Fourth Annual eGS Asian Lunar New Year Dinner

[M.X.Hassett]

Ha, in the last picture posted by Jason..you can see the mold Rachel made for us. The dismount of the mold was also another great moment during the evening. You got hot tea and willing participants? Anything can happen!

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The musical backround was very fittings for the dismount. Thanks Rachel.

[Anonymouze]

Oh I did like the other noodles (not the capsicum! yikes!) but the other ones and I liked the chicken with the sticky rice it was a bit dry but otherwise good. Hubby took picture and video and will email them to anyone who wants em to post on here or he may even show me how to do it since I'm not the video/camera literate of the two of us. I'm good at laughing, eating and sleeping! LOL

[M.X.Hassett]

Oh I did like the other noodles (not the capsicum! yikes!) but the other ones

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There were the "Cold Firm Bean Curd" and the "Stir-Fried Shanghai Noodles" in addition to the Capsicum all of wich were exellent. They may have had green in them though .

[Fat Guy]

Of the Chinese New Year banquets I've been to at China 46 (three, I believe), this was my favorite. I felt the choices, pace and quantity were just right. Needless to say, there was some variance, and I agree that the service ground to a halt at a couple of points. But the overall level was very high.

Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles - the spiciest I've tasted at C46, and I've had this dish quite a few times

Cold Firm Bean Curd with Cilantro and Sesame Oil - enjoyable, if you like these you can always get an unlimited quantity at the Sunday brunch

Pork and String Bean Jiaozi Dumplings - a nice change, but I still think the best come from the original formula

Exotic Greens with Pork and Tofu Soup - C46 does a range of great soups, this one was at the low end of the range

Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Squid - I'm puzzled by the shell complaints, because that's just how the dish is

Crispy Tofu Skin Wrapped Flounder - always good

Peking Duck - ditto

Ruby Pork with Sesame Buns - ditto

Braised Whole Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice - not as good as previous specimens, only the dark meat was moist

Saute Fresh Shitake Mushroom with Fresh Bamboo Hearts - really nice dish, creating the illusion of virtue

Stir-fried Shanghai Noodles - best ones I've had

Fruit Platter - melon was underripe

Prosperity Gelatin Mold - there are no words

[M.X.Hassett]

Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Squid - I'm puzzled by the shell complaints, because that's just how the dish is

Same thought here to my knowledge that is the authentic prep although I thought they normally also have the head on, the only part of the shrimp I care for.

Braised Whole Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice - not as good as previous specimens, only the dark meat was moist

I found the dark meat to be dry also, but not to the extreme that the white meat was for me this was the only upset of the evening.

Prosperity Gelatin Mold

as I stated before we must submit this to MoMa and now we have a great title, maybe a performence art piece the mold is made then consumed.

Edit: The Prosperity Gelatin Mold should also be submitted to Momo for official tasting.

Edited January 30, 2006 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[Fat Guy]

Thanks to all who came for your generous contributions. This fundraiser brought $600 to the eGullet Society.

[M.X.Hassett]

Thanks to all who came for your generous contributions. This fundraiser brought $600 to the eGullet Society.

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Great it will be nice to see it help out the Scholarship Program and further enhancements to the tech. capacity of the site. What a great way to have a good meal with friends and help people at the same time.

[Rachel Perlow]

Ha, in the last picture posted by Jason..you can see the mold Rachel made for us. The dismount of the mold was also another great moment during the evening. You got hot tea and willing participants? Anything can happen!

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You see, the jello didn't want to release, and the place was just too crowded and the servers too busy to try to ask for a basin of hot water. So, Jo-Mel came up with the brilliant idea of pouring tea over it. But, how to do that without making a mess? Place napkin over dirty platter, pour warm tea over upside down mold. Punch hole in center of bundt pan covered with plastic so the tea drains, and hold slightly sideways so the tea drains off the bundt pan serving plate. Turn back over, remove plastic confirm it is loose on the edges, Yeah! The flip and plop. Success!

[SobaAddict70]

Now we just have to do the planning for next year's event.

[Purple Pirate]

I had a great time at the banquet. It was nice meeting everybody!

The service at C46 has never exactly been exemplary. Would have been nice to get the hot tea and water refilled. A new plate at least after the appetizers would have been greatly appreciated.

Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles - very spicy and delicious

Cold Firm Bean Curd with Cilantro and Sesame Oil - have had this at the Sunday brunch and enjoy it very much

Pork and String Bean Jiaozi Dumplings - very good

Exotic Greens with Pork and Tofu Soup - I found it bland...especially after the Spicy Capsicum Cellophane Noodles

Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Squid - I too am puzzled by the shell complaints...this is how the dish is done

Crispy Tofu Skin Wrapped Flounder - good

Peking Duck - excellent

Ruby Pork with Sesame Buns - I have heard many raves about this dish and thought it was very good

Braised Whole Chicken Stuffed with Sticky Rice - this might have been my favorite dish of the evening...I didn't find any part of it to be dry

Saute Fresh Shitake Mushroom with Fresh Bamboo Hearts - nice accompaniment

Stir-fried Shanghai Noodles - good

Fruit Platter - I agree that the melon was underripe

The entertainment portion of the evening was a good length....at least what we were able to view.

I look forward to attending future banquets and events run via Egullet.

Matt...the after-party never occurred. :-)

[tommy]

Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Squid - I too am  puzzled by the shell complaints...this is how the dish is done

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several places that i've been to that make this dish, including C46, sometimes ask if you want it prepared without the shell. it shouldn't come as a suprise to anyone that most people unfamiliar with the cuisine probably don't think to eat the shell, or don't find it to be an appetzing concept. i'm puzzled that people are puzzled.

personally, i eat the shell, and all of the shells that my guests leave on their plates. my friend eats the tails, but i draw the line there.

on another note, the spicy capsicum noodle steps all over just about everything you'll have aftewards. i try to save it for the end of a meal.

[Jason Perlow]

on another note, the spicy capsicum noodle steps all over just about everything you'll have aftewards.  i try to save it for the end of a meal.

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One of the reasons why we chose the exotic greens soup for its cooling effect.

[whitetrufflechick]

Didn't want the day to go by without posting to say what a great time I had last night! Good food, very interesting people and a great cause. Thanks to all who spent time organizing and running the feast.

Already looking forward to next year!

[Fat Guy]

Salt and Pepper Shrimp and Squid - I'm puzzled by the shell complaints, because that's just how the dish is

Same thought here to my knowledge that is the authentic prep although I thought they normally also have the head on, the only part of the shrimp I care for.

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I speculated about that as well and came up with several hypothesws:

- The shrimp arrived from the purveyor without heads

- The shrimp were so big they had to be butterflied for even cooking, making it difficult to leave the heads on

- The heads would have been too big to be edible, because the whole salt-and-pepper shrimp thing works kind of like the whole soft-shell crab thing: the parts that would be unpleasant to eat raw get denatured by the flash frying and become a crusty, chewy, delicious thing. I don't think that works beyond a certain scale, though

I guess we can ask.

[winewizard]

Hats off to Jason & Rachel!!! The Chinese New Year Dinner reflected extraordinary planning and organization...

Champagne, wine & beer galore...

Amazing food...awesome company...astounding value; and, entertainment to boot!

We could not have had a better time. Once again, kudos to all who made it happen.

[tommy]

the s/p shrimp i've seen at the sunday brunch are smaller and do have their heads on.

[jo-mel]

A few more thoughts --

Those capsicum noodles did what they are best at doing ------ getting your taste buds alive so that the following flavors could be savored. And ---- they sure did!

The bland soup was also a balancer. After !hot & spicy! noodles and chewy jiaozi, the soup was a mild slippery easy swallower.

As Rachel pointed out to me, --- probably one of the most expensive dishes on the table were the mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Those shoots were fresh. Such a difference from canned ones! Even the ones you used to see in the supermarkets, that were in bins in water, were canned. But now fresh ones are available all over and they are like a whole new taste! Wonderful!

You really had to see the unmolded Prosperity Gelatin react to the drum beat! There it was, sitting on the table in all its colorful glory, and as the drums beat out their deep throb, the jello reacted. But the funniest part was the shimmer quiver when the drums went into a stacatto --- (or whatever that drum roll is called). It was alive!! Did the cam-corder pick it up?

I didn't find the chicken dry, but then I concentrated on the stuffing and all the treasures in it.

BTW -- anyone know what the 'exotic' green in the soup was? My enlivened taste buds couldn't pick it out.

Nice that the Scholarship Program benefited by our gustatory pleasures!

[marge201]

Totally enjoyed the evening! Really appreciate the effort involved in making it happen. VERY NICE PEOPLE and DELICIOUS FOOD. Will be sure to attend next year's event and look forward to other egullet events, too.

Rachel, your jello mold was FABULOUS. Hit the spot. Too bad they served the underripe melon cold. Room temperature is the only hope it had to be edible.

Marge (I wore purple and sat with Mike and Helen, Marlene, Stanley, Steve, and forgive me but I forget the names of Mike & Helen's partners in Silver Oak Bistro, which I can't wait to try.)

[PicnicChef]

Hi!

Nice to meet everyone! Enjoyed all the food, although it was a lot to digest! Way too much for me... But...there's always room for jello! Company was wonderful as well. Thanks for making a newbie feel welcome!

Christine

[Beth E.]

Sorry we had to miss this year's dinner. With Eric's busy schedule Sunday is the only day for family get togethers so we had obligations with family (who wouldn't eat that varied a menu.)

The menu sounds yummy to me and it sounds like everyone had a great time. Glad to see the pictures. Hope to be there next year.

[Anonymouze]

Okay I have forwarded the pictures to Rachel from my husband including her rainbow gelatin mold... I am sure she'll know how to get them to be seen here far better than I would have been able to! Even one of them carving the duck!

[Rachel Perlow]

Some pics taken by Anonymouze's hubby:

SobaAddict70, Marlene, Fat Guy, the backs of our friends from Silver Oak Bistro

The folks at the corner table seem to be debating the heat of the Capsicum Noodles

Peking Duck Carving

Rachel Perlow, Jo-Mel and her husband Jim, and Spinner, enjoying the Peking Duck

Rachel's Prosperity Gelatin Mold

[Anonymouze]

Thanks Rachel! That mold is a work of art... very beautiful! Now we need you to make another for the MOMA!

[Rachel Perlow]

When searching for the picture of Shanghai Noodles* someone requested in the regular China 46 thread, I ran across some others of the dishes we had last week. I thought I'd repost them here so you can see what they looked like, even though the food itself was from other visits to the restaurant. The pictures not in quotes are by Jason, the other was enbedded in quotes to give credit to the appropriate poster.

Exotic Greens with Pork Soup

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Ruby Pork

Spicy Capsicum Noodles

Jiaozi

Sticky Rice Stuffed Chicken

Tofu Skin Wrapped Flounder

* I searched and searched but could not find a picture of the Stir Fried Shanghai Noodle!

[Kent Wang]

What is the Ruby Pork?