Wedding Dinner @ Courtyard by Marriott, Hong Kong

DSC_0283

Overseas weddings always excite me - not only does it present an opportunity for a getaway but also a chance to experience how people of other cultures celebrate. While they have been limited to Hong Kong, I am definitely not complaining.

This wedding is more a true reflection of a typical wedding in Hong Kong, with a backdrop draped with organza and the newly weds names reflected.

Courtyard by Marriott in Hong Kong is pretty much a business hotel in a farflung area of Shek Mun - we changed a total of 4 times train before arriving at the hotel, all in 1 hour travelling. This made me truly appreciate Singapore being so compact, granted the folks in Joo Koon would also need an hour to reach Crowne Plaza Airport but it is still a direct train.

DSC_0284

Roasted Suckling Pig

The only other time I had suckling pig for a wedding dinner was when a friend upgraded the menu to include it in at a cost of $200 a table. It was darn good though and this time, I had it again - good roast is a staple in Hong Kong and this did not disappoint!

DSC_0285

Crab Claws

DSC_0286

I love the bursts of fried fish roe within, made eating this quite a bouncy affair.

DSC_0289

Coral clams, prawns and sweet peas followed suit. Coral clams seem to be the latest shellfish included in most menus, I adore it for its chewy texture that goes well with both vegetables and meat.

DSC_0290


I found this course superfluous, just a de-cored melon and scallop. Top marks for creativity.

DSC_0292

Fish maw soup, hearty good stuff.

DSC_0293

Abalone and cabbage, at this point I was getting full and we were barely half way through! The same rule applies to most weddings - to feed you till you cannot move.

DSC_0295

Steamed groupa.

DSC_0296

Roast chicken

I was most thankful for bite sized portions because the food not only took forever to arrive and plate, I was really just getting too full for my own good.

DSC_0298

Fried Rice

DSC_0299 

Eefu Noodles

Two carbs one after another was their way of making sure we never left the table feeling stuffed - over stuffed was their agenda, clearly. I wish I stayed for dessert and oranges were given out too.

Once again, a wedding that overfed me and made me ponder about banqueting in general - is it an Asian custom to overfeed? And why so? The unfortunate thing then is, we tend to think that the bride and groom are scrooges if we ever left a banquet hungry - which has happened before at a 6 course wedding lunch at a 5 star hotel in Singapore. 9-10 courses are already pushing it, what more 12. It still baffles me how Asians vary in their opinions in different parts of the world - one thing's constant though, most weddings celebrate love and a blessed union of two beautiful people.

Congrats Mr and Missus Kwok! 

Comments