Oh boy, is this the worst cultural research ever missed by a chef preparing for guests? I wonder who approved the menu and decor for the evening…
JERUSALEM — There aren’t that many cultures where putting a shoe on the dining room table is acceptable behavior, but for the Japanese there is clear etiquette against allowing outdoor shoes inside.
That might explain the furor following a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie Abe, to Israel last week.
After a day of high-level meetings on May 2, the Japanese leader was treated to a festive meal at the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu. It was their second time in Israel, and the visiting couple were served a top-notch meal by celebrity Israeli chef Segev Moshe.
But then came dessert. A selection of delectable chocolate pralines — artistically arranged inside a shiny leather shoe…
“This is a high-quality piece of art made of cast metal in the shape of a shoe; it is not a real shoe,” said the chef in a statement.
Read more on the Washington Post: Netanyahu puts wrong foot forward by serving Japan’s Abe dessert in a shoe