Backlog #3 - Caterer Meetings

Prior to heading off to Bellevue for the Washington State Open Badminton Tournament, D and I met with a couple of caterers...

May 14 | Thursday | Sugar Mountain Catering
We trekked (except we didn't walk :P) all the way to New West on Thursday night to meet with David of Sugar Mountain Catering. He was very nice and very helpful. He prepared three dishes for us:

Papaya and brie quesadillas with tomato-cilantro salsa

Coconut prawns with pineapple-tamarind chutney
(which D said hurt his mouth -_-)

Pan-roasted halibut with wasabi mashed potatoes and tobiko-ginger butter

Everything tasted delicious! David has about 10 years experience in the catering business. He has also done weddings at the UBC Boathouse before, which is a plus. In terms of pricing, Sugar Mountain has the best price so far. The only minute draw back I can think of (and this is being nitpicky) is that the food's not extraordinary. They're good but they're not wow-these-are-amazingly-and-interestingly good. When it comes down to deciding which caterer we'll go for, we'll see if "good" will be good enough.

May 15 | Friday | Diva at The Metropolitan Hotel
D and I took Friday off and ventured downtown to have lunch with Chantel, the catering manager of Diva. We just ordered food from their lunch menu and, as expected, everything was good... interestingly good. I didn't take pictures of what we ordered but here's a list:

• warm beet salad with chèvre | gathered greens & caramelized onions, beetroot reduction with horseradish crisp
• avocado & dungeness crab salad | trio of melons dressed with lemon oil
• grilled petit fillet mignon | pomme fondant, spring vegetables, béarnaise & red wine jus
• diva’s smoked black cod | poached hen egg, leek & potato presse, grain mustard beurre blanc
• dark chocolate & almond bar | espresso pot de crème, caramel ice cream
• valrhona chocolate pudding | dulce de leche & vanilla rum pearls, banana ice cream
• and another dessert that had churros... but I forgot the name

No, D and I weren't THAT greedy that we had 3 desserts. We actually shared it with Chantel. Anyway, the meeting went well. Chantel is very animated and great to talk to. The Metropolitan Hotel is also very experienced when it comes to catering. If we were to go for Diva, we know the food will be interestingly yummy and special. The draw back? Price of course. But their pricing isn't unreasonably high. It can actually be comparable to Sugar Mounatain's.

We're currently setting up a meeting with another caterer, Two Chefs and a Table. We're quite eager to see what they have to offer. Based on their introductory email, their pricing may fall between Sugar Mountain's and Diva's.

Here are some tips when meeting with caterers:

• Try the food - Yes, I know this is an obvious one. But apparently, some caterers are stingy and they charge for tastings. If you really want that caterer, pay for it.
• Clarify the pricing - Different caterers price differently. The price per head Sugar Mountain quoted us, for example, already included labor costs. Diva, on the other hand, was only for food. So ask questions like, does the price include the linens and cutlery? What about kitchen equipment rental? Does the price include clean up?
• Take notes when tasting food - It can help you remember the tasting better.
• Talk about dietary requirements - Luckily not a lot of people are allergic to chicken like me and my brother. However, surely others have more pressing dietary needs. Bring them up!
• Talk about taste preference - My mom's taste buds tends to more on the salty side. Good caterers should be able to accomodate such specific individual requests.
• Talk about what you want - We were told that some (bad) caterers won't stray from their menu. Basically, you can only choose from their menu. This is your day! Why should you be limited to what they can offer? Good caterers will be open to the idea of creating a whole new custom menu just to please you. Again, it is your day.

Ok, I am all caught up now! Hope you enjoyed reading the three postings I composed today. Thank you Memorial Day for making this possible :P Shh. Plethora of comments please :)