WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER HONORING JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE and MRS. AKIE ABE

President and Mrs Obama hosted their eighth White House State Dinner this past Tuesday night , this time for Japan. I need to check and see if I have covered them all here on the k+b. This time with the added bliss of NEW WHITE HOUSE CHINA! ( and its not even my birthday. )


It is, or was - hopefully they are still there, cherry blossom time in DC, a long ago gift from the Japanese, the perfect time to welcome the Prime Minster and his wife.



Michele Obama chose this beautiful vibrant purple / violet gown by Japanese - American designer Tadashi Shoji

BEAUTIFUL FLOWING SKIRT

Earlier in the day both she and Mrs. Abe chose Monique Lhuillier for the welcoming ceremony

Mrs. Obama in a sunrise printed scuba coat and matching dress

THE SETTING

The dinner for only 200 was held in the East Room of the White House , not in an attached tent - more personal ( and smart for DC spring weather ) Sticking with the cherry blossom theme, " the windows of 1600 Pennsylvania were decorated with crystal curtains meant to embody both springtime rain and the fleeting beauty of the areas cherry blossoms"

 The blue of Hawaii ( more on that to come ) with the pink of the cherry blossoms and orchids 

 mixed up center pieces for different tables

I love the modern use of the mirror here, you have to get a couple hundred people in your dining room the tables are going to look a little crowded - but I think it is beautiful . The pop of the red chop stick, along with the multiple hues of the flowers brings the table to life.

THE NEW " OBAMA " WHITE HOUSE CHINA

 Tuesdays dinner was the debut of the new OBAMA WHITE HOUSE CHINA - 

 From the Washington Post : At Tuesday’s state dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the “good china” being used is finally the Obamas’ own.

The Obama state china service, 320 11-piece place settings made by Pickard China of Antioch, Ill., was introduced Monday at a packed media preview in the State Dining Room. So packed, in fact, there was concern in the crowd that some clumsy soul in the gaggle of TV cameras and pushy reporters might bump into the tables laden with dishes, delicate gold-rimmed stemware, and massive centerpieces of cherry blossoms and orchids.

The Obama china has been in the works for about a year. The $367,258 cost of the china, all 3,520 pieces, was paid for with private funds donated by the White House Historical Association’s White House Endowment Trust.

It joins a long line of gorgeous sets of china the first family has on hand, whether the glam Reagan red service made by Lenox or Lady Bird Johnson’s beloved state service depicting American flowers, designed by Tiffany & Co. and manufactured by Castleton China.

“The idea was to do a service that was representative of them and this moment in history, but it also needed to bridge between the other services so they could blend beautifully together,” said Michael S. Smith, the Obamas’ designer for the White House, who worked with Michelle Obama on the china. “We looked at the design collectively, rather than creating something that would only stand alone.”

According to William Allman, White House curator, the design gives a modern aesthetic to the china “while continuing to draw on historic and traditional elements.”

Smith said that he and the first lady spoke to the White House chefs and other staff about what shapes and sizes of plates and bowls would be welcome additions to the presidential china closet.

Meaningful references can be found throughout the settings. “Kailua Blue” appears on a number of the pieces, inspired by the bluish-green waters off Hawaii, the president’s home state. “We think it’s a color that food looks good on,” Smith said. There is also a bas-relief motif taken from an 1806 French dinner service used by James and Dolley Madison. The Obama china, Smith said, was designed to be flexible and coordinate well with the other state services for large gatherings.

 ( Full article )

It is hard to see in the photos, but the raised element design from the 1806 James and Dolly Madison French china is mimicked in the new Obama china.

I think it is very pretty and a lovely addition to the WHITE HOUSE CHINA COLLECTION



THE GUEST LIST
( all of them )

You can even watch them all walk in if you have an hour to kill.


THE FOOD

White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and Executive Pastry Chef Susan Morrison were joined by famed Japanese Chef Masaharu Morimoto who is on the Iron Chef and has a bunch of US restaurants. I am not sure where the custom of serving native foods to visiting heads of state started. I mean the Roosevelts gave the King and Queen of England hot dogs - this is a bit more classy .

Dinner Menu

Toro Tartare and Caesar Sashimi Salad
Smoked Salmon – Grilled Chicken – Koji

A little bit out there for sure - looks lovely on the new china. It is supposed to look like a gift - ready to be opened - lets go with it is a Japanese thing.

Vegetable Consommé En Croute and Shikai Maki
Bamboo Shoots – Wailea Hearts of Palm – Pineapple Tempura Cured Ham
Freeman Chardonnay “Ryo-fu” 2013

American Wagyu Beef Tenderloin
Spring Vegetables - Maui Onion Veal Jus Morlet Pinot Noir “Joli Coeur” 2010

( can't find pics of these online )
Silken Custard Cake
Kuromitsu Sauce – Fresh Fruit - Abekawa Mocha

A Sip of Tea
Matcha Strawberry Square – Sencha Tea Cup Tea and lemon Cakes – Sweet Tea Chocolates Iron Horse “Russian River Cuvee” 2007 

THE ENTERTAINMENT

Following the dinner, The White House will host a State Dinner Performance featuring members of the film adaptation of the hit jukebox musical, Jersey Boys where they will perform songs from the film. Jersey Boys recently won several top honors in Japan for Best Foreign Language Film. The cast includes Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza, and original Broadway Tony Award winner and member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, John Lloyd Young. They will be accompanied by Thomas Faragher. 

A PDF of the official WHITE HOUSE.GOV break down of the night
a good link