Huang's culinary crusade sets off sales frenzy for fried chicken, 'HBM' chips

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's visit to Korea is generating an unexpected boom for the country's food and restaurant industry.

The global tech leader's voluntary culinary tour of Korea was shared in real time on social media, putting the restaurants and brands he visited at the center of attention.

Huang has even earned the nickname “meokjalal” among younger consumers, complimenting him with Korean slang for someone with excellent knowledge of food as they share his dining choices and destinations online.

His well-known fondness for chicken has proven particularly beneficial for the restaurant industry.

After meeting business leaders SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Naver founder Lee Hae-jin at a pork belly barbecue restaurant near Hongdae in Mapo District, western Seoul, on the first day of his visit, Huang and his entourage headed to a nearby chicken brand BBQ restaurant for a second round.

News that the group enjoyed BBQ’s signature Golden Olive Chicken menu item along with some beer helped boost the restaurant's sales by 20 percent compared to the previous weekend. The place has since become a popular destination for visitors seeking to take photos at a location associated with Huang.

Convenience stores and snack makers are also benefiting from what many are calling the “Jensen Huang effect.”

The product that generated the strongest response was 7-Eleven's "HBM" chips, a honey-and-banana-flavored snack jointly developed by SK hynix inspired by the in-demand semiconductor.

Sales over the weekend surged 704 percent from the previous week, after Huang was seen personally handing packs out to the public following the Hongdae gathering. Searches for the product on the 7-Eleven mobile app increased 160-fold, and the company is even considering making the item a permanent offering.

Binggrae's banana-flavored milk, another product Huang has publicly expressed fondness for, also saw increased demand.

Convenience stores near Hongdae received more than three times their usual supply of the drink, while nationwide sales at GS25 climbed 12 percent on year.

Other products Huang handed out as gifts to the public and reporters, including Paldo's Birak Sikhye, a sweet rice punch, Orion’s Choco Pie and Buchang Bakery's walnut cakes, have also attracted renewed attention on online communities.

Huang's group reportedly ordered Nutella-filled and cream cheese-filled bungeoppang (fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red beans), along with sets featuring misutgaru, a traditional mixed-grain beverage.

The Bungeoppang shop Pear Berry Banana, near the meeting venue, likewise benefited from large-group orders. Videos about the shop posted on social media generated 2.5 million views in a day and fueled interest in the broader Hongdae commercial district.

Food industry sources expect the trend to extend beyond a short-term boost in domestic spending and help drive future exports while creating new opportunities for indirect marketing abroad.

Huang arrived in Korea on Friday as part of efforts to deepen cooperation across the AI and technology industries. His visit involved meetings with major Korean business leaders and esports stars such as Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as Faker. He left Korea on Tuesday morning. 

BY KO SEUNG-PYO  [[email protected]]