What do you think of catering buffets? Fried rice, deep fried snacks, curry vegetables, fruit cocktail. The ones I had always seem to revolve around these few items. While there are high-end caterers like Purple Sage pampering you with live stations, most of us spend plenty of time looking for differentiated menus at affordable prices. Orange Clove might just fit the bill!
Being part of Neo Group Catering, Orange Clove specialises in Halal-certified dishes and pays particular attention to food presentation as well as layout settings. To celebrate the launch of their new menu, a Bloggers' Night was organised at the Botanic Gardens!
The theme for the night was purple, white and crystal, which indeed added a touch of elegance and was pleasing to the eye. I also liked how they used silverware instead of paper plates and plastic utensils, while the hot dishes were kept warm in polished, enclosed metal containers rather than open-air trays.
Baguette with Mushrooms and Capsicum, Assorted Sushi Platter
I rather liked the combination of warm sauteed mushroom and juicy capsicum, savoury with a refreshing aftertaste. Pity that the baguette was soft and rubbery, would have fared alot better if they were served Bruschetta-styled. Sushi was pretty run-of-the-mill with various types of makis and nigiris.
DIY Salad, Sausage Platter, Potato Salad
With choices like sliced hard boil eggs, baby tomatoes and croutons, it was a great idea to provide a salad counter for people who love customising and tossing their greens! Sausages were juicy and easy to eat, while the potato salad consisted of halved roasted baby potatoes, lightly flavoured with salt and pepper.
Penne Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms, Honey Chicken
Ahh.. No more bee hoon or fried rice! Its good to see pasta being served as the main carbo item, but it was slightly bland for my liking. Likewise, while the chicken meat was tender and succulent, the honey marinate stopped at its surface level, failing to penetrate within the white meat.
Pan-fried snapper with Miso Butter Sauce
Now this stood out among all the hot dishes, presented nicely in a rolled-up form with asparagus strands adding colour to it. While the fish quality was fresh, it was a tad overcooked, resulting in a rough and grainy texture. My friend suggested that perhaps it required longer cooking time to retain its firm shape. Also, I'm not sure if it was meant to be intentionally bland, as I did find the miso sauce going well with it.
Lemon Merguine, Strawberry Tart, Cheesecake
Served in cute bite-sized portions, the merguine's lemon flavour was zesty and likeable, while I thought that the pairing of strawberries with coconut shavings was rather good. Cheesecake was also better than I expected with smooth, thick fillings and flaky biscuit base. Definitely ahead of what other caterers are providing!
Orange Clove Cupcakes, Mango Pudding
Though looking good with their company logo, the sugar icing was too sweet to be eaten, so thick and harden that you could have mistaken it as a lid! To be fair, the muffin beneath was rather good to munch on though.
Pudding was a little watery, and while strawberries were thoughtfully sliced up, the grapes were really a puzzle. Did they expect guests to pluck it off one by and one and leave the vine floating in the pudding?
Fruit Punch
Essential for a catered buffet, not sure if it came from syrup but it sure tasted so.
Puff with Mayonnaise and Egg, Prawn Cocktail
I'm not sure if these two were part of the original package, as they weren't listed on the menu list. The puffs replaced the mushroom baguette, and you couldn't really go wrong with it unless you hate mayonnaise. The cocktail were served in shooters filled with bits of sweet-tasting vegetables and fruits, though the prawn itself could have been crunchier.
Estio La Purisima Bianco 2008
The session ended with wine tasting from Neo Group's own wine shop, Wine Mansion. Not really a wine drinker, but I did prefer the fruity white to the spicy red being served.
Its nice to see caterers like Orange Clove putting in more efforts to satisfy their customers, changing the plain boring mindset of catering to something more exquisite and innovative. While the new menu needs fine-tuning in my opinion, its the dedication and thought that counts in providing a better overall catering experience. Worth considering for your next party or corporate function!
Special thanks to Jane and Jessie of Neo Group for the invite!
Visit Orange Clove @ their company website
Taken with Nikon D70
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