Gastroextravaganzathon: 12/5 @ Sun Wah -- Bubbly now incl!

LTH Holiday Gastroextravaganzathon: 12/5 @ Sun Wah

Date: Saturday, December 5, 2009
Time: 6 to 10PM
Place: Sun Wah, 5041 N. Broadway

Few restaurants have generated as much enthusiasm on LTHForum.com as the re-opening of Sun Wah. It seems fitting we should hold our LTHForum 2009 Holiday Gastroextravaganzathon at the Cheng family’s bigger digs.

In an effort to give LTH partygoers the “Chinese taste” with items not found on the regular menu, we’re developing an offering with some off-menu selections (which we may modify as time goes by). So far, here’s the big and growing bill of fare:

• Salty Duck Eggs (C2 sought these all over central Illinois; you’ve read about them, you’ve wondered about them: now, eat them)
• Frog Casserole (yeah baby, whole frogs, lagoon-fresh, never frozen)
• Winter Melon with Seafood Soup (really cool: soup in melon, scoop and serve)
• Dover Sole, Sweet and Sour (it ain’t cheap, but nothing’s too good for our community)
• Crispy Noodles with Mushroom (noodles cooked Wiv-crisp)
• Drunken Chicken (will need ride home)
• Red Beancurd-Infused Peanuts (sounds molecularly gastronomical)
• Seasonal Vegetables, Kelly’s Choice (it’s all about the seasonality)
• Beijing Duck with Fried Rice (no way we can leave this off the menu)
• Pair of Suckling Pigs with Cold Cuts (piggies to be wheeled out for all to ogle before gobbling)
• Lamb Stew with Bean Curd Sticks and Mushrooms (you like Spring World’s lamb? Try this)
• Two roasted turkeys (full, yet?)
• Turkey congee
• Ice Cream (house-made, of course), with walnuts

Gift Exchange. For the raffle/gift exchange, all gifts go into a pool and names are drawn. If you bring a gift, you get a ticket and are guaranteed one gift in exchange (and as MikeG so aptly explained, if you bring two or more gifts, you’re still guaranteed one gift). We’ve set the price for each gift around $10. Please don't wrap the gift -- we like to see what people are winning before they win it -- but please do put your name (real name or screen name or both) on the gift so that lucky winners know who to thank.

Recession-friendly Pricing! Meal, drinks, taxes and gratuity are included for an all-time low ticket price of $35.00. Tickets are transferable but we cannot offer refunds (sorry!). We have some money in the (admittedly rather tiny) LTH kitty, so we’re going to buy a few cases of Pigmon-approved Spanish sparkling wine, Cristalino Rose Cava, which has been discussed on the forum for years and which was our beverage at the LTH holiday party at Ed’s Potsticker House . In addition, Rodrick Markus (The Rare Tea Cellars) will be providing a cuisine-appropriate 2003 barrel-aged (oak) puerh (Yunanese) for this event. Each table will have a few pots, providing a cool opportunity to experience how an excellent tea pairs with excellent chow. We can BYOB whatever we want, with the exception of beer and soda, which can be purchased from Sun Wah.

Buy Tickets. This year, all ticket sales will go through Brown Paper Tickets (small transaction fee required). Just go to the site and enter your information: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/88952

Ticket sales close at noon, December 3, 2009. Once you’re paid, we’ll get updates from Brown Paper Tickets and we’ll enter your name on the guest list, below:

1. Cathy2
2. David Hammond
3. Carolyn "The Wife"
4. nr706
5. Moet Chandon
6. Lucas Suburban
7. Ronnie Suburban
8. Julie Suburban
9. Guest of Ronnie Suburban
10. Steve Z
11. Chow Poodle
12. Lynn B
13. Lynn B's husband
14. Leek
15. David, Leek's husband
16. Irisarbor
17. Irisarbor's husband
18. turkob
19. turkob's wife
20. pairs4life
21. pairs4life's husband
22. Pie Lady
23. Khaopaat
24. Abby B-H
25. Ben G.
26. Soft Boiled
27. borborigmy
28. EvA
29. Cabbagehead
30. Lemoneater
31. JimInLoganSquare
32. Mrs. JimInLoganSquare
33. dansch
34. Guest of dansch
35. girlmoxie
36. Erin - girlmoxie's guest
37. Thaiobsessed
38. Sue - Thaiobsessed's guest
39. Giovanna
40. MikeLM
41. Mrs. MikeLM
42. Jazzfood
43. Jazzfood's Sister
44. Jazzfood's Girlfriend
45. Tom Couch
46. Melanie Anderson
47. garcho
48. neurochic
49. mhl
50. el panzone
51. GAF
52. mamagotcha
53. mamagotcha
54. Cynthia
55. aruzin
56. Germuska
57. Mark5
58. philw
59. Mrs. philw
60. Laura - C2's sister
61. Ramon
62. Mike G
63. Justin M.
64. Kim M.
65. neenies3
66. neenies3
67. Maryanne M.
68. chinkyeeboy
69. Debbie Vargas
70. Charin Kent
71. David Kent
72. RAB
73. REB
74. Maryanne M.
75. pamiam
76. pamiam's Mom - Mary Pat
77. pamiam guest
78. pamiam guest
79. pastamama
80. Vital Information
81. Sheila
82. viachicago
83. MarlaCollins'Husband
84. Guest of MarlaCollins'Husband
85. Guest of MarlaCollins'Husband
86. Rene G
87. Mincybits
88. Llama
89. JeanBlanchard
90. JeanBlanchard's guest
91. JimTheBeerGuy
92. Saint Pizza
93. Chloe54
94. Ed, Chloe54's Husband
95. tarte tatin
96. jygach
97. Marie G.
98. Marie G.
99. Marie G.
100. Frank P.
101. Gwiv
102. Ms. Wiv
103. Ellen F.
104. Lauren L.
105. Judy R.
106. Rodrick Markus (The Rare Tea Cellars)
107. Guest of Rodrick Markus (The Rare Tea Cellars)
108. pairs4life MiL

Contribute chow to Food Pantry. Vital Information and Condiment Queen will be collecting food pantry donations. VI has posted downstream with details, and from past experience it's always appreciated when people donate paper products (paper towels, diapers), cooking oil and canned goods (no fresh foods), as well as coffee, sugar, and mayonaise.

Put me and the Chow Poodle down. We wouldn't miss this event for all the tea in China. I've already paid.

Hi,

When you purchase your tickets, it will help if you shoot David and I a PM with your worldly name as well as your screen. While we like to think we know everyone, it will save time if you simply provide it.

Thanks!

Regards,

Guest of Tom Keith (aka nr706) will be moetchandon (aka Sharon) - unless I don't behave properly until 12/5.

Gypsy Boy and the Lovely Dining Companion, please.

I'm in, plus husband (Jonathan,) and we're paid. Really looking forward to it! Need to start thinking about my gift offering...

Wow, this event sounds amazing. Count me in +1 (Onur and Christine Usmen).

What have gifts been in the past?

turkob wrote:Wow, this event sounds amazing. Count me in +1 (Onur and Christine Usmen).

What have gifts been in the past?

Past gifts that I recall (from the hundreds exchanged over four years):

• Jar of leaf lard
• Bacon
• The Alinea Book
• Bottle of Dark Lord
• Meat thermometer
• Collection of salsas
• Octo-Dog tool

Gypsy Boy wrote:Gypsy Boy and the Lovely Dining Companion, please.

Names are not showing up on Brown Paper Tickets. Did you pay? If you did, PM me and I'll look into it.

First the picnic, now this! I'm sad to have to miss both epic LTH events this year, but I'll be in San Diego on 12/5

We're in, as well -- and looking forward to it!

Thanks, David and C2, for organizing this.

=R=

David Hammond wrote:Past gifts that I recall (from the hundreds exchanged over four years):

Best LTH raffle prize ever, "Cooking for Cher"

Hubby and I wouldn't miss it!
We're in, brown paper is paid.

I'm in, already paid. I might be bringing Mr. Pie, but I can always add him later, unless there's a limit for the number of guests? I didn't see it in the original post. About the gift...this is probably a stupid question but what the hell...it's supposed to be wrapped, yes?

So excited about this meal! And I already have two ideas for the gift, I'm nearly popping out of my seat.

Pie Lady wrote:I'm in, already paid. I might be bringing Mr. Pie, but I can always add him later, unless there's a limit for the number of guests? I didn't see it in the original post. About the gift...this is probably a stupid question but what the hell...it's supposed to be wrapped, yes?

That is an excellent question. No, please don't wrap gift (I'm going to revise the announcement to reflect that). The reason for not wrapping is that we usually hold up each gift during the raffle so everyone can see, admire and lust for it before it goes to the lucky winner.

(About number of guests: Sun Wah has a lot of room, so unless we have over 200 people, we're cool).

What have gifts been in the past?

I'd just add that this is an LTH event, so it's not a go-buy-a-bunch-of-chocolates-in-a-gift-box kind of event, even though that would be a perfectly good gift, but the standard rules of what makes an attractive all-purpose gift for normal people do not have to apply. Eclectic, interesting, unusual, something you picked up on your travels, funny, naughty (I can't believe David forgot the anthology of food and sex stories), whatever.

Bacon will figure in mine, I assure you. Maybe piccalilli too, who knows. I'm sure Ronnie will enjoy it.*

* Ronnie Suburban has won mine two years running. I'm not sayin'... I'm just sayin'.

Can I make a suggestion for this year's party? When you give out each gift, can you announce who donated it so the "winner" knows who to "thank" for the gift? I don't think that was done last year and I walked out with a bunch of cookbooks and was none the wiser as to who donated them.

I just bought my ticket - I'll be flying solo, my wife will be hanging out with her ( vegetarian ) sister that evening. If drinks happen after dinner, they'll definitely meet up with us then.

Now to find the perfect gift...

Mike G wrote:Bacon will figure in mine, I assure you.

Mine too.

aschie30 wrote:Can I make a suggestion for this year's party? When you give out each gift, can you announce who donated it so the "winner" knows who to "thank" for the gift? I don't think that was done last year and I walked out with a bunch of cookbooks and was none the wiser as to who donated them.

Another excellent idea. I'll ask that people put their screen name or real name on their contribution.

David Hammond wrote:

aschie30 wrote:Can I make a suggestion for this year's party? When you give out each gift, can you announce who donated it so the "winner" knows who to "thank" for the gift? I don't think that was done last year and I walked out with a bunch of cookbooks and was none the wiser as to who donated them.

Another excellent idea. I'll ask that people put their screen name or real name on their contribution.

I wish I'd read these posts before I ordered what I just ordered, as they might have encouraged some (totally reasonable) second thoughts. Oh well, happy holidays to the "lucky winner"

Khaopaat wrote:I just bought my ticket - I'll be flying solo, my wife will be hanging out with her ( vegetarian ) sister that evening.

I'm coming to the party & it is true I don't eat anything with a nervous system. ( no double entendres please )

pairs4life wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:I just bought my ticket - I'll be flying solo, my wife will be hanging out with her ( vegetarian ) sister that evening.

I'm coming to the party & it is true I don't eat anything with a nervous system. ( no double entendres please )

Good point...but I think it's safe to say that, by virtue of your board participation & event presence, you're quite a bit more adventurous when it comes to eating weird stuff (even if it never had a face at any point in its life)

EvA and Cabbagehead will be there (just bought the tickets). I'm trying to figure out how to rig things to get one of Irisarbor's gingerbread mansions in the gift exchange!

Hi,

The list is updated by those who have paid to date. If you don't find yourself there, check if you paid first, then send a query note with your real world name.

It's wonderful people bring raffle gifts people prize. My sister admired the gingerbread house, too.

Last year, I won a bottle of Dark Lord. While I wasn't particularly interested to drink it, I knew it was something special. I made someone else happy to get it. My sister won a popcorn gift box, which made our Dad happy for Christmas.

I plan to bring a Concord grape combo of Concord grape pie filling and ketchup.

Regards,

I'm in!

After long and careful consideration, I've decided that I can make the tremendous 1 block walk from my house to Sun Wah for the Gastroextravaganzathon.

I'm in +1.

-Dan

If possible, please put my wife and I down as attendees with the caveat that I'm going to need to wait 2-3 weeks to actually pay.

Not for financial reasons, mind you, but because I just had back surgery 4 days ago and while I definitely want to attend, and believe I will be able to attend, I'm not paying a non-refundable ticket fee until I'm a bit further along in recuperation and 100% certain there will be no issues preventing me from going, and staying long enough to enjoy the evening

Still, I'm already up to taking a 6 block walk earlier today, and expect things to be completely fine by the 5th, so please do at least hold a couple of spots for us for now.

ucjames wrote:If possible, please put my wife and I down as attendees with the caveat that I'm going to need to wait 2-3 weeks to actually pay.

Not for financial reasons, mind you, but because I just had back surgery 4 days ago and while I definitely want to attend, and believe I will be able to attend, I'm not paying a non-refundable ticket fee until I'm a bit further along in recuperation and 100% certain there will be no issues preventing me from going, and staying long enough to enjoy the evening

Still, I'm already up to taking a 6 block walk earlier today, and expect things to be completely fine by the 5th, so please do at least hold a couple of spots for us for now.

Hey man, we have room for you -- capacity at 200+.

Hope you can make it -- and it sounds like if you're at 6 blocks, you'll be in good shape on 12/5.

Looking forward to meeting you (I'm guessing we share an alma mater),

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:

ucjames wrote:If possible, please put my wife and I down as attendees with the caveat that I'm going to need to wait 2-3 weeks to actually pay.

Not for financial reasons, mind you, but because I just had back surgery 4 days ago and while I definitely want to attend, and believe I will be able to attend, I'm not paying a non-refundable ticket fee until I'm a bit further along in recuperation and 100% certain there will be no issues preventing me from going, and staying long enough to enjoy the evening

Still, I'm already up to taking a 6 block walk earlier today, and expect things to be completely fine by the 5th, so please do at least hold a couple of spots for us for now.

Hey man, we have room for you -- capacity at 200+.

Hope you can make it -- and it sounds like if you're at 6 blocks, you'll be in good shape on 12/5.

Looking forward to meeting you (I'm guessing we share an alma mater),

Hammond

Looks like you both live in Oak Park as well.