Jensen Huang's impromptu after-dinner call: BBQ chicken over karaoke, with Chey, Koo and Lee in tow

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang talks with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin at the BBQ Hongdae branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Yonhap]

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang capped a dinner with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin with an unplanned second stop — a Korean fried chicken chain.

The group had just finished a meal of samgyeopsal, or grilled pork belly, washed down with soju-beer cocktails at "Hyeongnim Jeoyo," a pork restaurant near Hongik University Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday.

The after-dinner venue was the BBQ Hongdae branch — a last-minute change of plans. The group had been expected to head to a nearby noraebang, or karaoke bar, but switched destinations along the way.

Genesis BBQ, the chain's parent company, had not been notified of the visit in advance. BBQ CEO Park Ji-man was later spotted personally checking on the area where Huang and the business leaders were seated.

The group ordered the chain's signature Golden Olive Chicken, draft beer, canned Cass beer and cola.

The Hongdae branch opened in July last year and spans roughly 40 pyeong (about 132 square meters). It reportedly generates monthly sales of 200 million to 300 million won (about $196,000).

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and his wife Lori Huang talk with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin at the BBQ Hongdae branch in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Yonhap]

Jensen Huang's love of Korean fried chicken

Huang has made no secret of his affection for Korean-style fried chicken.

In late October last year, he held what became known as the "Kkanbu meeting" — a gathering at Kkanbu Chicken in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul — alongside Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and other top Korean business leaders.

At a subsequent event marking the 25th anniversary of Nvidia's GeForce graphics cards in Korea, held at COEX in Gangnam, Huang said: "I don't know why Korean fried chicken is the best in the world, but Korean fried chicken is the best in the world."

His fondness for Korean fried chicken extends to the United States, where he regularly mentions 99 Chicken, a Korean-style pub and chicken spot in Santa Clara, California, as one of his go-to haunts.

The restaurant describes itself as having "developed a uniquely Korean flavor profile" and staying true to its original recipe — frying every piece twice before hand-coating it in a house sauce.

The business got its start in San Francisco. The name "99" comes from the Korean onomatopoeia for a rooster's crow, "gugu."

ygmoon@heraldcorp.com