WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama’s 12th state dinner is being held Tuesday night for the prime minister of Singapore, a city-state Obama refers to as an anchor for the U.S. presence in Southeast Asia.
The black-tie dinner in honor of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ho Ching, marks the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between the U.S. and Singapore, an island nation of about 5.7 million people. The allies share close economic and security ties, with more than 3,500 U.S. companies having a presence in Singapore. Singapore was the first Southeast Asian country to join in the fight against the Islamic State group. Both countries also signed onto last year’s Paris climate agreement.
Dinner will open with Maryland blue crab salad tossed in an Asian citrus curd and rimmed with slivered baby cucumbers. The salad course will showcase heirloom tomatoes from Ohio paired with lime basil from Michelle Obama’s garden, as well as mangoes, cucumbers, green papayas and soursop sorbet.
American Wagyu beef dressed with roasted yams, wilted kale and heirloom carrots will anchor the main course for some 200 guests seated at round tables in the East Room.
Dessert is peach sangria cake accented with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, a citrus fruit native to Asia, and dressed with White House honey. Pastry chef Susie Morrison also showed off the handmade, spun-sugar orchids and roses she prepared for each table.
California and New York red, white and sparkling wines will be served.
Floral arrangements for the dinner will consist of yellow orchids, yellow roses and other yellow flowers. The color symbolizes the friendship between the two countries.
After dinner, R&B and soul singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele is scheduled to entertain guests, generally a mix of Washington officials and celebrities with some ties to the guests of honor. The White House will release the list later Tuesday.
The last state dinner at the White House for Singapore occurred in October 1985, during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, for Lee’s late father, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.