During the 2025 APEC in Gyeongju, several dishes served to world leaders have been put on local hotel menus for the public. Hilton Gyeongju created a “Trump cheeseburger set” (no sauce, no bacon, extra ketchup) after U.S. President Donald Trump requested a well-done patty and no sauce or bacon; it’s now sold with fries, three Heinz ketchup packets and a cola. At Kolon Hotel, the beef ribs (using Gyeongju’s specialty ‘‘천년한우’ (a regional premium Korean beef) from virgin cows) and a seafood pajeon (Korean savory pancake) that President Xi Jinping tasted are being offered— the pajeon features abalone, scallops, large shrimp and octopus and uses a twice-aged batter for a crispy outside and tender inside. Sonocam Gyeongju’s “Wolmyeong cake” (a moon-shaped mousse with raspberry filling) and barley-based grain tea “bori gabae” served at the Korea-Canada state lunch are available at the hotel’s lounge. At Lahan Select Gyeongju, the room-service hit was yukhoe bibimbap (Korean raw beef mixed rice) and a quattro-cheese wood-fired pizza—framed as high-value, affordable options. Some other presidential-inspired items (like historic “President burgers”) are also sold in Korean hotels, turning exclusive state-menu items into dishes the public can now enjoy in Gyeongju.
