AFP |
From “El Trumpo” and “Rocket Man” tacos to the “Bromance” cocktail, restaurants and bars in food-crazy Singapore are rolling out weird and wonderful creations to mark the approaching US-North Korea summit.
The affluent city-state prides itself on its buzzing culinary scene, and every type of outlet imaginable is jumping on the bandwagon ahead of Tuesday’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and the North’s Kim Jong Un.
Hopheads, a bar near the famous Orchard Road shopping street, is offering the “Bromance”, a mix of beer, tequila, diet Coke and Korean liquor soju.
At Mexican restaurant Lucha Loco, customers can get stuck into an El Trumpo, a version of a taco that includes a beef patty and pickles.
It is complemented by the Rocket Man, a taco stuffed with Korean fried chicken and pickled radish — a nod to the derogatory term that Trump has used to refer to Kim. The US leader famously loves burgers, and several restaurants have come up with fusion versions of the classic American fast-food.
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These typically feature a beef patty topped with kimchi, a Korean staple of spicy and pickled cabbage. Italian fine dining restaurant Sinfonia, where dinners start at Sg$138 ($100) ahead, has focused more on the refined tastes of luxury-loving Kim.
The eatery’s special summit menu R.B.W. — which stands for red, blue and white, and refers to the colours of both the US and North Korean flags — features high-quality Japanese beef and caviar, both reportedly favourites of Kim.
Even local favourite nasi lemak, a chilli-infused rice dish traditionally eaten at breakfast, is getting a summit makeover with one restaurant coming up with a version that features kimchi.
And in the home of the “Singapore Sling” cocktail, local bartenders are proving they can also rise to the occasion. Hopheads, a bar near the famous Orchard Road shopping street, is offering the “Bromance”, a mix of beer, tequila, diet Coke and Korean liquor soju.
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The “Trump”, a blue, bourbon-based cocktail, and the “Kim”, a red, soju-based drink, are on sale at watering hole Escobar for Sg$12.60 each, a reference to the summit’s June 12 date.
Lucha Loco also has a special offer for those seeking to vent their frustration as Singapore goes into lock-down before the summit.
Customers who buy their special tacos this weekend will get a chance to batter Trump and Kim pinatas, a twist on the classic Mexican game where blindfolded children smash open decorated models filled with toys or sweets.
“We’re just here to have a bit of fun, and to be a part of this historic summit in Singapore,” restaurant co-owner Julian Tan told AFP.
© Agence France-Presse