Yes, we were invited to my friends’ eldest son’s wedding last Saturday…
…and of course, we all made an effort to attend the wedding service at the cathedral here in the morning. As I have said many times before, to me, that is the most significantly important part of any wedding and I would make it a point to attend any that I am invited to.
That night, we went to the grand reception in one of the ballrooms at a hotel in town…
We went very early (as you can see in the photograph) as with 4 ballrooms in one hotel and all were being used that night, we wanted to avoid the jam. I guess not everyone was thinking along that same line and that was why the dinner stared at least an hour after the time stated in the Β invitation card. Thankfully, it isn’t quite as bad here as in KL…yet.
As usual, there was the more-than-Four Seasons…
…to kick off the dinner followed by this very nice black chicken & fish maw soup…
Yes, many here have opted not to serve the offensive not-to-be-named soup, the main ingredient of which is actually completely tasteless and other than its snob appeal among some communities, I really do not see why anyone should insist on having that.
We were kind of disappointed that the specialty of the house, the duck stuffed with glutinous rice…
…was not all that nice that night – it certainly was a lot better the last time we had it. I guess that is the problem when there are too many functions at one venue and the kitchens would have to cope with the crowd. I was telling somebody at the table that it probably would be best to get married during the Chinese 7th Month as the restaurants would be deserted and they may even give a special discount. The colour is probably due to the lightning though – not that it was purple or anything like that but yes, there was a part inside where the rice was not really cooked and I thought the chestnuts were on the hard side as well.
The steamed fish…
…and in fact, everything else, was fine.
I did not manage to take a photograph of the broccoli and mushroom dish as it was served when I went out to have some fresh air and by the time I came back, they were already halfway through. Hehehehehe!!!! The prawn dish…
…came right before the deep-fried Chinese pancakes with bean paste filling and the honeydew melon dessert and despite the not-very-satisfactorily-done duck, all in all, it was an enjoyable dinner.
My friends were my colleague/fellow-teachers so it sure felt like some kind of a reunion that night – getting to see all the familiar faces from the various schools once again…and that certainly made the evening all the more delightful, I must say.
Congratulations once again to the newly-weds, Daniel and Natalie…
All good wishes and may God bless you two abundantly in the years ahead…and thank you so much, Catherine and Stephen, for the invitation to share the joy on this very happy and auspicious occasion in your lives.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Its really funny that my mom does not eat black chicken, she thought the chicken was somewhat dirty and she refuses to eat it xD
My wife would not touch it before and I was not comfortable eating it as well. But now, we’re ok with it – will eat it, just like ordinary chicken…but still, we would not go out and buy and cook our own…even though it is just the colour, like those charcoal buns. They say it is very nutritious.
awwww, such cute bears in the photo π i like black chicken and fish maw … they’re two ingredients i haven’t eaten in a very long time π congrats to the happy-looking couple! π
I think they have dried scallops in the soup as well and some Chinese herbs. Very sweet, very nice. Thanks for your good wishes.
Lovely photos, and the teddy bears are so cute. So sorry to hear you were disappointed with the duck.
Yes, I was actually looking forward to it as it is something like the signature dish of this place but look on the bright side – I only had one helping that night. π
Oh, and congratulations to the lovely couple. π
Thank you, on their behalf.
Ooohh I like wedding food.. Especially the first and second dish.. And also the fish.. And the dessert, haha.. So when the food was brought to the table, everyone stopped and paused for your camera to eat first izzit?
Yup…but I’m very fast – just simply clicked, one split second was all it took each time. That’s why the one of the prawns not very sharp but it would have to do.
congratulations to the newly wed.. wow, so many nice dishes, i am sure our Food Mayor of Sibu enjoyed the night and dinner very much π
Thanks. It was great…though the duck could have been better.
congratulations to the new couple
Thanks.
Happy newly weds. My blog is about wedding as well. hehe. The groom looks familiar…
Thank you. He does?
Congratulations!!
Thanks.
I love wedding dinners! Mostly for the happy atmosphere. I was at a wedding quite recently at a very grand hotel in KL but sadly the food was below par. What you had looks way better.
Been to wedding dinners in KL and Penang – dunno if it is a question of taste, what we are accustomed to…but I did not think what we had there was all that great…plus it was very very very expensive some more. I love weddings too – all the joy all around, all the smiles and laughter…give me a good feeling.
What a lovely couple! Red carpet somemore!
Normally the food served in hotels are not as tasty as those held in proper restaurants… furthermore, if there are two or three weddings at one go, we cannot expect much… as long as they are still warm, it is considered good already… Ballrooms in hotels compared to the restaurants outside, the ambiance is different… choose either one, ambiance or food.. hahaha..
The hotels here are pretty good, not far different from the regular restaurants which are usually too small for big functions, or you may be asked to sit on different floors – not much point in that. Of course, it’s the same everywhere – what is served will depend on how much you are willing to fork out per table…and at the hotels, the food is halal…so no pork.
Wow, it seems a grand reception ! The hall looks very nice but the food are the best looking pictures around!
This is one of the most, if not THE most popular place currently for grand receptions.
Congrats to the newly-wed. Indeed a grand celebrations and the ballroom looks so big. I like the black chicken with fish maw soup and the steamed fish but the fish is not whole fish.
Must be a big one – usually, in such cases, they would slice and give you your share, not the whole thing. Fish was good and the chicken soup was really great. Loved it! Thanks for the wishes.
Thanks, Arthur. I didn’t expect this blog, but more than happy to read and appreciate it. Thanks so much for your presence, and Lucy’s and Melissa’s as well. Thanks for your beautiful photos and good wishes, too. I didnt get a chance to eat most of the dishes. Sorry to know that the duck was not so nice. It is after all the signature dish. Yes, it does look like a mini teachers’ day celebrationπ. I’m happy to meet my friends, but so sorry I couldn’t spend more time with you all.
And thanks to your blogger friends for the kind wishes and congrats.
Most welcome. Our pleasure to be part of it all…and I enjoyed taking the photos too – all for the fun of it, nowhere near the professional’s, that’s for sure.
church weddings are simply beautiful & breathtaking to me. haven’t been invited to that many but i do agree with you that it’s the most significant part (: congrats to the newlyweds!! π
Yes. The banquet is the post-wedding celebration, the main event is already over. Unfortunately, many consider the dinner the most important stage…or worse, the only thing to any wedding. π¦ Thank you on their behalf.
the wedding does look beautiful and grand :D.. its been a while since my last wedding dinner which I have attended. Hmm, is that a sign age is catching up? Next round may be invitations to my friend’s children’s weddings!
Your brother’s wedding? Going to be anytime soon? Don’t forget to invite me – will be a good excuse for me to fly over. π
congratulation!!!
these foods look nice π
Thanks. Come, come. Come on over and I’ll take you to try these…and more, lots more! π
Congratulations to the newly-wed…
Tnx.
I agree with you! Whenever there is a wedding at church, I always try my best to go to the ceremony. Some people tend to say that no need to go in the morning, just go to the wedding reception at night. lol.
Wedding seems grand. Food looks absolutely delicious too. Not the normal ones served at the hotels I’ve been to haha.
Yup, may the joy last for a lifetime. To the couple. wakaka.
Thanks. Dunno the ones in Sabah, never been to any there but yes, what you say is true of the ones I went to in KL and Penang. Indeed, everyone seems to have that general idea – to attend the reception and that is it. They do not place much importance on the most significant part of the wedding. Sad, isn’t it?
This just looks glorious!
The wedding? The venue? Or the food?
no pic of the groom’s handsome dad π ?
Can see in the album on Facebook.
The food looks awesome! π
Silkie black chickens as the soup dish I’ve seen a lot nowadays too! Too bad you don’t like them coz they’re actually quite flavorful compared to regular chickens, but their taste can be a bit strong.
I don’t mind eating them actually and I love how they do it at this place – the soup’s so very sweet, probably due to the use of dried scallps. I took more than one extra helping – the soup, not the chicken. π