At the heart of American diplomacy, inside the U.S. State Department headquarters, Korean food is quietly capturing the attention of employees' palates.
On April 16, the cafeteria at the Harry S. Truman Building in Washington buzzed with workers lining up for lunch. Officially named the Terence Todman Cafeteria after one of the department’s first Black ambassadors, who in the 1950s challenged workplace segregation, the dining hall today stands as a symbol of both progress and increasing culinary diversity.
The cafeteria serves a wide range of international fare, from Japanese and Vietnamese dishes to salad bars and hot buffets. But in recent months, none have matched the rising popularity of Korean cuisine.
The breakout favorite? Bibimbap, a vibrant rice bowl topped with assorted vegetables and a choice of tofu, spicy chicken, pork ribs, or bulgogi. At $10 to $15 — roughly 20 to 30 percent cheaper than many Korean restaurants in Washington — it has become a go-to option. Other staples, like jajangmyeon (black bean noodles) and soondubu jjigae (spicy soft tofu stew), also draw steady crowds. The snack counter reflects this trend, stocking items like Buldak ramyeon, caramel peanuts, and Homerun Ball pastries.
With about 8,000 employees and more than 10,000 daily visitors, the State Department has quickly placed Korean food among its top three most-ordered lunch options. In early 2025, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau attracted attention on social media when he shared his love for the cafeteria’s bulgogi, joking that he ate it every day. During his first call with South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, Landau also praised the cuisine.
Although an executive dining room is available on the eighth floor, Landau frequently joins staff in the main cafeteria for a Korean meal. “If he can’t make it down, his aides bring takeout,” said a cafeteria worker. Senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Kevin Kim, Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, are also regulars at the Korean food counter.
Behind this quiet shift in culinary diplomacy is Steve Choi, a 63-year-old Korean American food service entrepreneur. As president of ILC Food Service, Choi has overseen food operations at the State Department since the mid-2000s. An immigrant who arrived as a teenager, Choi started his institutional catering business in the 1990s and now manages cafeterias at federal agencies across Washington, including the White House Executive Office and the Library of Congress.
“When we first opened here 20 years ago, hardly anyone knew what Korean food was,” Choi said. “Now, seeing this level of enthusiasm, it’s clear how much Korea’s global standing has grown.”
The rising demand for Korean food coincides with the return-to-office orders issued for federal employees under the Trump administration, bringing more people to government cafeterias — and with them, a growing appetite for bibimbap and bulgogi.
