Banquet details

The detail that everyone seemed to love was the escort cards that we made out of leaves. Other than the gathering, pressing, shellacking, and storing of the leaves, I have very little knowledge of how the leaves became escort cards. At one point Dear bought a bunch of clear labels (since he refused to handwrite each one) and printed out names and table numbers on them. He also gave a bunch to my mother who could not provide us with a clear guest list so she had to handwrite hers. Lots of people commented on how creative we were, though one party pooper had to add that they were brittle (eh, screw him!). Some people seemed to like the idea so much that they pinned a leaf to themselves, as if it were a boutonniere. If I had fresh autumn leaves, I would have petitioned for adding one to Dear's boutonniere.


My MIL is a stained glass nut -- she goes every week to her class and her house is filled with all sorts of stained glass pieces. So it was only natural that I ask her to make us something featuring a double happiness character. At first I thought it'd be nice to have her make a caketopper but then she shot that idea down saying it'd be too heavy (I think a cake should be able to hold it up without collapsing) and saying that she was concerned about lead poisoning since the soldering is done with lead (though I said we could easly put a piece of cardboard underneath it to prevent that). So I said we'd just place the double happiness somewhere on the cake table then, akin to the large "I Do" letters that many brides use. After asking me a million questions and asking me to print her several sizes on paper, she set to work and bought the glass. Her choice of glass was not ideal, it turns out, since it was really a mirror (or something she explained that I don't understand) and she was not able to cut it into a circle. Instead, she'd have to keep it as a rectangle and she wouldn't be able to solder the edges so she also bought a frame to put it in. I wasn't crazy about the gold, but that's what happens when you give someone free reign. I think it turned out OK.
Behind the scenes, after-the-fact, "Pop-Up Video"-esque tidbit: I later learned MIL told the photographer that she made it and she urged him to take pictures of it.

In the last days, I just couldn't do anymore and Dear stepped up to do the table/menu cards, from design to printing. Of course, what I wanted was a lot more complicated so the simple idea Dear came up with was a lifesaver (not that I helped with that). On one side he included the guest names and on the other, the menu, along with explanations for each course.
I don't have the final wording of the menu, but it was something like this (this is our first draft):

There are 9 main courses to a Chinese banquet menu as the number connotes "everlasting." Everything is served whole to symbolize completeness. There is a delicate balance not just in the flavors, but also in the cooking method, where boiling balances frying, braising/steaming, cold/hot, savory/sweet.

Cold appetizer platter: Roast pig, ham, beef, jellyfish and pickled vegetables
Pig symbolizes purity -- J__ delivered a whole roast pig to R___'s parents to make the engagement official in the Chinese tradition.

Jumbo battered shrimp with candied walnuts

Shark fin soup with chicken
A very expensive delicacy, shark fin symbolizes prosperity.

Braised abalone with mushrooms and Chinese vegetables

Sirloin Steak with broccoli

Crispy whole fried chicken
The chicken symbolizes the phoenix (mythological bird), the representation of the wife.

Lobster, stir-fried with ginger and scallions
The lobster symbolizes the dragon, which represents the husband.

Steamed whole fish
Fish is a must at every important meal, as it sounds like the word "abundance" in Chinese.

Fried rice and E-fu noodles with mushrooms
Noodles, especially the e-fu noodles, are served to symbolize longevity.

Red bean soup with lotus seeds
Red is a lucky color and lotus seeds symbolize fertility.

How it all came down: the evening before

By the time of the rehearsal at the church, I was quite tired and getting moodier by the minute. Everyone was pissing me off and I didn't know why -- I think I felt like a lot of things were still not done and I was too disorganized to know where to begin to finish these tasks and we had to make it to the rehearsal dinner in time, plus my hormones were raging at the most inopportune time. Also, my nails were chipping already and the cuticles were so dry that I was developing hangnails -- I was so worried that my hands would horrible in pictures, especially since there'd be pics of the new ring. But the church was decorated, we signed our marriage license (the minister would then sign it the following day to make it official and mail it off) with our brothers as witnesses, and we rehearsed the processional twice.

Afterwards, we rushed to pack up the cars to go up to John's on 12th Street for the rehearsal dinner. In choosing a place for the dinner, we had 2 issues to contend with: we figured that the guests wouldn't want to have Chinese food two days in a row, but we also didn't want to travel far from the rehearsal location in Ctown. This severely limited our options and early on we thought of Italian (since Little Italy is within walking distance) as the perfect foil & complement to Chinese (both cuisines embrace 'family-style' meals). We tried one place that received decent reviews in Zagat's but it was only alright and way overpriced. Weeks later, we finally settled on John's in the Village (not walking distance but somewhat close -- just 10 minutes drive) b/c Dear had been there for a birthday party and he liked it. We also did a test drive two weeks before and I was satisfied with both the service and the food.
But on the day of the actual dinner, I was less than satisfied. The room in the back was really dark and they set up two long tables along the wall for us. This wouldn't bother me as much if we had the space to ourselves but there were lots of other ppl there and the space was tight. The other ppl were also very loud so we could barely have a conversation (not that this would be easy if you sat on one end of the table and wanted to mingle with the other end, which is why I'm never a fan of long tables, as opposed to round). I also felt obligated to sit with the old folk since they seemed lost (this is what happens when you only eat Chinese food all the time). I was already in a sour mood so I didn't appreciate the massive agita that my parents and ILs were giving me ("Is there a set menu?" "Do we have a choice -- I hope it's not a choice b/c I don't understand this food" "What's on the menu?"), especially since I didn't have the answers (everything about the dinner was last minute and I barely remembered any of the details). And, as the set menu choices were read out, I realized that my uncle from Indonesia can't really have meat (good thing we didn't do a barbecue dinner, which I thought would be a neat idea) nor does he speak English, much less Italian (the old folk had such a look of puzzlement for things that I take for granted, like "bruschetta," "lasagne," "chicken parmesan"). You can imagine the chaos as we tried to explain what everything was while the waiter was taking down the orders. To make matters worse, the first waiter became deeply confused when he was taking the order and everyone kept changing their mind from one thing to the next. He tried to clarify things by repeating the order back to us but an annoying individual who is now related to me and shall remain nameless tried to "help" by summarizing the order in his own varied permutations. For instance (if you're not already confused by now), the waiter went down his list and around the table saying "OK, you're having stuffed mushroom, you're having the bruschetta, mushroom, mushroom, bruschetta..." but unnamed individual had to say "Everyone but blah, blah, and blah is having the stuffed mushroom, or you can think of it like 3 ppl are having the bruschetta, everyone else is having the mushrooms." The guy came back with extras of everything and we had to give it to the other table.

The agita combined with the nervousness and stress prevented me from finishing my main course (chicken parm), which was alright but not as good as the appetizer (bruschetta with avocado and tomato). A lot of ppl couldn't finish theirs either b/c the portions were gigantic (the leftovers could have been a second meal) and I couldn't take the leftovers home b/c we were going to the hotel, so I felt terrible about the vast wasting. I couldn't stomach the dessert either (the horror!!), a tartuffo. :(

note the long, narrow table and the space we're in compared to the rest of the room

note the dim lighting, mostly from candles

another source of light: a wax "sculpture" that took up a whole table, created by years of dripping candles, I'm sure

REHEARSAL DINNER at JOHN'S: B-
Though the service was pretty darn good (the confused waiter did well to hide his frazzled-ness and annoyance) and the food was alright, I hated being in that crowded, dark room. I think it's a good place to have a casual dinner, maybe other types of parties, but for a rehearsal dinner when ppl are apt to make speeches or special presentations (I felt uncomfortable giving the BMs their gifts though Dear had no problem giving out gifts to the GMs nor the helpers), it's not conducive to getting to know ppl. There's also no parking in that area so some of the drivers arrived as the first course was wrapping up.

---

Many hours later, I found myself finally at the Embassy Suites on North End Avenue in lower Manhattan. It was a gigantic headache-inducing night to coordinate everyone's ride home or to the hotel and to bring to the hotel all the necessary accoutrements. It was so agita-filled that I just gave up at this point (and from that point on I just didn't give a damn about much of anything until everything was over on Saturday night). I have no idea how ppl got to where they needed to go and how things ended up where they ended up.

If I had to do everything all over again, I'm not sure I would stay in a hotel the night before. Even though it was a convenient excuse to not have to play the Chinese door games (the groom picks up the bride from her home only after he fulfills tasks that the BMs come up with to test his worthiness and to torture him in the process), it was so difficult to coordinate all the stuff that needed to be at the hotel and then to consequently move from the hotel to the church and/or banquet hall. It also didn't help that it was freezing that weekend and many of us weren't prepared for it. If we were at my house, we'd just put on an extra sweater or something. Everyone also has the added task of packing stuff for an overnight stay (clothes, pjs, beauty products, etc.). And initially I thought I struck gold when I got a room at the Embassy b/c the suites are spacious and there is room enough to sleep 6 ppl, but I forgot that there is only one bathroom (there is a sink at the wet bar but no extra toilet and shower) so there was some inefficiency as some waited their turn for the bathroom.

It was nice to have all the women together in one place though. One BM re-did my manicure using her stash of stuff (even though I told her I wanted us to sleep early and we probably wouldn't have time to use any of it), and my cousin also packed a bunch of useful stuff (she wasn't part of the bridal party but my mother asked her to join us and I was very glad for it). I just wish that I kept my cool for the final moments, stayed organized and that we had some time to bond (or play Cranium!) instead of stressing about stuff.

note how my mother is working on the seating arrangements at literally the 12th hour as she waits her turn

As I slowly drifted to sleep at 3 or 4 in the morning, I was glad that I got all the bridezilla moments out of my system and I prayed that none of it would surface the next day.

EMBASSY SUITES HOTEL: A
As I previously blogged, I really like the Embassy and the suites do come in handy when you have a wedding to get ready for. However, it is a bit out of the way of everything (the closest subway is still quite a trek) but it is downtown and should only take 10 minutes to drive to Ctown (barring traffic). It is also spacious and could offer gorgeous views of the Hudson. Unfortunately I gave up that view for a lower floor so that we could get 2 double beds to fit everyone. There is also scarce parking and their lot is exorbitantly expensive (in my eyes) but it is very clean and is everything you'd expect from a Hilton property. There's also free made-to-order breakfast, as well as a regular hot buffet. If we had time, we'd also have had an opportunity to use the NYSC in the building.

Mini-moon: Cape Cod

We are barely recovered from the wedding and back from our mini vacation to Cape Cod. We hope to plan a bigger trip around January or so when things calm down at work (I dread to think of what awaits me when I return) and at home (more to come on that). Coming soon will also be a wedding recap plus vendor reviews, but for now, a quick synopsis of our travels.

It being off-season, things were quiet on Cape Cod (quite a few places were closed), relaxing and quite peaceful. For those unfamiliar with the area, the Cape consists of an elbow-shaped piece of land (think Popeye flexing his muscle) that wraps around a body of water, Cape Cod Bay, and there are towns (each with distinct sights and feels) spread throughout the elbow. We mostly stayed in Chatham (at the crook of Popeye's elbow) and on one of the days we traveled to Provincetown, all the way at the top, like at Popeye's fingers.

Based on the recommendation of a friend, we stayed at a nice little inn that served really good breakfasts. And since that's my favorite meal of the day, I gorged myself every morning! Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera downstairs, so I don't have pictures of the eggs Florentine with panchetta, French toast with fresh strawberries on top, and eggs with sausages. They also had a buffet everyday of freshly baked muffins (ranging from apple cinnamon to pineapple), three kinds of juices, yogurt and granola with dried berries, fruit salad with fresh strawberries and melon, fruit, and cereal. I loved the muffins since they were moist and had a nice sugary (but not very sweet) top. And during the afternoons, they also set out a small spread of cookies and brownies with tea and juice for an afternoon tea. So yummy!! Besides the delicious food, I liked the inn because it was very clean and quiet. It was decorated in an old-fashioned style, complete with exposed beams, antique furniture, and a large vase of giant, long-stemmed roses in the reception area. Our room had a vaulted ceiling and fireplace as well.

DAY 1
On our first full day in the Cape, we drove up to Provincetown (aka Ptown), where it is kinda bohemian, kinda artsy-feeling. It reminded me of a Greenwich Village transplanted to a beach setting with its somewhat busy streets, colorful little art shops & galleries, and the abundance of same-sex couples. Ptown is definitely the younger and hipper part of the Cape.

Our first stop (by accident) was the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. We didn't really have much of an itinerary but we saw a big sign for the monument and its towering presence beckoned us in (plus the need to really use the bathroom).

the phallic Pilgrim Monument -- most appropriate for Ptown

We walked up the 252-foot tower (not as difficult as I imagined) and got some pretty nice views of the area. I think these pics are a good representation of Cape Cod -- you can see how beach resortish it is, but at the same time there is a small New England town feel. If you look really carefully, you can see some of the trees in the distance changing color.

We stopped for lunch at Clem & Ursie's and had a mediocre crab cake sandwich and lobster roll.

We were really waiting for their happy hour, which promised $1 oysters and clams from the raw bar and giant shrimp but we had to come back after 3pm. So we drove around a bit and explored some beaches. One of them, (called Herring Cove Beach, I think) at the end of Commercial Street, had this pile of rocks that led out to the water. The day was gray and a bit windy so walking on it was kinda scary, especially when the water splashed onto the rocks and made it slippery. Some guy was out there was brave enough to be fishing though. (Notice the calm waters on one side and rough surf on the other -- freaky!) Back at Clem & Ursie's, we had a bunch of the oysters (so fresh and good!), clams, shrimp, and a seafood casserole for an early dinner. Everyone around us was oohing and aahing when the casserole (a variety of seafood, from lobster to cod, to scallops, in a Gruyere cheese sauce and covered with mashed potatoes) was brought out. It was quite good, but since we had just eaten our lunch a few hours before, I wasn't able to fully enjoy it on a stuffed stomach.

DAY 2
The following day, we strolled (more like drove) around Chatham, buying some souvenirs, and happened upon a few thrift shops. We bought a bunch of junk and ended up at Brax Landing in Harwich (the next town over) for lunch. We had lunch on their patio overlooking the water and it was quite pleasant under the bright sun. I had fish and chips (the fish was really light, crisp, and juicy) while Dear had some fried oysters.

We went back to the inn after lunch for some brownies and cookies, then napped before dinner. Lunch and tea were so filling, it was difficult to think about food even at 8:30, but we had to, since every place closes before 10pm in the off-season. For dinner, we returned to the Chatham Squire (we had take-out from there the first night so that I could stay in and watch Gilmore Girls) and had just enough time to eat a lobster salad (lots of lobster meat!) on a croissant and mussels with linguisa sausage.

DAY 3
On our last day, we went to an estate sale in Hyannis (home of the "Kennedy compound") that Dear found while surfing online. I've never been to one and it was kinda creepy and sad -- think of a bunch of strangers looking through a dead person's stuff, like a garage sale. What was even sadder was that a lot of the stuff wasn't that nice and it grossed me out to see cobwebs over everything and weeds in the backyard. We saw a kinda nice little black bench that we contemplated getting but it wasn't antique (could've been Target for all we know) and in the end we thought it wasn't worth it. On our drive back, it got noticeably cooler and it was nice to see all the fall colors (I truly love this season!).

Overall, it was a nice little relaxing vacation. I think I slept close to 12 hours one night, finally catching up on all my lost sleep! Unfortunately, Dear got a little sick since he wasn't prepared for the change in weather. :(

Lower boroughs traverse

This past weekend, we scouted out some photo locations, beginning with the SI Ferry. We had just missed one, so we waited in the new terminal for half an hour before the next one arrived. The day was very windy and it started to drizzle/rain as we boarded the boat so we stayed inside for the ride to SI. I think we stayed on the right side of the boat (I've forgotten all my boating terminology -- is it starboard?) to get a view of the Statue of Liberty. Once we arrived in SI (about 20 minutes later), we had to get off, walk around, and wait to go back on the ferry for the return trip. This time around it was no longer raining and we went up to the top deck, where I think it'd be easier/nicer to take pictures uninhibited by the roof on the deck below.

On our way back, we passed by the other ferry (the older one, which doesn't have a deck along the sides of the boat, just in the front and back, hence not optimal for many photo ops).

close-up (sorta) of the Statue of Liberty; I think the ride to SI gives you a closer view

returning back to Manhattan

closer view through the glass of the Brooklyn Bridge

As we approached Manhattan, I also noticed that the view on the other side of the boat is of Governor's Island, which provides a quaint background, something unexpected for New York.

Then we drove to DUMBO, in search of a nice cobblestone street to take pics with the cab (didn't really find any). We also located Brooklyn Bridge Park after much turning and driving through bumpy one-way roads. The park has awesome views of both the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge (too bad my camera decided to malfunction at this point). Next to the BBP is Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, which has the remains of an old tobacco factory (and now used for parties) and other interesting old structures. However, if you were to take wedding pictures in that park, it costs over $100. After many phone calls to the NYC Parks Department, the consensus seems to be that taking pictures in a city-owned park is free, if you're in a group of 25 ppl or less, and so long as there is no special setup required.

So it's decided -- we will take pics with the bridal party in DUMBO, with the cab, and at Brooklyn Bridge Park after the ceremony (I think we can get some fun, interesting, playful pics there). Then just the two of us will go on the SI Ferry (the wind and all will mess up our hair and such, so best to save for last) and by then we'll have spent maximum time with the cab (rather than letting it sit, waiting while we ride the ferry for an hour).

After the arduous day, we went to Red Hook for a late lunch at Schnack. The burgers & fries are comparable to the Shake Shack (definitely less greasy) but unfortunately I don't think I'd ever go back. It took a while to get my food due to a mistake (for which they apologized and gave it to me for free) but the worst part of the experience was the dead roach floating in Dear's lemonade. They claimed a true neighborhood experience or something like that, in which case, that's a pretty gross neighborhood. My "Best Deal" burger was not bad (very filling -- I couldn't fit dinner that night) and I thought the height and composition of it made a good pic:

Extra cake?

If you are the groom, stop reading! (though the chances that he is actually reading this are very slim.) I had always thought that the idea of a groom's cake (which are supposedly making a comeback) was just another wedding industry excuse for brides to spend more money so I thought I'd never even consider having one. The idea behind a groom's cake is that it is a gift to the groom from the bride (I once read that the traditional wedding cake is sometimes called the bridal cake or something) and it is often made to reflect the interests and tastes of the groom. Traditionally, the groom's cake would be sliced up and packaged for guests to take home. There are some superstitions about single women sleeping with it under their pillow and some variations on how a future husband would be in store for them.

Unlike the tiered white cakes that are often seen in weddings, the groom's cake is more casual and fun. So, for instance, if I were to get a groom's cake for Dear, it'd be the face of his latest watch (also the wedding gift I got for him a while back). The thing is, I think the idea and first glance at the cake would garner oohs and aahs but then afterwards, it's just a tiny detail that most won't appreciate. And Dear, being the practical person that he is, would probably rather save that extra money for some gadget that he can play with for longer than five minutes, rather than the extra calories the cake would be. However, I am also concerned that there isn't enough cake for everyone (we were going to supplement the existing tiered wedding cake with a dessert bar). So should I bother with this (somewhat expensive) detail? Any brides out there doing a groom's cake?

Here are some groom's cakes I thought were interesting:

And if I were to have a groom's cake, it'd be like this. But instead of a poker chip design, it'd be like this watch face.

Mmmmm... cake...

Today I had the best-est cake that I've had in a very long while! We met with the baker again today and she gave us two samples: mocha cake with raspberry filling and lemon cake with strawberry filling. I was a little worried b/c when we met with her previously, the mocha sample was a little dry and the fillings did not have much flavor. But I was astounded today -- the raspberry and strawberry flavors were very apparent, the cake was not dry, and altogether it was not very sweet (Chinese ppl do not like overly sweet things). Now the hard part -- which flavor to choose?!

The lemon cake with strawberry was very fruity-tasting and that's why I like the mocha one a smidgen more. I like the balance of the mocha (not very sweet, even notes of bitter) with the raspberry, where the contrast of each flavor heightens and complements the other. I also found the strawberry flavor a little artificial tasting but so far fiance, FFIL, and my brother both like the lemon/strawberry more.

I think FFIL's first reaction was shock that the mocha cake was dark (chocolate is practically black in color, which is a terrible thing to Chinese ppl, yet there is no problem with FMIL's dress being black -- I roll my eyes for yet another spin on logic vs. superstition where exceptions can always be made by the old folk for them to get their way). He also thought the cake was a little bitter, which I think is not such a bad thing (but I am one of the few ppl in America who prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate; what can I say, I have a sophisticated palate, haha!). Besides the flavor though, I like the idea of a different-looking cake (can you imagine how dramatic the dark cake would look coupled with the white fondant on the outside when you cut into the cake for pictures?)

My mother and I can't decide (she likes both too) which one we like. We'll see what my father says (he is very picky and I think he has a very Chinese-y palate). In the meantime, I may just settle for different flavors for different tiers and give the lemon one to the old Chinese ppl and the mocha to everyone else.

But other things to keep in mind -- the baker was saying that you have to be very specific to the Chinese restaurant about the way that you want the cake cut b/c oftentimes they'll slice it however they want, even cutting tiers in half so that you just get this glob of messy cake (maybe even without any frosting) on your (paper) plate. She says that they're mostly used to cutting Chinese cake, which is not very tall (and is usually just one layer) so they might think something like our 5" tall tiers composed of at least 3 layers is meant to be cut in half. Aiya! So we may have to designate a cake-slicer from among our friends (or someone to supervise the cake-cutting). My boss, who used to be in catering, is always called upon to cut cake whenever something special is being celebrated in the office b/c he always cuts a concentric circle in the middle so that the middle part can be saved and the celebrant can bring it home (like a mini cake) so I was thinking that I'd ask him to cut it. HAHAHA -- that would continue the running joke but I don't think anyone would find it funny and it'd probably be weird.

Anyway, I'm pretty satisfied with our baker and we made it official by giving her a deposit. I'll hold off on giving a final review until after everything is said and done but so far I'm happy and she's been pretty accomodating and helpful with the designs and flavors. Check out Silk Cakes if you need a cake for any special occasion!

Cakes

Despite my funk, I do look forward to the decisions about the cake and these pictures make me happy.

I love the different textures of each layer (above) and the monogram on the second tier. Instead of the monogram, though, I think I'd like it to be a double happiness character in red. And instead of a flower topper, I can't decide whether or not to do a red gumpaste ribbon, with it draped down the sides, like below.


Similar look but with a real ribbon:


These flowers also add a gorgeous texture (but are they considered white flowers and hence, bad?)


A different combination of a ribbon and flower texture look.


A different ribbon look to incorporate some color (not crazy about the daisies though).


Other textures/background flowers I like:

Cookie cards

The other day I received a wedding invitation from a friend and instead of the usual enclosed cookie card, she included a Starbucks gift card. I think this is a great, creative idea, and a good alternative to the traditional cookie card. We already got our cookie cards from my favorite Chinese bakery earlier this year so we'll go the traditional route. But to follow up on that previous post, I did some research on the reason for this custom, and the following is what I learned.

BACKGROUND
According to Rosemary Gong, a bride will have a 'cookie day' about a month before the wedding where the groom is supposed to deliver a pig, pastries, and all sorts of other types of food depending on various regional customs. I've always thought of this as more of a 'pig day' b/c delivering a whole roast pig is such a big spectacle but I guess the cookies are supposed to be the main event. Gong says the pig (symbol of purity) is supposed to be carried in headfirst and there's supposed to be lots of fancy pastries too, all of which is to be divided in half and returned to the groom (for example, if he brought two chickens, he would get one back). The pig's head, feet, and tail are also returned. What remains is then distributed amongst the bride's relatives. Here's where the cookie cards come in: Gong says that for brides who are too busy to set aside a day for this, they can send out the cookie cards to their relatives so that they can redeem them for pastries on their own. From my experience, it has always been whoever is a guest of the bride receives a card along with their invitation, not just relatives.

Similarly, a while ago, my mother said that the 'new' thing to do over in Hong Kong is to give out cards that relatives can redeem for food (in lieu of getting a portion of the pig and other food) at certain Chinese restaurants so that ppl can forego the headache of getting and delivering a pig. According to Gong, lucky money (hong bao, or lai see to you Cantonese ppl) can be substituted with a list of what the money is intended for written on the envelope. I think for ease, my parents would rather do the card thing only but I think the experience would be a good story to tell future generations.

The Chinese banquet

I've come across quite a few ppl (in person and through reading blogs) who don't want to do any kind of an Asian banquet or food (with the exception of sushi). I, however, loooooove the Chinese banquet. I've left Western-style receptions hungry and I often am amazed that this could be the case even though they are usually more expensive than the Chinese banquet. And their choice of food is usually just 3 types: chicken, fish, or beef. I hardly ever order chicken or fish b/c I think it's very hard to prepare (meaning it's often overcooked), especially when it's not cooked on-site. I much prefer the Chinese banquet, not just b/c I like the variety (and often quality) of the food, but also b/c each element has a meaning.

To begin with, there are usually nine courses (nine connotes 'everlasting' in Chinese) in a banquet. Another reason for so much food is to symbolize abundance and also the family's wealth. Also, all the food is served whole (including the chicken's feet and head; the fish with its eyes, fin and tail; the lobster with its head and tail) because serving only certain pieces is considered 'broken.' According to Rosemary Gong in Good Luck Life,

The wedding banquet menu is carefully selected for a culinary balance. To accomplish this feat, various cooking methods are adopted to achieve an array of flavors to awaken the palate. Cold balances hot, salt neutralizes sweet, boiled offsets fried, steaming equalizes braising. The presentation and color of the food is also important so that the combination of courses harmonizes with the eye as well as the tummy.

To illustrate, here is a sample menu of what I remember the banquet hall offered for their basic meal (plus my editorial comments, as always :P [pictures don't do this food justice, but these are from a banquet in a London Chinese restaurant, courtesy of beifan.com]):

• Cold appetizer platter: roast suckling pig with crispy skin (yum!!; this symbolizes virginity), pickled jellyfish (I love the crunchiness and surprising lightness of this), ham and other cold cuts (some places have the thinly sliced 5-spice beef that's popular in Shanghai-nese cooking)


• Walnut shrimp: huge fried shrimp (prawns?) coated lightly with a sweet mayo sauce, plus tossed candied walnuts; since some of the ILs have issues with the heavy sauce, I am leaning towards the salt and pepper variety, if it's offered
• Shark's fin (for prosperity) or bird's nest soup (symbolizing youthfulness and long life): both are Chinese delicacies and take hours of preparation so it is usually^* very flavorful and good!

• Stir-fried lobster: symbolizes the dragon, the essence of the husband; sometimes these are served in pairs (pairs are a good thing to Chinese ppl)


• Braised abalone, sea cucumber, and vegetable: long leafy greens, though difficult to manuever with chopsticks, are often served whole to wish long life
  
• Crispy, whole fried chicken: symbolizes the female part of the marriage equation, the phoenix (Chinese mythological bird); often served with colorful shrimp chips
  
• Whole steamed fish (symbolizing abundance): the fish is never flipped (deriving from old fisherman's superstition of flipping the fish like flipping a boat) but the waiter will usually de-bone it for each table when it arrives
  
• Fried rice and noodles, often served as a pair (I think the noodles symbolize long life)
  
• Red bean soup (red for good luck and long ago my Chinese teacher told me there was a meaning to red beans, like friendship or something, but I forgot): this sweet dessert soup sometimes has lotus seeds added to it to 'wish the blessing of successive sons'; if I had my druthers, I'd rather have the coconut milk tapioca soup with taro, which I like a lot better b/c I'm not a fan of beans
• Wedding cake (often served with the sweet soup) and I don't remember if fresh fruit is also served, or if that is just something that happens after regular Chinese dinners
  

Somewhere I kinda remember there being a T-bone steak which I don't like the Chinese preparation of so it probably won't be on our menu. With all this food, served family style, there is usually a lazy susan in the middle of the table (and hence, no room for centerpieces). There are also the requisite pots of tea and bottles of soda in the middle (7-Up is usually there b/c the translation of it means 'happiness' or something -- another thing I forgot from my Chinese teacher). *Some restaurants, of course, have better cooking than others. I'm pretty happy with the place we picked -- the last time we were there, there were quite a few non-Asians there b/c I think it's listed in Zagat's. Plus b/c FFIL knows the ppl there, they won't serve sub-par food in order to 'save face.' Yum and yay! All this talk of food is making me hungry!