Wish I could be there - have a wonderful time!

Gypsy Boy wrote:Too sick to come without infecting all; missing this party is killing me. SO my ticket is for sale if anyone wishes.

There is one ticket available in case someone can make it.

Very sad to miss this one too . . . just a tough time of year coordinating holiday parties. Have a blast everyone.

Thanks to everyone for putting this delightful event together!
I dig my grab bag present too...but there was no tag! Who gave the garlic dressing, plum jelly, and honey mustard in the nifty red bag?

What a great party we had last night. Let me again thank the incredible team of David Hammond and Cathy2 for putting together a stellar event. The staff at Katy's couldn't have been nicer. Although they were few in number, they handled the needs of our boisterous crowd perfectly, and the food...well what can I say. Katy's exceeded my already lofty expectations and I was glad to have the chance to sample a few dishes that aren't in my normal rotation.

Here's pictures of a few of the dishes we had. Sorry to have missed getting pictures of several courses, but these are a few highlights.

Chinese Cold Platter








These were works of art. I never expected something like these to appear on our tables. The kitchen at Katy's has some serious art chops.

Baked Spongy Gluten with Vegetarian Delicacies


Most of the people at my table initially thought this was a beef dish. The rich umami flavor of the baked spongy gluten was excellent and a real eye opener. This was one of my favorite dishes of the night and something I had not tried at Katy's before.

Raffle Prizes Waiting to be Won


Emerald Shrimp


Pretty, but not something I'd order again when there are so many other outstanding dishes at Katy's.

Cold Szechuan Noodles


Vegetarian Eel


An interesting mushroom or gluten preparation, but I'm not sure I can equate the mouthfeel or taste to any eel I've ever had.

Not pictured: Many other courses including all of the Katy's "standards", which have been pictured many times before. For the complete menu, see the first post in this thread.

Thanks for a great meal and great company, folks!

Our table also thought the spongy gluten was a beef dish initially. Interesting stuff.
The eel was definitely a deep-fried shiitake. Nice flavors and textures on that.
I'd have liked to have seen the noodle dishes spread out throughout the meal a little more -- it seemed like noodle overkill at the end of the meal, but loved them all. (Still not a fan of tendon, but the soup itself was terrific)

Whoever got the Jameson-filled chocolates, they came direct from Dublin.

JoelF wrote:Whoever got the Jameson-filled chocolates, they came direct from Dublin.

After a bit of horse trading involving the larger than life wok, I ended up with the chocolates. Thank you very much for those.

The vegetarian eel was, for me, the night's special eating experience. I had third helpings, knowing that there was more food coming, but loving each bite. NR706 speculated, and I believe he's correct, that this dish is prepared with dehydrated mushrooms, rehydrated, and wok-fried. Someone (stevez?) suggested that they may have been glazed in corn starch before frying, but however they were prepared, they were fantastic. Honestly, I could eat another plate of them right now.

Hi,

That eel was terrific. I somehow missed seeing the composed plates presented initially. I love seeing the pictures today.

My sister kept an eye on my ticket. I never did know what I received until I got home last night. I am the proud new owner of a kimchee fermenting jar, which went to the very right person by chance!

My sister receive'd Terese's pie. Do you want your pie plate back?

What people share with others at the rafflle/gift exchange is really some special stuff. Thanks to everyone who brings their best for the rest of us to admire.

Thanks to everyone who made it all happen!

Regards,

Fantastic event--the food and service from Katy's couldn't have been better. Thanks so much to Cathy and David for pulling off my favorite holiday party yet.

As for the grab bag, I was very excited about what I ended up with-- Rexy, maybe not so much

He is not really that small of a dog by the way--weighs about 30 lbs. Its a REALLY big wok!

Note to self: Don't eat Chinese at Jen's house.

That's actually really cute.

Let me add my and Cabbagehead's thanks to Cathy2 and David H. for a wonderful party. Not only was the food stellar, but the service and pacing for so many people in a tight space was fantastic. Favorites at our table included the elusive pickles, the Dan Dan noodles, and both soups. The company, of course, was the best of all. Great to see old friends and meet new ones. Thanks, nukegirl, for the lovely mushrooms and hot sauce--we are looking forward to trying them soon.

Tarte Tatin (who is still computer-limited) told us on our ride home that one of the wait staff asked her if we were a church group. No, she replied, just people who like to go out to eat together. But you go to a church, yes? the waitress persisted. No, Tarte Tatin said, no church.

No church, but a wonderful group.

LTH is my church.

Brussels sprouts with olive oil, black pepper, pistachios, and most importantly Cathy2's Meyer lemon preserves. Thanks for this and for the perpetual organizing and care of all of us, Cathy.

"Wow" is not enough on what Katy's accomplished last night. New treasures to explore / beg for on my next visit.

I never liked Chinese noodles until last night.

My thanks to David And Cathy2 for planning another wonderful holiday soirée. And thanks Josephine for my New Orleans market goodies. That mayhew syrup is going to become some sort if interesting cocktail.

Pie Lady wrote:I never liked Chinese noodles until last night.

That is a measure of success.

boudreaulicious wrote:As for the grab bag, I was very excited about what I ended up with-- Rexy, maybe not so much

Oh, I misheard you... I thought you were going to WALK your dog!

Thanks so much to David and Cathy for planning a great party.
I know a ton of work went in to this and it was really a labor of love!
We went home with a wonderful bottle of port and a very sleek decanter-
and I hear that the person who brought that received my "Secret Spices"
We also have some Meyer Lemon Marmalade that Frank loves so much it is almost 1/2 gone already!


For those who didn't get a close up view here was the Chinese Gingerbread Pagoda
The characters stand for Prosperity and Happiness

I had a great time, and thought the staff did an insanely great job considering the size of the group. I really enjoyed the noodle pulling demonstration. I am glad the giant wok (26 inches, btw) found a happy home to go to. I was a bit worried when I brought it that it would just be a funny gift that nobody would actually want.

As for the food, I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed. I'm not saying nothing was good, I found enough to eat, but there were more misses than hits for me. If you have eaten at Katy's as much as I have, you know that the entire meal was unfortunately dumbed down to please a group. With as many dishes as were present, I wish they would have made a couple authentic to the way they serve them for the everyday customers. Even dishes which are usually crazy spicy/mala like the dan dan were not all that spicy or mala. I had not previously eaten at the oak park location, but I have eaten dozens of times at the westmont location which has always been amazing.

Hi,

Actually, there was no discussion to dumb down the food. I had read in the reports how the Dan Dan Noodles in Oak Park were not executed in the same style as home base. I specifically asked if those noodles would be made in the style of Katy's Westmont.

In addition, there were choices made to please chili heads as well as options for those who don't like as much or any heat plus accommodate people who don't eat meat. That is quite a balancing act.

My favorite pork with sliced pancakes wasn't what I hoped, for whatever reason it seemed to taste a lot like white pepper. I know I will order it again when that serving on the plate was made at the moment just for me. Making it in larger portions, it wasn't quite the same. Yet at my table, someone thought it was spectacular if you added chili oil ... something I would never chase after.

Any time you take a restaurant dish and make it for a banquet for many served almost simultaneously, it won't always be the same.

Yeah, that wok really was big.

Regards,

Hey All,

I haven't posted much (have I even posted?) but I had an awesome time at the party on Sunday night. The conversation, food, drinks and gifts all came together to make it one excellent evening. Looking forward to getting together again soon, as well as being more active here.

-Aaron

I still don't know who my delightful gift was from, so I'll just send a shout-out. Whoever gave the red bag of jelly, honey mustard and dressing, thank you! I appreciate the fact that there are a few more salads coming my way that I don't have to bother making dressings for, and I see that jelly being baked into almond cupcakes one day soon. Happy Holidays!

Thanks to the organizers (Cathy and Dave and maybe others) of the party, it was great. Regarding Katy's, I have now eaten all all three Katy's. The food at the original Westmont location is still the best. Its hard exactly to put your finger on what it is that make it so, but there seems to be something "missing" when the food is not from that location. The downside to Westmont is the tiny fast food like atmosphere, the Oak Park locations is kind of trendy Chinese looking, the Naperville location looks like a conventional suburban Chinese place.

Hi,

There are days where I feel like I am Goldilocks.

Naperville is too far.
Westmont is too small.
Oak Park is just right, though maybe the food doesn't taste always like Westmont.

We were so lucky to be at Zaragoza last year, because it could never have happened this year.

You have to make trade-offs when you have a crowd as large and as food knowledgeable as ours..

Regards,

And you and David did an outstanding job of pulling it off.

David Hammond wrote:The vegetarian eel was, for me, the night's special eating experience. I had third helpings, knowing that there was more food coming, but loving each bite. NR706 speculated, and I believe he's correct, that this dish is prepared with dehydrated mushrooms, rehydrated, and wok-fried. Someone (stevez?) suggested that they may have been glazed in corn starch before frying, but however they were prepared, they were fantastic. Honestly, I could eat another plate of them right now.

One of my favorite dishes as well. Ordered dinner from Katy's in Westmont on Christmas Eve and hoped to get this dish, but alas, not available at this location. The Sweet and Sour Fish is also not available in Westmont.

Ms. Ingie wrote:

David Hammond wrote:The vegetarian eel was, for me, the night's special eating experience. I had third helpings, knowing that there was more food coming, but loving each bite. NR706 speculated, and I believe he's correct, that this dish is prepared with dehydrated mushrooms, rehydrated, and wok-fried. Someone (stevez?) suggested that they may have been glazed in corn starch before frying, but however they were prepared, they were fantastic. Honestly, I could eat another plate of them right now.

One of my favorite dishes as well. Ordered dinner from Katy's in Westmont on Christmas Eve and hoped to get this dish, but alas, not available at this location. The Sweet and Sour Fish is also not available in Westmont.

I think both of those dishes are holdovers from the old Hutong menu in Oak Park.