Jillian, true to form, put thought and effort into every detail of the table. Gorgeous shades of red, orange and gold draped the table, the sideboard, even hung from the ceiling! Mandarin oranges, flowers and tea lights dotted the length of a long, low table that was surrounded by multitudes of throw pillows as seating.
Josh (and Alyssa) started off the evening with a course of two pressed sushis. One was a salmon & tuna square, the other was a Spam musubi. The Spam had been pan fried in teryaki sauce and was sandwiched between small layers of rice with a hint of furikake (nori sprinkles). The fish had been cut to criss-cross the square, giving the recipient about two bites of each delicious fish.
Karen & David brought on course number two with a rich and spicy tom yum soup with shrimp & mushrooms, accompanied with beautiful little handmade dumplings. The unassuming presentation of the course belied the complexities of the flavors. The layers within the soup were just delightful - each bite brought a new flavor forward... followed by a swift kick of spice. The lemongrass was my particular favorite note. The dumplings were little bites of heaven - delicate to the tooth, but a good punch of flavor!
The next dish was as close to a salad course as we came. Jen and Andrew passed two plates - one of bright green butter lettuce leaves and then one of a ground chicken and peanut filling. Following those was a sweet red pepper sauce. Lettuce wraps done right! So much better than the super salty, goopy PF Changs wraps.
After a brief interlude of more drinking (which happened to be white wine for the night, with a shot of sake here and there), gabbing and a leg stretch, Gerald and Jillian brought out the very traditional whole chickens for the main course. Chickens. Plural. Each couple was presented with their own game hen, smoked and coated in an orange glaze. It is very bad luck to cut the bird before it's presented at the table, so they were brought to the table whole and cut there! Accompanying the chickens was a side of peanut noodles, again for good luck. The noodles were delicious, perfectly sauced, and the chickens were just outrageously good! Perfectly done, juicy and very, very flavorful.
Finally, to round out our Asian feast, Chris and Chris made traditional mooncakes for dessert. Not excessively sweet, these delicious little pastries were filled with a smooth bean paste, and baked to perfection with a lovely golden sheen on top. They were just three or four bites but it was the perfect amount. And because no Chinese dinner would be complete without them, fortune cookies were passed for everyone as well! While were enjoying our cakes and cookies, Jillian pointed out a little red bag next to each place. A red envelope with money is traditionally given to kids at New Years, but since we aren't kids we got chocolate and lotto tickets! Better in my book.
The Rhodes' hosted a really wonderful night with food that was out of this world brought by all. I for one feel extremely lucky already to have such fabulous friends to share these nights with.
nián nián yǒu yú
Amazing you are brilliant when it comes to pulling it all together! Thank you for documenting an awesome night!
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