Friday 4 March 2016

A Wedding Dinner


Last weekend I was at a wedding dinner. Now that I have in my possession a smartphone, I am a fiend at dinners. This dinner was no different. I was at my worst behavior (forgetting relatives' names among others) hence the photos for this post.

The dinner was supposed to start at 7:00pm and we got there on time. But of course, as Chinese wedding dinners go, it never starts on schedule. I made sure I had an ample lunch and I was fine. But as the clock ticked, I started feeling hungry.


This is the very pretty wedding favor. Inside were 2 pieces of cake. 


This is the chocolate layered cake. I ate one because I was hungry.


Soon more appeared in front of me muahahaha... Then we were served some peanuts and this jelly.


I had one and checked the menu. Nope this does not look like it was listed.

The Master of Ceremony took to the stage and soon a slideshow of the bride and groom at various stages of their life was shown. This seems to be standard practice at weddings. 

Then the lights were dimmed and the first course was served. Click!


I half expected my partner to kick me under the table but he didn't. Maybe this helped. 

Minum. Red Wine.
Of course I did not take a shot of every component of the starter. The starter is always the highlight for me. I liked every one of those small bites.


Next up was the scallop soup. There, much better, a scallop soup instead of sharksfin soup without the sharksfin. I liked this soup. It was served in individual servings.


Ah! The suckling pig! It was glorious, this one. The skin was so crispy and the meat tender and delicious. 


I know you hate me for this. Please excuse me, I loved this a lot. My partner took a trotter for me.


Then I had another. I told you, I was at my worst behavior. Then I eyed the head. I would have loved to eat the head - the cheeks and ears would have been delectable. But no, it was not appropriate in polite company. So, I looked sadly as the waiter took it away.


I'm afraid the pomfret was not as fresh as it could be, but still this was rather good. I seldom get a chance to eat pomfret, so I enjoyed this very much with a good serving of the spring onions.


Most people would love these prawns. It was quite good but I had only one.


I find it a hassle to peel prawns and I don't like getting my hands dirty. 

Mid-way through the dinner, there was a toast to the couple. Yaaaaaaammmmmm.....seng! Everyone was on their feet hollering at the top of their voices and in mid-yam seng, my partner let out a deafening bellow. It was so loud and he did it twice.  I almost jumped out of my skin, both times >.<

Dinner resumed soon after.


Yes, our serving of vegetables. I like this dish very much but by then I was quite full. 


Our carbs was served last and it was a very fragrant ginger fried rice.


It came in a metal container nestled in a scalloped bowl. The waiter mixed the rice with the coriander and the smell was wonderful. 


I was full and yet I had two servings of this very fragrant and appetizing fried rice. Loved it! 


The herbal jelly with bird's nest was very refreshing. There was supposed to be another item, some pastries but that did not materialize. I suppose the jelly served earlier was the substitute. No complaints as we were all stuffed.

The bride and groom together with their immediate families made their rounds to yam seng at each table. There was one halal table for the Muslim guests. I was rather amused with the toast at that table. Instead of yam seng they did this - mii...mii...mii...mii...miiiiinuuuummmm! I thought that was so cute :D

There is another wedding coming up a little later in the year. That is something to looks forwards to!

42 comments:

  1. A nice write up post Phong Hong. Hubby and I prefer not to eat sharkfins anymore. Double boiled chicken soup also looks good to me too.

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    1. I think restaurants don't serve sharksfin anymore seeing that most people are against it.

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  2. I like the piglet too.. muahahaa

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  3. I like prawns, same as you, find it hassle, have to peel, then my hand will be dirty liao...

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    1. Ya lor, sometimes I avoid prawns altogether.

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  4. Now that you're in possession of a smartphone? Eh, what did you use to take photos previously then?

    First up, I'd be too embarrassed to take photos of food at wedding dinners, even at family dinners, so I don't. From the menu, this one looks like a pretty expensive wedding dinner judging from the type of dishes...hope you gave a big angpow...haha! :D

    I must hand it to you, PH. I've never seen people eating the legs, head and all of the suckling pig at wedding dinners. It's usually packed for those who want to take it hom to boil sourish vegetables....hehe! ;D As for the prawns, I think you were meant to have only-lah one coz I think there were probably only 10 on the plate ;) Glad that you enjoyed the wedding dinner and look forward to another one.

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    1. Previously, I used my point and shoot camera. So awkward and inconvenient.

      Usually I would not take pictures in the company of strangers but I don't know what happened to me that evening hah...hah... But I was too shy pulak to ask for the pig head >.<

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  5. I love that box the door gift came in, very very nice and that unique-shaped bowl for the fried rice.

    I guess when it said steamed with soy sauce, they meant light soy sauce. I like that...but the fish must be really very fresh. Here, when the fish is not fresh enough for steaming, they deep fry it and serve with sweet and sour sauce - they have one recipe, no tomato sauce...and it is very nice.

    I love suckling pig!!! Yum yummmm!!!! Dunno any place here that serves that though so I can only enjoy that if I go travelling, like to Kuching, for instance.

    Yes, I do wish people would make it a point to be punctual. Any dinner, like the school ones, that I was in charge of - I would just ask them to start serving on the dot - too bad if you could not be on time, you could just eat the leftovers. Once everyone knew my style, they were never ever late again. Really bad manners, poor social etiquette - kurang ajar. Knowing that there will be a jam, leave home early...or just RSVP, with regrets...instead of keeping everybody waiting.

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    1. Well, I like your style! I for one cannot tolerate people who are not punctual. At my wedding (if ever), I will insist on serving at 7pm. Sharp. Muahahaha....

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  6. Yummzz, I bet this dinner set not cheap..I see the word lobster, scallop, sea cucumber & suckling pig! Yeshhhh, love suckling pigs.. Lastime during my time, if got whole suckling pig pun already rm800+ per table.. I chose half suckling pig+half roast duck, hehe.. Oh ya, chinese wedding here, 8.30pm only the bride+groom walk in one wor hor..

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    1. I heard that the table is more than RM800++ and I hope the angpows will help to settle hee..hee... It has become a culture lah for the dinner to start late.

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  7. hahahaha miiiiii nuummmmm ya? So cute. :)

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  8. Can have a halal table within many non-halal tables? What about the kitchen - got a section for preparing non-halal food?

    I think you should have asked the waiter to tapao the head for you to go back home and gnaw at peacefully. :)

    If you wanted to, I am sure you can shout yam seng louder than your partner! ;p

    Too full for vegetable dish but can eat two servings of fried rice! Hahahaha, I know what is going on there.

    It is a long time since I have eaten at banquets like this. Sure can die at night after stuffing my face.

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    1. I don't know about the kitchen arrangement and I guess as long as no perk is served, it is acceptable.

      Nest time, I'll bring along a container for the pig head hah..hah..hah...

      Oh no, I tried raising my voice and I started coughing!

      I am never too full for a good fried rice :D

      I think most of us will stuff our faces at such events hee..hee..

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  9. Muahahahaha!! You are really like a stand up comedian! I cannot stop giggling at your greed and sadness to see the whole pig head being ushered away.

    I still love to eat sharkfins soup without sharkfins!

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  10. PH, you did it again! I felt like laughing when you expressed how you felt.. piglet taken away.. clicking and at the same time expecting your partner to kick you under the table.. and nearly jumped out of your skin about his deafening bellow... hahahaha.. cute!!

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  11. Wow new smartphone! So cool :D I need to get a new one myself, my old one broke. Which one did ya get?

    And wow the food looks so delish! I remember reading in another post that you really like the tofu skin vegetable dish, it seems very appetising. I like the red boxes with the cake in then, so pretty! Oh and the scallop soup is actually a brilliant idea. So much flavour and one doesn't need to feel guilty or have a bland soup either [with fake shark skin].

    I totally feel you about the part where you had to stop yourself from eating the pig head and had to see the waiter carry it away before your own eyes. This usually happens with me with chicken bones, I love chewing them and I usually don't do it when I'm outside with company..and I always look wistfully as they take it away XD

    Looking forward to the other wedding post this year :D BTW what was the cake like? The filling looks like custard or was it cream cheese?

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    1. Actually, the smartphone is 2 years old already hee..hee... It's a Microsoft Lumia, quite OK.

      Hey, I love chicken bones too! I will eat the cartilage and chew on the bones too. High 5!

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  12. very true.. all the invitation cards are stating dinner time at 7pm and printing clauses like "please be punctual, we don't entertain late-comers" but the dinner will never start before 8pm.. and with this mindset, everyone are competing to be the last one who will arrive, hahaha!! i really hate that, that is indeed a very bad and unwanted culture..

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    1. Yeah, it's a culture now and does not seem to be able to change :(

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  13. so you will only have a heavy lunch if you know you are going to attend a wedding dinner that night?? cheh, i thot you will have early dinner at home before you leave home for the dinner, hahaha.. no wonder you cannot resist eating the two pieces of cakes, and the other friends and relatives on the same table didn't mind "kuasa" theirs to you at all, haha.. BTW, that is actually a very nice door gift, i mean the box.. :p

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    1. I had a heavy lunch and that usually lasts me till dinner or can skip dinner. But have to save space also lah for the banquet. Yes, the door gift box is lovely.

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  14. so good you were served that plate of jelly (i guess must be osmanthus and wolfberry) before the dishes were served, usually there would be the most some peanuts to get you occupied if you felt awkward sitting with strangers on the same table.. not bad at all huh?? they moved the last dish to the first and impress you, quite smart actually.. :p

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    1. Yup, that's osmanthus and wolfberry. But it wasn't my favorite. They should have brought the peanuts out earlier.

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  15. so it's those standard dishes of a wedding dinner lah, i also always like the first one, usually named some "xxxx Fours Seasons xxx" or "xxxx Five Happiness xxxx", i can taste a bit of everything and probably because of the wait, we all get hungry and the first dish is always the best?? hahaha.. but i don't like the suckling pigs, i always skip this dish.. the next dishes i like would be the vegetable dish too.. love the broccoli and mushrooms and the toufu..

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    1. What? You don't like suckling pig? OK, I will sit next to you and eat your share hah..hah...

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  16. ginger rice?? this is something new.. usually this would be either fried rice or glutinous rice, which is often the dish which is least touched and most leftover, hahaha.. so you walloped two portions of this ginger rice?? must be very sedap i guess.. and finally the desserts, i never missed that because it makes a good ending to the whole dinner..

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    1. I super loved the ginger rice! Sangat-sangat sedap!

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  17. Phong Hong, you are always entertaining and I just love to read your posts. The ginger rice sounds very interesting. Overall, the dinner must have been a very scrumptious one.

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    1. Thanks, Nancy hah..hah... The dinner was very good. Wished I could eat more hah..hah...

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  18. hi phong hong, i love sukcling pig too as i dont get to eat these very often too. of course the skin part is the best..but i cant beat you..i dont know how to eat the head..LOL!

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  19. Hi Phong Hong,
    I have not been to wedding dinner for ages! The last one I went was for my niece's wedding, about 4-5 years ago! LOL!
    I love suckling pig. That fried rice with coriander, now that sounds good! I love broccoli, no matter how full I am, I can always eat an extra piece of broccoli! :)

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    1. Hi Joyce! Wedding dinners are expensive affairs for the guests too, must pack big ang pow! hah..hah..I love broccoli too but the fried rice won this time hah..hah..

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  20. Hi Phong Hong,
    Whenever I attend wedding, I would have some snacks knowing well most wedding dinners will not commence timely.
    All dishes look so good and yummy. I like vegetables.

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    1. Hi Karen! Having a snack is a good idea instead of starving while waiting for the food to be served.

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  21. So glad that I tracked back to this amazing wedding feast! Never been to such a feast like this with so much exotic food! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. This is how a typical Chinese wedding dinner looks like in Malaysia :)

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