decor evocative of a koi pond are all features of Wednesday night's White House state dinner honoring Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his wife.
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden are recognizing the long alliance between the United States and Japan with the rare, time-honored tradition of a state dinner that draws from the traditions of both countries.
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon, who counts both the first lady and the prime minister as fans, will be performing.
The theme and decor
The theme is "celebration of spring," a symbol meant to mirror the friendship between the two countries. A garden displays blooms native to both nations, including sweet peas, peonies and hydrangeas. Glass and silk butterflies appear on the dinner tables, too.
The starring element of the decor for the dinner is the floor, covered to make it appear as if guests are walking over a koi pond with lily pads and cherry blossoms. The colors green, blue and pink are central to the theme — green to represent the growth of friendship, blue to represent stability and security and pink to represent spring's essence.
The exquisite menu
Prepare your taste buds for an unforgettable culinary experience at the state dinner. The evening will kick off with a first course featuring succulent house-cured salmon, a refreshing salad of avocados, red grapefruit, watermelon radish, and cucumber, accompanied by delightful shiso leaf fritters.
For the main course, indulge in a tender dry-aged rib eye steak served with blistered shishito pepper butter, fava beans, morels, and cipollini, all topped off with a luscious sesame oil sabayon.
To conclude this gastronomic journey, savor the delectable dessert selection which includes salted caramel pistachio cake, a rich matcha ganache, and a delightful cherry ice cream drizzled with raspberry sauce.
Complementing the exquisite dishes, the evening's wines hail from the renowned regions of Oregon and Washington.
