Chinese buffet at a party

[BrilliantBetty]

Once restrictions end we are having a party. Various things to celebrate.

It will be family and close friends, timings approx 7-11pm. About 40-50 people. A friend's band will play for a bit.

Instead of getting stressed out with organising the food and putting it all out myself I wanted to get it catered in some way.

The local deli does a lovely spread but I found their quote expensive. A friend had an Indian curry buffet a few years ago and it worked well!

DH has suggested Chinese food. His favourite.
I have looked in to the cost and it is actually a fairly 'cheap' option, making it doable for us. They even provide plates and cutlery and dish up/serve.

But is it a bit weird to be offered a Chinese buffet at a party? AIBU to think it's not quite right for a party in a hall...
or maybe it's a great idea?!

It depends on the supplier. None of the Chinese takeaways where I am cater for vegetarians except chips, rice or a very limited number of starters.

It's all meat or prawns and vegetables with rice or noodles. Many of the starters have small amounts of pork or prawns in them.

Whereas all the Indian restaurants and takeaways have a good selection of vegetarian mains, starters and sides and a few of them are completely vegetarian and over half the menu is vegan or can be made vegan on request, eg swap ghee for oil.

@BackforGood

Can I come please ?

me, too?

I'm from a part of the country where Chinese buffet is the only acceptable buffet at parties! Dont think i've ever been to a party without curries, fried rice, spring rolls, ribs the lot really. Do it!

@ILoveAllRainbowsx

I think Indian would be better as they would cater for vegetarians.

I don't like Chinese food.

You don't like the culinary output of an entire country?

Sounds good as long as there is a server. I wouldn't use a buffet at the moment.

I don't see why not!

I would love this so much. I love Chinese food.

I've always wanted a burgers and botox party and everyone thinks that's weird

I would love it ,but would you include a few regular buffet items for others with a plain diet etc ?

I went to a birthday party a few years ago that had this.
My it was gorgeous 🤩.

@Dumbo18

I'm from a part of the country where Chinese buffet is the only acceptable buffet at parties! Dont think i've ever been to a party without curries, fried rice, spring rolls, ribs the lot really. Do it!

Where is that Dumbo18? I want to move there

Do people really expect to go to a party in a village hall and for the hosts to have catered for vegans, vegetarians, coeliac, low fat, low carb, keto, allergies, intolerances and best of all plain food diets. The food at a party like this is a gesture, something for people to nibble on when having a drink. If ypu have a restricted diet you would surely have something before you went out. The majority of people there will live a Chinese buffet

*love

Never been to a party with a Chinese buffet but i can confirm that I’d LOVE to!

@Pedalpushers

I'd love it but I do know a lot of (crazy) people who don't like Chinese food.

Same as Pedalpushers, I would enjoy it but know people who wouldn't eat it. My parents who claim not to be fussy eaters but are actually soooo hard to go out for dinner with wouldn't touch it but would eat beforehand so they could still join in the socialising.

I would also enjoy an Indian buffet but if I had a choice would prefer Chinese.

Hosting a party is about being hospitable, so I'd expect the invited guests to be catered for, yes.

Chances of the guests at any one party having every possible dietary need between them, are very low. But OP will know her friends and what they'd like.

Exactly XiCi

Whereas I personally love a good buffet (of any sort) a party in the evening is just that - a party. You can eat before you go if you won't / can't eat what is being served.

Sounds great. You will know if it suits most people. If it does, go for it.

I would love this

I've been to a few social occasions where there's been a Chinese buffet and it has gone down really well.
You give them a time to deliver then open the buffet as soon as it arrives.

I don't like Chinese food but love Indian. Usually a good range for me as a veggie as well. Most people I know like Chinese though.

If they do chips and curry sauce I would be alright though

Yum sounds lovely OP!
You can do whatever buffet you like at your party.

Just a suggestion, mention that it is a chinese buffet in your invites.

It's just as someone with a peanut allergy, in my experience, Chinese and Thai cuisine foods can get easily cross contaminated due to peanut oil being used for many dishes. (Even when they give me a specially prepared 'peanut free' dish, it has gone wrong quite a few times ).

So if I knew ahead of time, I'd bring my little packed lunch - BUT I'd appreciate all the aromas and my DCs would be delighted to partake as they don't get to eat it usually! You'd be their new favourite "auntie"!!