Celebrity chef blends Korean and French flavors in six-course menu for visiting French president

Chef Son Jong-won, known for his appearance on Netflix’s “Culinary Class Wars 2” and as the only chef in Korea to oversee two one-Michelin-starred restaurants across Korean and Western cuisine, led a state banquet hosted by President Lee Jae Myung for French President Emmanuel Macron at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday.

The six-course menu, curated by Son, blended Korean ingredients with French culinary techniques, with each dish reflecting themes of welcome, exchange and friendship, the presidential office explained.

President Lee Jae Myung (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung and Brigitte Macron, listen as chef Son Jong-won introduces the menu during the state banquet at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae)
President Lee Jae Myung (right) and French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung and Brigitte Macron, listen as chef Son Jong-won introduces the menu during the state banquet at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae)
French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and wife Brigitte Macron attend the state banquet at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae)
French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and wife Brigitte Macron attend the state banquet at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae)
President Lee Jae Myung (left) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung converse with French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae)
President Lee Jae Myung (left) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung converse with French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae)

Among the menu items was a roulade inspired by the Korean chicken soup samgyetang, while the main dish featured thinly sliced Korean beef sirloin layered, grilled and served with abalone. Son personally served the main course and explained its concept to guests.

The meal was paired with a selection of French white and red wines, along with traditional Korean liquor. Dessert, a sweet potato mousse-filled buckwheat crepe, was presented in a traditional mother-of-pearl box.

The presidential office also prepared gifts for the French delegation. Welcome items placed at the leaders’ accommodation included baked creations made by members of South Korea’s national baking team, who won the 2026 Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris. For Macron, a modern reinterpretation of a “banhwa,” a jeweled decorative piece originally gifted by King Gojong to a French president in 1886, was presented. Brigitte Macron received a set of Korean porcelain tableware.

Gift items prepared for French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to South Korea are displayed, including baked creations by Korea’s national baking team (left), a reinterpretation of a historical “banhwa” (center), and a set of Korean porcelain tableware (right). (Cheong Wa Dae via Yonhap)
Gift items prepared for French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to South Korea are displayed, including baked creations by Korea’s national baking team (left), a reinterpretation of a historical “banhwa” (center), and a set of Korean porcelain tableware (right). (Cheong Wa Dae via Yonhap)

Brigitte Macron (far left), French President Emmanuel Macron (center left), President Lee Jae Myung (center right) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung (far right) pose for a photo during the state banquet at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae via Yonhap)
Brigitte Macron (far left), French President Emmanuel Macron (center left), President Lee Jae Myung (center right) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung (far right) pose for a photo during the state banquet at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae via Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron embrace as they bid farewell after the state banquet at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae via Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron embrace as they bid farewell after the state banquet at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. (Cheong Wa Dae via Yonhap)

The visit marks the first trip to South Korea by a French president in 11 years, as the two countries mark 140 years of diplomatic relations. The two leaders are scheduled to hold a summit later today.

President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung and French President Emmanuel Macron inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung greets members of the French delegation during the official welcoming ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung greets members of the French delegation during the official welcoming ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Friday. (Yonhap)

tammy@heraldcorp.com