Chinese American Museum Foundation Dinner 11/4/06

Recently I attended the Chinese American Museum Foundation’s annual fundraiser. This was a Chinese banquet meal for over 300 people at Furama Restaurant. Chumei Ho, who is the director of the Chinese American Museum, was very kind to keep reminding me of this Event. Chumei has been very helpful in arranging the Chinese BBQ Tour as well as a lecture on Americanized Chinese. Chumei is very enthusiastically interested in Chinese food as well as a historian of the Chinese experience in America.

Chumei was very kind to include my friend Ellen and I at her table. As events unfolded, we began to realize we were seated with the guests of honor. Our tablemates included Mrs. Ping Tom and her son Darryl, the deceased Mr. Ping Tom has Chinatown's Ping Tom Park named in his honor. Mr. Ping Tom was head of Chinese American Corporation, which donated a quarter million dollars to the foundation at this dinner. Unexpected to Chumei, she and her husband Bennett Bronson were the guests of honor for this dinner honoring their efforts on behalf of the Chinese American Museum.

While I may sound like Kup at the moment, I also wanted to emphasize this was an important occasion for Chicago's Chinese community. It was also an opportunity to try large-scale Chinese banquet food, which is rare to my experience. If I don't cook Chinese myself or at a friend's home, then my other experience is Chinese restaurant food made at the moment.

When we arrived there was a cold appetizer tray starting at noon going clockwise: BBQ Pork, fried seaweed wrapped crab, roast duck, ham and jellyfish in the center. I loved the fried seaweed wrapped crab, which I was not alone because it disapeered quickly.



Each of the subsequent dishes arrived one at a time, which allowed you to concentrate specifically on the dish before turning your attention to the next.

Shrimp and Scallops with vegetables:


Soy Chicken, please note how it is arranged with the chicken's head present:


The soy chicken was especially favored by Darryl Tom who kept returning to it as dinner progressed.

Beef and Broccoli:


Fried tofu with Snow peas resting on a bed of bok choy:


Those tofu pillows crisp on the outside and soft inside just melted in your mouth.

Braised Shiitake mushrooms over Chinese broccoli:


Peking Pork Chops:


I could not initially remember this dish. I contact my hosts whose explanation was so detailed and thorough, I am quoting them directly:

Joe Chiu wrote:That dish in question is known by several names in different area restaurants, but they all have similar recipe - seasoned bone-in pork chops or meaty pork ribs deep fried in light batter cooked in a light sweet and sour or orange flavor sauce. The dish is called Peking Pork Chops at the Furama Restaurant where the banquet was held. Other restaurants may call it King Do Ribs or King Do Pork Chops or even Mandarin Ribs. Peking, now Beijing is the Capital of China and the Qin Dynasty. King Do is literary or formal Cantonese rendition of the word capital. If you go to a Cantonese in Chinatown and ask for King Do Ribs, the wait staff would probably understand it even if their restaurant may call the dish something else.

Steamed whole Flounder:


I commented how Chinese consider it bad luck to flip a fish over once it has been finished on one side. Darryl demonstrated there is no need to flip once you lift the fish frame off, then you can freely reach the remaining fish.

At the conclusion of this meal was the first time rice was present during this entire meal. Unfortunately the fried rice was largely untouched because everyone was quite full from the prior dishes:


Entertainment at this meal was a series of speakers, Dragon dancing and once all the ceremonies were over, there was karaoke and dancing. Toward the end of the festivities, it felt like attending a family wedding because everyone was so relaxed and happy.

Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
238 West 23rd Street
Chicago, Illinois
312-949-1000

New Furama Restaurant
2828 S Wentworth Ave # 2
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 225-6888

Cathy2 wrote:When we arrived there was a cold appetizer tray starting at noon going clockwise: BBQ Pork, fried seaweed wrapped crab, roast duck, ham and squid in the center.

Cathy2,

It's not squid at the center, it is jellyfish.
These dishes are on standard wedding menu at Chinese restaurants. I guess since it is a fundraising dinner, cost can be reduced by eliminating the soup and the ginger/scallion stir-fried lobster!

Nghe wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:When we arrived there was a cold appetizer tray starting at noon going clockwise: BBQ Pork, fried seaweed wrapped crab, roast duck, ham and squid in the center.

Cathy2,

It's not squid at the center, it is jellyfish.
These dishes are on standard wedding menu at Chinese restaurants. I guess since it is a fundraising dinner, cost can be reduced by eliminating the soup and the ginger/scallion stir-fried lobster!

You're right, I wasn't thinking. I will edit in the correct item!

Thanks!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Toward the end of the festivities, it felt like attending a family wedding because everyone was so relaxed and happy.

Cathy,

Sounds a wonderful evening, thanks for sharing your experience and terrific pictures.

Enjoy,
Gary

Nghe wrote:These dishes are on standard wedding menu at Chinese restaurants. I guess since it is a fundraising dinner, cost can be reduced by eliminating the soup and the ginger/scallion stir-fried lobster!

I had sent a link to the hosts, who commented you were exactly right about the missing courses. It was done for precisely the reasons stated.

Interesting this meal composition is typical Chinese wedding faire, now I wish I was invited to a Chinese wedding!

Regards,