Reheasal Luncheon Menu help

[Gypsy]

I know I know... I do these things too early. But what can I say, I'm a planner.

I got a budget from FMIL with which to plan the reheasal dinner and I've cleared my favorite chinese restuarant with FI and reserved the date with them. Plus I already bargained for some free extras.

Problem is that I LOVE EVERYTHING there. We've been going there for 15 years. And it's just fabulous. So picking a menu is difficult. Plus its complicated by the fact that John and I eat really 'wierd' chinese food, not just 'american' chinese food, and I need to feed a crowd. Which is why we picked THIS chinese restuarant, it's very upscale and the dishes are very american friendly while staying true to their heritage. The place where we get the "weird" food is more a family mom and pop place... so not appropriate.

SO...

Here are the already decided entrees.

Honey Walnut prawns. My favorite.
Prawns crispy sauteed in a tangy white cream sauce with honey glazed walnuts.
GENERAL TSOU'S CHICKEN John's favorite.
Browned chunky chicken pan fried in chef's special garlic sauce.
Veggie Chow Mein-- BORING, I'd MUCH rather do the singapore noodles, but this one is something EVERYONE will eat. Including the vegetarians.

Here are what I'm THINKING of getting:

Appetizers:
CRABMEAT PUFF
Wrapped fillings of crabmeat and cheese, deep fried to create a delectable appetizer.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Potstickers



Here's what I can't decide:

ONE of the below MEAT dishes:

Beef with Asparagus -- Delicious but not sure about aspargus for a crowd of 30. Honestly though I think it would be like 8 people who weren't okay with it, and they could eat something else

Beef with Black Mushrooms. Delicious but has mushooms and some people don't like them. Probably the same eight that don't eat asparagus...lol.

Yu Shiang Pork--
Slices of lean pork in brown ginger garlic sauce with sliced zucchini -- Ditto, it's got zucchini.

Szechuan Beef-- like Yu Shang Pork but slightly spicier and a little less sweetness to the sauce.

One of these two VEGGIE dishes:

Szechuan Green Beans (slightly spicy and FABULOUS)
Yu Shang Eggplant (SO yummy, sweet and spicy and garlicy in brown sauce)

And then I need to pick one of these as well:

Either a Won Ton Soup as another course
Or thier peking spare ribs as another course
OR their Mu Shu Chicken as another course



So... can you all vote for a meat dish, a veggie dish and an extra course dish and help me out??

 

[violet02]

First of all... rehearsal lunch! Great idea. I''m doing a dinner and the prices SUCK! I''d love to do a lunch instead...

I''d personally pick the beef with mushrooms because I love them but I think this may be more popular,
Szechuan Beef, with no Zucchini maybe. It really depends on how spicey it is too since some folks don''t like that. Although I''d totally go for the Szechuan Green Beans... hrm, maybe too much szechuan.

Definitely the peking spareribs, yum!

 

[neatfreak]

It ALL sounds delicious!!!! I want to come!

My choices if I had to choose would be:

Beef/mushrooms or Szechuan beef and the green beans.

And I love me a spare rib, so that is my vote for the other course.

YUMMY.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 9:58:23 PM
Author: violet02
First of all... rehearsal lunch! Great idea. I'm doing a dinner and the prices SUCK! I'd love to do a lunch instead...

Violet, the banquet menu prices are actually the same here for lunch at dinner. But they are throwing in some freebees (all my soft drinks and some other things) because its a lunch. I'm paying 25 a head! So I'm just happy as a clam.


So I can't take credit for the lunch thing as it's a direct result of our Ten Thirty AM rehearsal time.

Callie... Bring that sapphire with you, let me wear it as my something blue and I'll feed you, I promise. *SNORT*

 

[Courtneylub]

I vote the beef with aspargus and the green beans This sounds so yummy!!!

 

[basil]

I''m not a picky eater, so this is complete personal preference.

I like the beef with asparagus or the beef with black mushrooms, just cause I like beef better than pork, and I would probably choose the mushrooms over the asparagus, but both sound good. Do you think people will really be so picky as to not be able to pick around the veggie they don''t like? I mean, I don''t care for broccoli, but I''ve eaten beef with broccoli a hundred times before, just not the broccoli pieces themselves.

I''d choose the green beans cause I love Chinese green beans.

And I''d pick the Wonton soup, cause I think having a soup course is a bit different than having another entree choice. But I''d choose hot and sour soup over wonton soup, if I could.

In any case, I''m jealous of the availability of a good authentic Chinese restaurant where you live. We tried the one near our venue, and it was very typical mediocre American-Chinese. And we decided our guests coming from Taiwan would probably not appreciate mediocre American-Chinese all that much

I''d be like if I went there and they served Burger King!

 

[violet02]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:02:27 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/9/2008 9:58:23 PM
Author: violet02
First of all... rehearsal lunch! Great idea. I''m doing a dinner and the prices SUCK! I''d love to do a lunch instead...

Violet, the banquet menu prices are actually the same here for lunch at dinner. But they are throwing in some freebees (all my soft drinks and some other things) because its a lunch. I''m paying 25 a head! So I''m just happy as a clam.


So I can''t take credit for the lunch thing as it''s a direct result of our Ten Thirty AM rehearsal time.

Callie... Bring that sapphire with you, let me wear it as my something blue and I''ll feed you, I promise. *SNORT*

25 bucks a head is fantastic!

 

[bling addict]

It all sounds so yummy!
I would pick Szechuan Beef, Szechuan Beans, Peking Ribs -- I''m not a soup person and don''t know what Mu Shu Chicken is or tastes like, I''ve been to a few large (lots of ppl) chinese dinners and soup is often served, but I just pass on it, but it usually seems like everyone else enjoys the soup.
If you didn''t want to do two Szechuans, I would probably pick Beef and Black Mushrooms (I don''t eat mushrooms, but I would still eat this dish and avoid the mushrooms, and I think mushrooms might be more popular with people than asparagus).

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:03:47 PM
Author: basil


In any case, I''m jealous of the availability of a good authentic Chinese restaurant where you live. We tried the one near our venue, and it was very typical mediocre American-Chinese. And we decided our guests coming from Taiwan would probably not appreciate mediocre American-Chinese all that much

I''d be like if I went there and they served Burger King!

Yeah. Buger king is a good analogy. I live in the San Fran Bay area... so ANY kind of authentic and INCREDIBLE asian food is pretty easy to find to be honest. Which is one of the reasons we LOVE it here in terms of FOOD. We eat it all.

I doubt you can even get asian food as good as we get out here in the BURBS of San Fran and San Jose in MANHATTAN. Certainly not as affordably. We''re very lucky in that respect.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:04:20 PM
Author: violet02

Date: 4/9/2008 10:02:27 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/9/2008 9:58:23 PM
Author: violet02
First of all... rehearsal lunch! Great idea. I'm doing a dinner and the prices SUCK! I'd love to do a lunch instead...

Violet, the banquet menu prices are actually the same here for lunch at dinner. But they are throwing in some freebees (all my soft drinks and some other things) because its a lunch. I'm paying 25 a head! So I'm just happy as a clam.


So I can't take credit for the lunch thing as it's a direct result of our Ten Thirty AM rehearsal time.

Callie... Bring that sapphire with you, let me wear it as my something blue and I'll feed you, I promise. *SNORT*

25 bucks a head is fantastic!

I KNOW! I had three options ready, depending on her budget. So when she told me 1000 for 30 people for food. I was like CHINESE. We're having chinese everyone!!

So far geen beans are kicking butt.

Spare ribs have a strong showing.

Beef dishes over Pork. Mushrooms over the asparagus, but only by a slim margin.

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I know what you mean about American Chinese, I have had no luck finding good baozi stateside.
Love the appatizers, but then dim sum is my favorite.
Anyway, to your dilema:
Beef with black mushrooms-Since neither of the decided on dishes are beef, that would be my recommendation. I know a lot of people who have trouble digesting asperagus so I would think not many would eat that. I cation on anything Szechuan peper flavored since it isn''t spicy at first but builds, so someone can easily get more than they bargined for.

Yu Shang Eggplant-no reason, I just think it sounds better

I am torn between the wanton soup and the mu shu chicken. I LOVE both, but since a lot of these seem heavy, something lighter like the soup might not be a bad idea. Although, housin sauce is heavenly and it is a lot of fun to eat mu shu. I guess I am not much help. Peking sauce is good, but is really better on duck where the skin can get so crisp, otherwise it is ok, but not as good as the other two options.

Can I come?

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:13:39 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
I know what you mean about American Chinese, I have had no luck finding good baozi stateside.
Love the appatizers, but then dim sum is my favorite.
Anyway, to your dilema:
Beef with black mushrooms-Since neither of the decided on dishes are beef, that would be my recommendation. I know a lot of people who have trouble digesting asperagus so I would think not many would eat that. I cation on anything Szechuan peper flavored since it isn't spicy at first but builds, so someone can easily get more than they bargined for.

Yu Shang Eggplant-no reason, I just think it sounds better

I am torn between the wanton soup and the mu shu chicken. I LOVE both, but since a lot of these seem heavy, something lighter like the soup might not be a bad idea. Although, housin sauce is heavenly and it is a lot of fun to eat mu shu. I guess I am not much help. Peking sauce is good, but is really better on duck where the skin can get so crisp, otherwise it is ok, but not as good as the other two options.

Can I come?

Well, of course you are welcome to come on THE DAY BEFORE YOUR OWN WEDDING, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. LOL.

I LOVE dim sum too. They actually offered us fabulous Duck for the appetizer, but I had to turn it down as NO ONE but John and me would be likely to eat it.

They make their own sauce for Mu Shu, I don't recall what it is as honestly I rarely order it there, though its fabulous, because there are SO many other things there that I like more. Lke the duck. LOL. I THINK it's a plum-ey hoisin.

Mmm....baozi filled with a sweet (lotus or black bean) paste. You should come out here... we have some LOVELY stuff.

 

[basil]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:07:39 PM
Author: Gypsy

Yeah. Buger king is a good analogy. I live in the San Fran Bay area... so ANY kind of authentic and INCREDIBLE asian food is pretty easy to find to be honest. Which is one of the reasons we LOVE it here in terms of FOOD. We eat it all.


I doubt you can even get asian food as good as we get out here in the BURBS of San Fran and San Jose in MANHATTAN. Certainly not as affordably. We''re very lucky in that respect.

There''s this really good Thai restaurant..about 10 miles from my venue but closer to the hotels. Where fiance and I had our first date. It''s a hole in the wall, or a hole in a strip mall, and I don''t really know if it''s authentic, but it''s excellent. But they won''t rent out on a Friday night

Supposedly, fiance''s mom is going to plan a second reception at a Chinese restaurant about an hour outside of Baltimore, for all their friends who aren''t invited to the wedding. They took me there once, and it''s the best Chinese food I''ve ever had. But I have no confidence in fiance''s mom to actually come through and plan anything (!) so I''m not holding my breath.

Honestly, I think you should just get what you want to eat. You have enough variety that I''m sure everyone will find something they can eat. I don''t know anyone who couldn''t make a meal of General Tsao''s chicken and rice, except for vegetarians but you''ve got them covered too.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:20:25 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/9/2008 10:13:39 PM

Author: brazen_irish_hussy

I know what you mean about American Chinese, I have had no luck finding good baozi stateside.

Love the appatizers, but then dim sum is my favorite.

Anyway, to your dilema:

Beef with black mushrooms-Since neither of the decided on dishes are beef, that would be my recommendation. I know a lot of people who have trouble digesting asperagus so I would think not many would eat that. I cation on anything Szechuan peper flavored since it isn''t spicy at first but builds, so someone can easily get more than they bargined for.


Yu Shang Eggplant-no reason, I just think it sounds better


I am torn between the wanton soup and the mu shu chicken. I LOVE both, but since a lot of these seem heavy, something lighter like the soup might not be a bad idea. Although, housin sauce is heavenly and it is a lot of fun to eat mu shu. I guess I am not much help. Peking sauce is good, but is really better on duck where the skin can get so crisp, otherwise it is ok, but not as good as the other two options.


Can I come?

Well, of course you are welcome to come on THE DAY BEFORE YOUR OWN WEDDING, but I''m not sure that''s a good idea. LOL.


I LOVE dim sum too. They actually offered us fabulous Duck for the appetizer, but I had to turn it down as NO ONE but John and me would be likely to eat it.


They make their own sauce for Mu Shu, I don''t recall what it is as honestly I rarely order it there, though its fabulous, because there are SO many other things there that I like more. Lke the duck. LOL. I THINK it''s a plum-ey hoisin.


Mmm....baozi filled with a sweet (lotus or black bean) paste. You should come out here... we have some LOVELY stuff.

MMmmmmmm....duck...

I vote for beef with asparagus (but I don''t particularly care for mushrooms and I LOVE asparagus, so I''m biased).

For the second one, I''d go with green beans, only because I know a lot of people who don''t like eggplant (although I love it) and everyone likes green beans.

On the last one, I''d probably go for the soup, just because it''s different. Sounds delicious in any case!

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:02:27 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/9/2008 9:58:23 PM

Author: violet02

First of all... rehearsal lunch! Great idea. I''m doing a dinner and the prices SUCK! I''d love to do a lunch instead...

Violet, the banquet menu prices are actually the same here for lunch at dinner. But they are throwing in some freebees (all my soft drinks and some other things) because its a lunch. I''m paying 25 a head! So I''m just happy as a clam.



So I can''t take credit for the lunch thing as it''s a direct result of our Ten Thirty AM rehearsal time.

Callie... Bring that sapphire with you, let me wear it as my something blue and I''ll feed you, I promise. *SNORT*

Don''t tempt me!!!!!

I might just show up. And of COURSE you could wear my sapphire.

 

[Gypsy]

You know this thread is really helping. I just realized a couple of things.

Both the shrimp and the chicken entrees are sweet. So spicy green beans would be a better counter point to them than the sweeter eggplant, and while I ADORE eggplant, not everyone does. ALTHOUGH, as my family is persian and his is italian there's a LOT more tolerance for eggplant than in the normal population. But I think the vegetarians would like the green beans better too.

So I think green beans have broader appeal (though PERSONALLY I'd get the eggplant).

Also I realized that both the shrimp and the chicken are deep fried, the sauced. And so are two of the appetizers. So no more fried food.

The extra course and Meat have me stumped. I LOVE all the meats. I order them all spicy though.

The extra course because:

1. Mu Shu -- My MOH loves Mu Shu... not CHICKEN (as shes a vegetarian... but she might eat around it). Plus it's fun.

2. Won Ton soup. BORING. REALLY TRULY Boring. I'd prefer one of their other 5 soups. Any of them. Except bird's nest.. never been able to wrap my mind around that.

2. Spare Ribs... Not my thing, but John LOVES and ADORES them.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 10:51:48 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 4/9/2008 10:02:27 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 4/9/2008 9:58:23 PM

Author: violet02

First of all... rehearsal lunch! Great idea. I''m doing a dinner and the prices SUCK! I''d love to do a lunch instead...

Violet, the banquet menu prices are actually the same here for lunch at dinner. But they are throwing in some freebees (all my soft drinks and some other things) because its a lunch. I''m paying 25 a head! So I''m just happy as a clam.



So I can''t take credit for the lunch thing as it''s a direct result of our Ten Thirty AM rehearsal time.

Callie... Bring that sapphire with you, let me wear it as my something blue and I''ll feed you, I promise. *SNORT*

Don''t tempt me!!!!!

I might just show up. And of COURSE you could wear my sapphire.

Thank you honey. ANd the offer is open. With or without the sapphire. LOL.

 

[Octavia]

Yum, yum, yum! I''m starving now! I''d definitely choose the green beans, and probably the soup (although I agree that a soup other than wonton would be better). No real opinion on the meat dish, since I only just started eating a bit of meat again and still haven''t gone much past chicken...but I know many people who have trouble digesting pork, so I''d probably say a beef dish is better.

This is going to be an AWESOME meal

 

[sera]

I''m going with the Beef w/ Asparagus for #1. My 2nd choice would be the pork (even though I don''t like it myself... or mushrooms either).

Szechuan Green Beans... heck yes! (If these weren''t an option I would have gone with the Szechuan Beef).

Peking Spare Ribs always seems popular (though I don''t eat pork so wouldn''t eat it). I didn''t vote for the soup since won tons are wrapped and all your appetizers are also wrapped, correct?

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 11:02:59 PM
Author: Octavia
Yum, yum, yum! I''m starving now! I''d definitely choose the green beans, and probably the soup (although I agree that a soup other than wonton would be better). No real opinion on the meat dish, since I only just started eating a bit of meat again and still haven''t gone much past chicken...but I know many people who have trouble digesting pork, so I''d probably say a beef dish is better.

This is going to be an AWESOME meal

Thank you Octavia. I have a confession. I"m afraid the food at the rehearsal is going to blow the food at the wedding away. I''m SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO freaking nervous about the reception food as we haven''t had our tasting yet. And this place is great... so I''m worried the guests that attend both will be like "Well, at least we ate well yesterday. Wonder who left their taste buds at home when they booked this place though."

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 4/9/2008 11:04:52 PM
Author: sera
I'm going with the Beef w/ Asparagus for #1. My 2nd choice would be the pork (even though I don't like it myself... or mushrooms either).

Szechuan Green Beans... heck yes! (If these weren't an option I would have gone with the Szechuan Beef).

Peking Spare Ribs always seems popular (though I don't eat pork so wouldn't eat it). I didn't vote for the soup since won tons are wrapped and all your appetizers are also wrapped, correct?

Good point about the wrapped. I hadn't thought of that.

OKAY... Hot and Soup (which I like) OR I just noticed another option.. Chinese Chicken Salad. Which might be GREAT as this IS a lunch. And it's probably going to be HOT out.

Okay. So I'm now leaning toward either the ribs (popularity) or the Salad.

 

[AmberGretchen]

I like the idea of a salad - I''m biased because I am a veggie, but I feel like I would end up eating green beans and rice and nothing else and really wishing there was at least one other veggie option (that eggplant sounds fab!), or at least another lighter option, especially on a hot day. Just my $0.02, but I really think you could use another veggie and/or the salad to lighten things up a little.

 

[bling addict]

Oh, I like the salad option! I change my ribs vote to a salad vote

 

[Gypsy]

Amber honey... I think I read your mind! I JUST emailed a request for the Chinese Chicken Salad with Chicken ON THE SIDE. LOL!! AND since I was actually sub-ing that for a much more expensive dish... I asked them if they would throw in Hot and Sour soup too. Doesn't hurt to ask. Also the spring rolls are vegetarian, so are the white rice and the chow mein.



Does that sound do-able as a veggie?? I'll cross check with my MOH to see if that's good for her. If it's not, as she's the only vegetarian at the RD I'll order a special dish (probably vegetarian Mo Shu) for her. Which is fine.


I picked the Szechuan green beans AND the Szechuan Beef too. Probably should have gone for one of the other two blander beef dishes.

I think I ordered too much food with flavor. I forgot that some people LIKE bland food. I should have ordered something in a bland white sauce. Dang it. Oh well. I have 5 months to change my mind, right!

 

[AmberGretchen]

I think with the salad with chicken on the side (such a genius idea, BTW - I don''t get how people can complain so much about accommodating veggies when its often as simple as doing something like this, just letting people add the meat as they want to but not having it in there to begin with...anyway, not to go off on a tangent), the green beans, the spring rolls and chow mein and rice, a veggie should be taken care of.

I wouldn''t worry too much about too much flavor either - there''s always plenty of rice to sop things up with, and lots of water and tea to drink, so I''m sure it will be fine. The salad will be a good mild dish for most people as well - a lot of Indian restaurants I''ve been to serve sliced cukes and lettuce as a palate cooler/to counterbalance the spiciness.

I think it sounds perfect now

 

[buttercup80]

I can''t really vote because everything sounds so good to me, but I wanted to say I *love* the rehearsal lunch instead of dinner - I know it wasn''t really your choice, but I''m definitely stealing it!!!! Possibly even the chinese food aspect of it since that sounds so yummy. . . although FI and I met at Macaroni Grill, where I was working at the time so that might be nice - plus I''m pretty sure they''d give me a good deal. . .