Tuesday, February 13, 1973, Dinner at Trader Vic's

Unreleased FEBRUARY 13, 1973 OFFICE OF THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY THE WHITE HOUSE REMARKS OF THE PRESIDENT OUTSIDE THE STATLER HILTON HOTEL QUESTION: Did you use chopsticks? THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yes, I used chopsticks throughout. QUESTION: How did it go? THE PRESIDENT: I am quite expert at it. You see, everybody has a different style, but I balance it on these three, and use it just like a pencil and you eat better than with a fork. QUESTION: Mr. President, are you celebrating the anniversary of your trip to China? THE PRESIDENT: I hadn't thought of that, but it is very close to that. QUESTION: What about Valentine's Day? THE PRESIDENT: No, as a matter of fact, what we were here for was to celebrate Valentine's Day because tomorrow is the 14th. It is possible we may not be able to be celebrating it tomorrow night, so we thought we would come here tonight. QUESTION: Why, do you have something on tomorrow night? THE PRESIDENT: Not yet. No, but I mean I think David and Julie are back, so we thought we would come here. I can only say without this being a commercial, it is a marvelous restaurant. I have never been here before. I have been to Trader Vic's in Oakland, the old one, the original one, and San Francisco, which, of course, is not original, but good, New York, but I think this one is as good as any I have ever been to. We went up to the kitchen afterwards and met the people, and it was really quite heartwarming to us. It is just like a Chinese restaurant you would expect. There were, of course, a number of Chinese, some from Taipei, one from Shanghai, another one from Hangchow, but there was also a Vietnamese in there, a Saigonese, and about three Cubans. So it is really an international restaurant in every sense of the word. QUESTION: What was your favorite dish, Mr. President? MORE