Hey Hive!
Now that a lot of people here have already gotten vaccinated, I'm very happy to hear that Singapore is now allowing in-house dining again but obviously you have to be vaccinated. But since there aren't any restrictions this allows us to try out different food places again!
So back in Dec 2022, one of Sean's high school friends got married and invited us to their wedding reception! It was in a fancy hotel in town called swissotel, and it had been a while since we attended a wedding together so we got all dressed up and everything!
Source: Booking.com
The wedding banquet was a lunch (since it's relatively cheaper) so we got up early and headed to the hotel and it was to take place specifically in the Skai Suites ballroom within swissotel!
Source: swissotel
I felt so out of place since this was a really fancy hotel and it had been a while since we set foot in such a fancy place. The ballroom was all the way up on level 69 (nice).
We actually got there a little late and after we checked in with the reception we made our way to the table.
The ballroom was actually a pretty decent size! There were about 20 tables with 10 people at each table. It was quite a crowd; I wasn't used to so many people in 1 place since covid tbh.
It was full of the friends and family of the bride and groom from different parts of their lives. It seems like the family were seated up front near the stage, and the friends at the back. While waiting for the reception to start we listened to the music playing on their curated playlist and there was even a live band set to perform and you could request songs to them in the meantime!
We checked out the menu while waiting and they had quite a few dishes lined up! It was definitely a fancy banquet with multiple courses.
After waiting for a bit they started the program! The emcee (who was also half of the band) started talking and introduced the bride and groom, doing the usual wedding spiel, and the classic childhood montage played on the big screen. There were huge screens along the walls too so tables in the back didn't have to crane their neck to see in front at least!
There were montages and videos of their childhood, the morning ceremonies (a Chinese custom done here called Gatecrashing where the groom has to go through a series of challenges to earn the right to see his bride), as well as their official wedding photos!
It was very cliche and traditional but sweet nonetheless. The dishes were served between each montage video and the band sang while we ate.
The first course was the cold appetiser which included a Spring Roll, Fried Crabmeat ball, Sliced Suckling Pig, Unagi Maki Roll and a Mini Japanese Octopus. Half of it was fried though so I think they were better warm than cold at least.
But it was still pretty alright! The only thing I didn't really like was the Japanese Octopus, since the texture was too soft and chewy for my liking, and the sauce was a little sweet and spicy. The rest were pretty good although I'm not a fan of cold food.
The next dish was Braised Fish Maw Soup, which has replaced most sharks fin soup nowadays, with the whole controversy about how that's prepared. This was a nice welcome after the cold appetiser.
The soup was hearty and savoury, and was quite light as well. It wasn't as thick as some other fish maw soups I've had and was quite nice.
There was quite a lull after the first two courses with the bride and groom doing the walk down the aisle of the ballroom as well as the speeches. The couple looked so lovely walking down the aisle together!
While there was nothing going on we excused ourselves and went to check out the bathroom which was really lovely! The girls' bathroom even had a nice vanity area for people to touch up their makeup.
After we returned it was time for more food!
The next dish was Deep Fried Jumbo Prawn with fresh pomelo and mango puree. The prawn was slightly warm but crispy and juicy too! I was kinda iffy on the mango puree though since it was a little sweet. Initially I thought it was some mayonnaise and maybe they did add in a little bit but it was still quite sweet. The prawn was still yummy though!
Then came the next dish which I guess is one of the entrees! This was Roast Chicken with sweet walnuts and a prawn cracker. It also came with some Himalayan salt which was nice since the sauce and the walnut were really quite sweet.
After all the sweet things previously I was looking forward to something more savoury and thought this chicken would be it, but I had to balance the sweetness with the salt which also had a plum taste and wasn't pure salt unfortunately. The chicken was alright but it wasn't crispy and a little cold.
Then it was time for the bride and groom to do their costume change and walk down the aisle again! They did the classic pouring of the champagne and all that before our next course was served!
This was Steamed Seabass with soya sauce which was actually really yummy! It was quite light and the fish was nicely steamed so it was healthy and thankfully didn't have bones! The skin was a little chewy and smooth which contrasted well with the texture of the flesh.
After that we had Braised 8-head Abalone, fish maw and nai bai (a Chinese vegetable). I was hoping to get more veggies and I guess this was it. I'm not a big fan of abalone though and this was a little chewy but not as tough as I expected. The sauce was good though.
The next dish was my absolute favourite - Ee Fu noodle! This one came with mixed seafood which meant a shrimp and a scallop. I was already pretty full by this point but this is one of my favourite noodle dishes so I had to finish it!
The noodles were soft and smooth, and the gravy had a light savoury taste. I didn't really need the added seafood but I ate it anyway and the scallop was nice although some separate sauce to go with them would've been nice.
The dishes look small but by this point I was pretty full. Granted this was my first meal of the day but it was still pretty filling despite the noodles being the only carb.
Last but not least was the dessert which was probably the most filling of all! This was Pumpkin Yam Paste with gingko nut and lotus seeds.
Colloquially referred to as Orh Nee, this is a Teochew dish with decades of history and nostalgia. I guess they chose this for the older relatives, and it is a pretty common dessert for Chinese weddings, although I would've preferred something lighter to round out the meal.
It was way too filling for us and I think we ended up not finishing it although I really didn't want to waste any food. I was soo stuffed I could barely move! But as the wedding wound down, the emcee said their goodbyes and everyone was just left chatting on their own, we took a walk and enjoyed the view.
Thankfully the sky was pretty clear and the weather was nice and bright but not sunny. The air-conditioning was a little cool but I could see the ballroom getting quite warm if the sun is too hot. Everything was nicely done though and we had a great time enjoying the food and celebrating our friends' nuptials!
Thanks so much for reading!
To find out more about me, check out my intro post here!
Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍
Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!
Want to have your post on the map too?
Join the foodie fun! We've given you a FOODIE boost. Come check it out at @foodiesunite for the latest community updates. Spread your gastronomic delights on and claim your tokens.
The place is so perfect! 🤗 And the foods looks so tasty and delicious. 🤗