"What's the secret ingredient?" "It's dedication"... The Unexpected Dish That Captivated the UAE Royal Family

[Financial News] The story has emerged that the delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju as guests, became enamored with Stir-fried Kimchi and took some back to their home country.

According to the Busan hotel industry on the 3rd, Khaled bin Mohamed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, along with the UAE royal family and delegation, stayed at Ananti at Busan Cove during their visit to Korea. The Crown Prince was accommodated in the Presidential Suite, known as the largest guest room in the country, which spans an impressive 1,520 square meters (approximately 16,361 square feet).
Ananti at Busan Cove underwent several days of overnight negotiations with the counterpart, checking halal standards, conducting various hygiene inspections, and carrying out nine simulations and ten facility checks. After these preparations, the UAE delegation, who stayed at Ananti, particularly enjoyed the hotel's Stir-fried Kimchi among the Korean dishes. Jokingly, they asked the hotel staff, "What is the secret ingredient?" The staff reportedly replied, "A lot of heart."

The UAE delegation's love for Stir-fried Kimchi did not end there. They requested to take some back to their country, and the hotel responded by vacuum-packing a large quantity of Stir-fried Kimchi as a gift.
A representative from Ananti at Busan Cove stated, "All of our staff did their utmost, feeling that they were contributing to summit diplomacy." The representative added, "A total of 600 staff were involved in the Gyeongju and Busan events, with 80% coming from the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam region. Personnel, food ingredients, tableware, and equipment for supporting the APEC summit in Gyeongju were continuously transported from Busan."

In addition to Ananti at Busan Cove, hotels such as Signiel Busan and Park Hyatt Busan played a crucial role in alleviating the accommodation shortage during APEC. The Republic of the Philippines delegation stayed at Signiel Busan, while the Brunei Darussalam delegation was accommodated at Park Hyatt Busan.

Notably, Park Hyatt Busan operated all guest rooms from the 23rd to the 29th floor as exclusive areas for the Sultan and Prince of Brunei Darussalam and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Depending on the delegation’s schedule, some meals were delivered directly from Busan to Gyeongju, with a dedicated team meticulously managing meal quality and temperature. The hotel also provided a special dish, Samgye-tang made with halal-certified chicken.
The hotels reportedly worked hard to meet the many requests of diplomatic delegations in a short period. One hotel official explained, "While it's difficult to disclose specifics, there were many requests to set the temperature of summit guest rooms, bathroom water temperature, and water pressure to certain levels." The official added, "Many delegations even brought exclusive tableware, beds, and appliances from their home countries for the summit."
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter