SEOUL-
The owner of a tiny market restaurant in South Korean capital Seoul says business is booming after US Secretary of State John Kerry was seen eating a spicy local delicacy there last week, it’s been reported.
The top US diplomat made a surprise call at the 12-seater eatery after talks with President Park Geun-hye in South Korea’s capital. Since then, the restaurant has been crowded with customers, the owner says.
“I came here for a taste after I heard that Kerry stopped by,” one customer says. In fact, it’s been so packed the cafe has had to install extra seating outside, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reports. Kerry paid 6,000 won (£3.35) for tteokbokki, a rice cake with chilli sauce, apparently his first taste of the popular Korean snack.
The owner said she wasn’t sure if Kerry enjoyed tteokbokki’s acquired taste, but was impressed by his staying power. “He must enjoy eating spicy food because he didn’t even have a glass of water,” she says.
