During a state visit to Vietnam from April 21 to April 24, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his wife Kim Hae Kyung had a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter. Here, the South Korean President and his wife experienced a series of familiar Vietnamese dishes in daily life.
After visiting and visiting souvenir shops, the President and his wife stopped at a restaurant on Dinh Liet street to have dinner.
The President and his wife enjoy cooked pho and fried rice with beef pickles. The pho bowl has stewed beef for many hours, served with pho noodles, onions and herbs; cilantro is kept separate to suit the taste of most Koreans.
Throughout the meal, the South Korean President repeatedly nodded in satisfaction, adding fresh chili and lemon to his taste, and enjoyed the full bowl of pho. After that, he continued to eat grilled rice with pickled beef - a dish that combines pickled mustard greens and fresh beef, which is popular with many foreign tourists.
At the end of dinner, President Lee Jae Myung shared: "I heard that in Vietnam, it is difficult to be disappointed at any restaurant and that is indeed true.
This comment quickly attracted attention, reflecting his positive experience with Vietnamese cuisine.
Leaving the restaurant, the two guests continued to stroll and enjoy Thuy Ta ice cream - a long-standing street specialty of Hanoi. Here, they enjoyed traditional ice creams and enjoyed the atmosphere of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Next, on the journey to explore the ancient town, the delegation stopped at a skewered grilled meat stall on To Tich street. Although the stall had just finished the first batch of meat at that time, the delegation was still waiting for the owner to grill more to enjoy. The image of President Lee Jae Myung kindly giving skewers to his wife to enjoy together made a strong impression on the surrounding people. Besides, he also ordered more sugarcane juice and drank it on the spot - a very "street" experience.
After enjoying hot dishes, the delegation continued to visit a fruit stall to try durian - a typical fruit of Vietnam. The President and his wife used spoons to eat directly, and invited assistants to enjoy together.
In addition, the President also bought durian to invite the whole delegation to accompany. Although the shop owner offered to give it away for free, the wife still actively paid.
Throughout the street stroll, the President and his wife also continuously interacted with the people. When greeted in Korean such as "Annyeonghaseyo" or "Welcome to Vietnam", the two guests responded in Vietnamese "Xin chào" (Hello), shook hands and clapped hands, creating a close and friendly atmosphere.
The culinary experiences of the Korean President from pho, fried rice to ice cream, grilled skewers, sugarcane juice, durian... not only reflect the richness of Vietnamese cuisine but also show the appeal of simple dishes. Through this, the image of Vietnam appears as a friendly destination, with many delicious dishes as President Lee Jae Myung himself commented.
