ICA CATIE Awards 2012
B E S T P L AT E D M E N U
“Ch inese imp er ial f eas t ”
Think of fiery dragons, scarlet fireworks and
Soothing Asian music played in the background to
elaborate meals. Delicate silk embroidery,
compliment the theme while bamboo steamers filled with
bright red lanterns and luxurious teas.
dumplings,vegetarian spring rolls and peanut chicken satays did
the rounds. We sourced red Chinese spoons in which we placed
Chinese culture and cuisine is one of the world’s oldest and most
a mélange of avocado crème topped with red beetroot sprouts.
complex and has intrigued generations of people,with their food
We also put elaborate dragon motifs and wooden Chinese
and vibrant colours adding an exciting edge to our event.
emblems on the platters for added style.
We designed a stunning menu and décor theme for the large
After a dramatic drum-roll we opened the grand doors into the
scale year-end event of our corporate client with the Asian
venue which featured multiple red lanterns hanging from the
inspired menu taking centre stage.
ceiling,tables which were set with painted bamboo for a truly
authentic touch and the table décor which took their breath
Huge fiery lanterns festooned from the ceiling, vibrant red
away.
bamboo candle holders with flickering candles graced the tables
and an exciting show as well as an array of delicious Chinese
The stunning Imperial chilli fish cake starter was pre-plated
food added the final touches to a perfect event.
on a rectangular plate on the table which added to the overall
impression of the table décor.
Description of the Event
Big colourful celebrations with a strong Asian influence was the
brief we were given by our client for their annual year-end event
for 400 guests,creating a stylish multi-course plated menu in a
gorgeous Chinese environment and the tone was set from the
very beginning.
Lines of regimentally placed cocktail tables with beautiful
structural anthirium flower arrangements were positioned in
the foyer where we served an array of gorgeous canapés and
refreshing cocktails with traditional paper umbrellas.
A series of plated Main courses followed with guests choosing
between a delicious Czechuan pepper beef option or teriyaki
chicken breasts with red onion petals and soy. The crockery we
chose successfully complemented the theme.
Then the grand show began: The room was darkened, drums
rolled, and traditional Mandarin dancers graced the huge
stage,showing off their poise and flair. A massive dragon
cascaded down from the stage,encouraging the guests to partake
in the festivities as the stylish dessert was brought out.
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The DJ opened the dance floor with contemporary music
creating fun that went late into the night-and sealed our offering
as a perfect Chinese feast.
Qualities that make this menu appropriate
for the event
During the Chinese dynastic period, emperors would host
C oncept, Goals and Objectives
banquets with 100 dishes per meal with countless numbers
The focus for the day was to serve exceptional Asian food in
preparation process.
a magnificent room setting and the objective of the menu and
presentation was to showcase the diverse Chinese cuisine in a
creative,modern context.
of imperial kitchen staff and concubines involved in the food
Our vision for this party was to emulate those Imperial feasts
and thus we created the wide variety of arrival snacks in relevant
regalia. The event took on another dimension when we started
serving the Main Course because the actual variety and flavours
We designed a concept menu for this event by creating an aweinspiring Chinese feast with our innovative menu design.
We suggested a plated meal in interesting architectural plates
and bowls that could be diverse and filling since the crowd was
a hungry group with high expectations
The edible garnish details we chose for the food, most notably
the lime dipped in black sesame,the fried noodle garnish and
the purple pansies on the schezuan beef, made this menu design
very appropriate for the entire theme.
The overriding goal was to create a super-impressive tasty
Chinese menu both visually and gastronomically, using mostly
were authentic in every way and really emphasized their
appropriateness in this context.
The main course addressed the more serious requirement to
feed them proper but nonetheless impressive food, whilst still
maintaining the Chinese vibe.
Served against the backdrop of thick red sprayed bamboo
branches,with the room washed in vibrant red lighting,and
myriad red paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, the food
suited the mood in every possible way.
Even the dessert was Asian,but with a modern twist featuring a
long rectangular plate with a gorgeous trio of sweets.
red tones,colourful spoons and chopsticks,dragon motifs as well
as fresh Oriental ingredients to emphasise the events’ overall
identity.
The Chinese people believe strongly in luck and fortune as well as
the spiritual realm. Chocolate dipped fortune cookies for dessert
were another factor that made the menu very appropriate with
Paramount to everything is presentation, with the link between
dazzling visual presentation and creativity of the menu evident
the zodiacal messages sparking frivolous conversation and
laughter.
everywhere.
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All the cohesive Asian elements played a huge role in positively
For main course we set up two lines for the beef and two lines for
impacting the perception of the party-goers.
the chicken which speeded up the plating significantly.
Quality of the presentation
Finally traditional Mandarin desserts were placed on stylish
We knew that we had to do something amazing for this party
and since we have a large Chinese community in our city we
have access to the most stunning Chinese food accessories
rectangular plates and guests marvelled at the beauty and taste
of our fantastic menu.
which we used to creatively enhance the theme. We purchased
Challenges and obstacles
new rectangular plates, red Chinese spoons as well as elegant
We put many hours of planning into this event so we didn’t
chopsticks and accessories.
have any significant challenges however,the most significant
challenge was the fact that we were unaware of which people
A really unusual idea was that our design team bought wooden
had ordered the different food and we didn’t know where they
Chinese jewellery,dragon tapestries and Buddha beads and
were sitting. We managed this by offering the same starter and
incorporated them into the food décor,positively affecting the
dessert for all guests but simply offered a different protein for
quality of the presentation.
main course (beef and chicken) with different garnish to make it
look like a completely different dish.
Fulfilling the brief from every angle was achieved by the
exceptional presentation of the food. Giving particular emphasis
We also brought in extra kitchen staff to run the additional lines
to the culinary experience of the guests.
that we needed.
Production of the menu at the event
We achieved a harmonious synergy between product and food
Given the large number of guests at the party,we had to ensure
that the food was abundant,easy to plate,yet still impressive and
standardized in order to facilitate efficient food service.
by conceptualizing a unique and innovative menu for this event
and would be honoured to win the prestigious Best Plated Menu
award.
The production schedule was fairly straight-forward with
several items being prepared beforehand in our kitchen and
finished off at the venue. Items like the spring rolls, Asian chips
and dumplings were cooked at the party so they could be fresh
and delicious.
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Event Menu with notes
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Arrival snacks (11:30 am)
1. Bamboo steamers with vegetarian Spring Rolls
Both served with: Aromatic basmati rice with toasted
cumin seeds
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2. Hand-rolled fresh Sushi served on elegant platters served
Served on a rectangular rimmed plate, with a Chinese bowl
and Chinese spoon
on tropical leaves
3. Asian peanut chicken Satay skewers, with a coriander ginger
mayo
4. Chinese spoons filled with chopped Asian coriander
Plated dessert - trio (14:00 pm)
1. Chinese fortune cookie dipped in chocolate
2. Little Chinese pots filled with seasonal fruit and a star anise
cucumber, avocado crème and chives
5. Steamed Dumplings with assorted fillings served in bamboo
syrup reduction topped with whipped cream & cinnamon
3. Hand-folded sticky Chinese bow ties drizzled with icing
steamers with soya sauce
sugar
4. Served on a thin long sushi plate
TO SHARE ON THE TABLES: (11:30 am)
•
5. Jasmine Tea to be served in Chinese teacups along with
Bowls of Chinese crisps on the tables (instead of bread rolls)
dessert x 250 (14:00)
Plated starter – PRESET ON THE TABLES (11:30 am)
Late afternoon snacks @ x 150 pax (17:00 pm)
•
Thai chilli fish cake topped with a tomato, onion &
1. Sweet & Sour Chicken Noodles
coriander salsa, served with a mound of oriental baby herbs
2. Vegetable stir fry on noodles
and black sesame, papaya ,encircled with a sweet chilli jam
(NOTE: FISH CAKE MUST BE SMALLER)
Served from a station where guests can choose their meal & it
will get placed in a Chinese box for them to take home or eat on
Served on a rimmed Plate
•
the spot.
10% Veg option for non-fish eaters: Haloumi & courgette
fritter topped with a tomato, onion & coriander salsa,
DRINKS GARNISH:
served with a mound of oriental baby herbs and black
•
sesame papaya ,encircled with a sweet chilli jam
Red cocktail umbrellas & Cherries & short black straws x
300 @ R8.00 each.
Plated Asian Main Course (13:00 pm)
1. 184 x Teriyaki chicken breasts with fresh coriander
2. 216 x Chinese Szechuan Pepper grilled beef fillet with red
onion petals and soy (NOTE : BEEF: MEDIUM RARE)
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RECIP ES 1
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1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
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200g bean sprouts
CHINESE PEANUT CHICKEN SATAYS
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Salt, ground black pepper to taste
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1 packet frozen spring roll wrappers (thawed)
Ingredients
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1 egg white lightly beaten
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400g cubed fresh chicken breast
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Vegetable oil for deep frying
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100g peanut butter,smooth
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Bottle sweet chili sauce to serve
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chopped fresh ginger
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Fried rice noodles, granadilla to garnish
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2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
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1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce
Method
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80g butter
1. Place the noodles in a large heatproof bowl and cover with
•
Salt and pepper to taste
boiling water. Stand for 5 minutes until noodles are soft.
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1 Tbs olive oil
Drain well and cut the noodles into large pieces
2. Place the mushrooms in a small heatproof bowl and cover
Method
them with boiling water. When they are soft, drain them
1. Coat the chicken pieces with the peanut butter and spices
well and slice them thinly.
and drizzle over the olive oil. Set aside to marinate.
2. Heat the butter in a shallow pan and grill until golden
brown (about 10 minutes), turning occasionally. Thread
onto skewers and serve with a sweet chilli sauce
RECIP ES 2
ASIAN VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS WITH FRIED RICE
NOODLES
Ingredients
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70g shredded cabbage
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70g thinly sliced carrots
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100g vermicelli
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20g dried shiitake mushrooms
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70g sliced bamboo shoots
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2 garlic cloves
3. Combine the noodles, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrot,
cabbage, garlic, hoisin sauce and bean shoots in a large bowl
seasoning and mixing well.
4. Brush the edges of 1 pastry sheet with a little of the egg
white, place 2 tablespoons of noodle mixture on 1 pastry
sheet corner and fold the pastry corner over the filling, Roll
up the pastry, folding in the sides to enclose the filling.
5. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan and deep fry the spring rolls
until crispy and brown. Drain them on absorbent towel.
6. In the same hot oil,put the rice noodles and remove
immediately as they fluff up instantly. Drain them on
absorbent paper and set aside.
7. Place the spring rolls in a bamboo steamer and garnish with
fried noodles, passion fruit wedges and fresh leaves and
flowers.
I like to stick 2 coloured chopsticks through the noodles for an
authentic Asian effect. Makes about 30 spring rolls
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RECIP ES 3
IMPERIAL CHILLI FISH CAKES
Ingredients
•
500g boneless white fish fillets
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1 egg
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1 stick lemongrass, finely sliced
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125ml coconut cream
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2 tablespoons fish sauce
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2 tablespoons sugar
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2 chopped red chillies
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2 cloves garlic
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150g finely sliced green beans
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1 bunch coriander, chopped
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Sunflower oil, for frying
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Chopped papaya
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Coriander
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Sweet chilli sauce
•
Chopped red onion
Method
In the bowl of a food processor, mix the fish, egg, lemon grass,
coconut cream, fish sauce, sugar, chillies and garlic. Process
in brief bursts, leaving the mixture slightly chunky. In a bowl
mix the green beans and the chopped coriander and stir with
a spoon. Form the mixture into small patties and fry in hot
sunflower oil for a few minutes each side, until golden. Drain
on kitchen paper. Top with papaya salsa,baby spinach leaves and
beetroot twirls.
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C ollat eral
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS LETTER
Dear Please find the revised attached quotation with the numbers for the food as per
below, I want to submit the first PO and then we can do a top up PO later should
there be a need to. Please don’t forget to add the umbrellas and cherries and black short straws. Thank you. Grilled Beef Teriyaki Chicken Vegetarian Strictly Halaal Halaal friendly Kosher Vegan Total 216 169 24 15 10 4 2 440 Kindest Regards, Linda Joubert Event Co-Ordinator Vodacom South Africa Mobile: 083 565 9984 This e-mail is classified C2 - Vodacom Restricted. The information is for use internally
in Vodacom, and may also be shared with authorised third-parties. 7
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arrival drinks
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arrival drinks
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arrival snacks
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arrival snacks
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starter
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dessert
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Finale
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