Best restaurant in the GTA for a chinese wedding dinner?

[chicken_little]

I'm taking the plunge and getting hitched.

Despite my repeated requests that we elope to Las Vegas and save our money, my fiancee wants to invite 100 people to a chinese wedding dinner. I've been to a couple of these and they range from truly mediocre to absolutely magnificent. Now it's my turn to host.

Please help out a fellow rfd dude and share your thoughts on the chinese wedding dinners you've been to or have hosted. Although my intention is to keep it as cheap as possible, I would rather spend the extra money to make sure that the food is memorable. In a good way. :cheesygri

[gilboman]

um..keeping it as cheap as possible may not go well with your finance. ;)

but really, if you keep it to under $600 inclusive for a table which is pretty cheap for wedding dinners in chinese places, you should still break even at least if not come out slightly ahead in terms of money since you will recieve around 50+ per head for those who come.

but this is of course only for the venue and meal, photographers, DJ's etc.. common with chiense weddings are all extra as are red pocket money for the staff at the place.

and finally, cheap of course means holding it at a less nicer place in southern markham or scarborough, but do you really want that?

in terms of venue, the restaruant where times dynasty used to be is pretty nice and at nite, looking out is not bad at all.

[chicken_little]

We checked out a banquet hall on the weekend but I've never been impressed by any banquet hall food.

I've been to Times Dynasty before for a friend's wedding. I should ask him how much it is. The one restaurant that impressed me was Ruby out in Markham. I'm willing to spend $100 per head if necessary for food and drinks.

[gilboman]

We checked out a banquet hall on the weekend but I've never been impressed by any banquet hall food.

I've been to Times Dynasty before for a friend's wedding. I should ask him how much it is. The one restaurant that impressed me was Ruby out in Markham. I'm willing to spend $100 per head if necessary for food and drinks.

times dynasty has now changed names and undergone renovations to dung hua and is "classier" than times dynasty was before.

but i've heard ruby in scarlem is not bad as well, just depends which venue you like more. b/c really, for weddings, food is not the major attraction/factor, but venue.

[tanmanwayne]

Chicken.

$100.00/person should get you just about anywhere you want including alcohol (that's $1000.00/table) which is more than any banquet I've ever been to.

As to which restaurants that can be cordoned off for a wedding banquet, I can really advise.

But have you tried the Metropolitan Hotel? Lai Wai Heen is pretty good from a wedding reception perspective, although it starts at $125.00/person (that is for the hall, food, dessert table, etc), but if you just want dinner, you should be able to book it.

Anyways, good luck with the wedding! Just remind the fiancee, that the wedding is only the beginning! It just gets more challenging after that!

Regards,
Tano

[delphine]

A neighbour down the street, his daughter had her wedding ceremony and dinner reception at The Mandarin Golf & Country Club in Markham. They had Chinese and non-Chinese food served and he said the food was great.

[Takada]

times dynasty has now changed names and undergone renovations to dung hua and is "classier" than times dynasty was before.

I just visited the place a few days ago. Good-tasting food. Nice presentation and classy atmosphere.

[chicken_little]

My fiancee actually suggested golf course as an option. Thanks for the tip delphine. I'll definitely check it out.

[gilboman]

also bear in mind that for the busy summer months... at least for chiense restaurants...saturdays and even fridays are often booked upto a year in advance for weddings.

but since you are just anticipating 100 ppl or so, should not be much problem since it is going to be fairly small.

[civic6url]

Grand Baccus (Midland/McNicoll) ... they served both Chinese and Western food.
Food ...
Chinese~catering fr "Dragon Dynasty Chinese Cuisine". The chefs fr Dragon Dynasty cooked the food on site.
Western~it's alright ... nothing special

Service... i'll give 8/10 (as a guest point of view) for Chinese and 4/10 for Western

Decor ... It has a pretty good lobby for guests to take pictures

it has lot of parking spaces

the only thing that isn't too good about this place is that the Bride's change rm is in the 2nd floor ... quite alot of walking to do

---------------
Casa Imperial Fine Chinese Cuisine Limited (Warden/Steeles)
Never tried it ... but it seems like a pretty nice place to have the wedding dinner in ...

Not enough parking spaces for sure

-------------
The one at 2nd floor in Time Sq ... I would definitely say no ... As a guest point of view ... even though the food looks elegant ... the SERVICE is pretty bad ... I have to give 2/10 probably not even ... 1/10 as the rate ...

Last time the waitress who is severing my table ... she has attitude problem... complaining how people eating so slow ... she can't take the plates away etc etc ... she took the shark fin soup away fr the guest without asking ... the guest put the spoon down and having a conversation w/ someone else in that table ... the waitress just assume the guest is done ... that's unacceptable ... she could have at least asked!!!

By 11pm ... all the servers are rushing to get off work ... when the guests leave around 11:30pm ... we all see those servers getting change at the hallway (they took off the sever's vests right infront of everyone ... i think that's really impolite)

-------------
La Rosa (Woodebine/Hwy 7)
I was there like 2 yrs ago ... but overall ... it was a good experience ... will recommend this place too ... it has a different entrance for the banquet hall fr the restaurant ...

the food was hot when it was being served

don't remember too much abt this

-----------------

Outdoor at a GOLF COURSE
It might be a romantic scene for the Newly Wed Couple ... but it might not be the best experience for the guests ...

Couple weeks ago ... I attend one at a golf course ... even though there is a big tent for the dinner ... but there are still a lot of unexpected guests joined (Bees, Flies, Doves, Bird, etc etc) (Yes ... the dove did his business right above our table ... but then it was a good symbol for the couple ) Also ... it was pretty cold for the guest to sit at an area w/out heat ... there weren't any hot food put into our mouth ... but then ... the food wasn't really the main part of the night!! The couple was the best thing for the night!!
--------------------

Good luck on your choices!!

[gilboman]

-------------
The one at 2nd floor in Time Sq ... I would definitely say no ... As a guest point of view ... even though the food looks elegant ... the SERVICE is pretty bad ... I have to give 2/10 probably not even ... 1/10 as the rate ...

Last time the waitress who is severing my table ... she has attitude problem... complaining how people eating so slow ... she can't take the plates away etc etc ... she took the shark fin soup away fr the guest without asking ... the guest put the spoon down and having a conversation w/ someone else in that table ... the waitress just assume the guest is done ... that's unacceptable ... she could have at least asked!!!

By 11pm ... all the servers are rushing to get off work ... when the guests leave around 11:30pm ... we all see those servers getting change at the hallway (they took off the sever's vests right infront of everyone ... i think that's really impolite)



did you go when it was times dyansty or when the new dung huan?

[mayfly]

Check out the Diamond Banquet Hall at the First Markham Place. It's just been opened for a few months but the chef has been around in the Chinese restaurant business for quite some time.

[matt albie]

some of my better experiences of my friends' wedding banquet was at la rosa (at woodbine/407).....my cousin had a wedding there where they used a big banquet hall and the other time i was there for my friend's wedding...they had a smaller venue depending on the number of people being invited..the service both times i went were great....and the food (both chinese/western)was hot and tasty..not like ur regular banquet halls....here's the link for it....La Rosa Banquet Hall (http://www.larosabanquethall.ca)

good luck with your decisions and congrats on being married... :)

[chicken_little]

The advantage to banquet halls such as Shangri-La out in Markham seems to be that they have all the goodies prepared for weddings. Makes things easier for me as there is no additional costs for room and decoration if the food is catered there. I wonder how good the food is though.

[Sugarbaby]

I had my wedding banquet at "Grass Mountain Villa"(yeung ming san chong) restaurant located at Don Mills and Finch!
The service was great and the food was excellent, if you don't like too oily or too much MSG food then this is the right choice for you! :razz: And their price are reasonable, all my guests compliment on their food... it makes me and my husband think that...money well spent..haha :cheesygri

[Rocketo]

um..keeping it as cheap as possible may not go well with your finance. ;)

but really, if you keep it to under $600 inclusive for a table which is pretty cheap for wedding dinners in chinese places, you should still break even at least if not come out slightly ahead in terms of money since you will recieve around 50+ per head for those who come.




wtf 50 a head? who only gives that little now a days..maybe back in the early 90s..but last time i checked i thought it was atleast 100

[keanefan]

Check out the Diamond Banquet Hall at the First Markham Place. It's just been opened for a few months but the chef has been around in the Chinese restaurant business for quite some time.

yes, check out this place.

I believe it's on the same side as Bowring and you have to keep walking until you see it, near Markham Peking.

City Inn at Market Village is a nice restaurant. The food is nicely presented and non-greasy but some people find the food bland.

[thelefteyeguy]

depends on how many tables...10-12?

[chicken_little]

times dynasty has now changed names and undergone renovations to dung hua and is "classier" than times dynasty was before.

Looks like I'll have to check out dung hua maybe for dinner one of this weekend. Would be a bit weird since my friend got married here back when it was times dynasty. One thing though...my fiancee ensists that there be dancing. So I'm not sure how the restaurant thing could work out.

[thelefteyeguy]

ok he said cheap....you can count Times (whatever the new name) out, La Rosa, City Inn. Ambassador, Abalone Court ...are out of his price zone :D


cheapest is Ruby :cheesygri ...but also pure crap

The one at Times (whatever the new name is) ...they have a dance floor...but you'll need at least 18 tables....even if the place is cut in half for you.

Plus it's not going to be cheap...including tax and tips..you're looking at least 650$ for the lowest 10 course wedding meal


btw...you should book at least 12 months away to guarantee availability

[gilboman]

wtf 50 a head? who only gives that little now a days..maybe back in the early 90s..but last time i checked i thought it was atleast 100

well...some do cheap out..especially famailies with kids... thats why i said 50+..min 50

[gilboman]

Looks like I'll have to check out dung hua maybe for dinner one of this weekend. Would be a bit weird since my friend got married here back when it was times dynasty. One thing though...my fiancee ensists that there be dancing. So I'm not sure how the restaurant thing could work out.

when it was times dynasty, they could easily accomodate a dance floor, if u want dance floor..u need a bigger chinese restaurant venue for sure. so some of the smaller ones can be crossed off

[chicken_little]

well...some do cheap out..especially famailies with kids... thats why i said 50+..min 50
Agree. I don't expect my people to shell out $100 for each of their kids.

[thelefteyeguy]

All those restaurants that i mentioned on the A list...could get you about $700 per table not including liquor.

If you average say $600-700 in "income", you'll lose only $100-200 per table (ie in liquor, decoration, dj, etc cost)

at 10tables...it's only about 1000$-2000$ that you will lose that night...that's not a big deal if you think about getting married only once to applease your parents and future wife.

[chicken_little]

This is what Shangri-La quoted us...

If they cater the food for us, the rental and decoration of the hall is no charge. Minimum per table of 10 starts at $588.

Open bar is $20 per head but the salesperson advised against it being that our group will be asian. Apparently she realizes this would be a waste of money considering that most of my people would be drunk on one beer.
Another option is to bring our own booze. At $40 per table and $120 for the bartender, that's a fixed cost of $520 for 100 people.This way I can stock up on some really good booze. The trouble is now I have to make sure we're stocked which could be mean I'll be close to around $2000 probably anyways.

[Rocketo]

Agree. I don't expect my people to shell out $100 for each of their kids.



sorry i should have been clear...yeah i don't think kids should shell out much since they are kids..but i mean adults...

[thelefteyeguy]

if you truly want a very special night considering you only have about 10-12 tables consider the Markham Chinese Community Centre...the setup is actually the foyer filled with glass windows...

they actually can assist you with the food catering (full chinese 10 course meal).

It will prob set you back 1K per table but it's something that your wife will never ever forget....cause it's really nice


Prob the best food that I had ever at a wedding....and i've been to them all.

[Rocketo]

just do buffet styles if you want to be cheap..i've seen "asian" weddings hosted there im not going to name the ethnicity since it will start a whole racial thing

[gilboman]

This is what Shangri-La quoted us...

If they cater the food for us, the rental and decoration of the hall is no charge. Minimum per table of 10 starts at $588.

Open bar is $20 per head but the salesperson advised against it being that our group will be asian. Apparently she realizes this would be a waste of money considering that most of my people would be drunk on one beer.
Another option is to bring our own booze. At $40 per table and $120 for the bartender, that's a fixed cost of $520 for 100 people.This way I can stock up on some really good booze. The trouble is now I have to make sure we're stocked which could be mean I'll be close to around $2000 probably anyways.

also you will need a permit from LCBO to supply your own booze. also you can return booze that you did not use back to LCBO after wedding

[keanefan]

if you truly want a very special night considering you only have about 10-12 tables consider the Markham Chinese Community Centre...the setup is actually the foyer filled with glass windows...


what's the address/location??

for a downtown wedding banquet:
WEDDINGS AT THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL
http://www.metropolitan.com/cwedding/main.asp

[IronMac]

I've been to a few Chinese wedding banquets and, believe me, it's not the venue that people remember and gossip about years later! :razz:

[eelfliw]

I've been to many weddings at some very nice venues but don't remember the food at any of them. What I do remember are the events that took place during the reception/venue. One had a band of Korean drummers, another wedding/reception happend on a private yacht, several at nice golf courses (and included a round of golf for the wedding party), one on a private island with water taxi service, one in the Kingston Penitentiary (the JP there did the service and there were inmates amongst the wedding guests), one on the same day as Blue Jay's World Series game and the entire head table cleared by the 7th inning to go home and watch baseball.

What I'm trying to say is, during a wedding reception, ppl's focus should be the bride & groom. Not the food. The quality of food has very little bearing on the quality of the marriage.

So, focus on having your fiancee cave in a little to your demand of saving money at the reception. She'll have to learn how to compormise in order for the relationship work out. Money doesn't buy love and money won't buy happiness. Don't worry about how much you must spend on food for quality. Worry about how to entertain your guests so everyone have a memorable time.

[Irb]

I've been to many weddings at some very nice venues but don't remember the food at any of them. What I do remember are the events that took place during the reception/venue. One had a band of Korean drummers, another wedding/reception happend on a private yacht, several at nice golf courses (and included a round of golf for the wedding party), one on a private island with water taxi service, one in the Kingston Penitentiary (the JP there did the service and there were inmates amongst the wedding guests), one on the same day as Blue Jay's World Series game and the entire head table cleared by the 7th inning to go home and watch baseball.

What I'm trying to say is, during a wedding reception, ppl's focus should be the bride & groom. Not the food. The quality of food has very little bearing on the quality of the marriage.

So, focus on having your fiancee cave in a little to your demand of saving money at the reception. She'll have to learn how to compormise in order for the relationship work out. Money doesn't buy love and money won't buy happiness. Don't worry about how much you must spend on food for quality. Worry about how to entertain your guests so everyone have a memorable time.I totally disagree. One thing that I always hear people talking about when they attend receptions is the food itself.

I really could care less about a marching band or decorations. As long as the place is clean with a little decor it's fine with me.

[thelefteyeguy]

I totally disagree. One thing that I always hear people talking about when they attend receptions is the food itself.

I really could care less about a marching band or decorations. As long as the place is clean with a little decor it's fine with me.


lol i also agree...for chinese ppl...all they talk about is the food. Unless you are really really really close to the bride and groom...you dont care and just want to have fun.

Other than that...it's the food and how fun the night was.

[bigstar*]

lol i also agree...for chinese ppl...all they talk about is the food. Unless you are really really really close to the bride and groom...you dont care and just want to have fun.

Other than that...it's the food and how fun the night was.

totally agree, in one year, I went to like 10 weddings, 9 of them being chinese. By the time I got to the last one, I was already sick and tired of eating all that shark fin soup, abalone, crab balls, etc. But I still remember which one had the better food.

Also, just a note, the weddings that I went to at Times Dynasty, LeRosa, Dragon Dynasty, Hilton on Warden/HWY 7, their presentation of the food is very good, but the portions were really small. Especially the Hilton and LeRosa, I was still hungry after the 10 course meal. To me that was bad, never thought I will be hungry after a 10 course meal.

[azngoth]

How about the golden regency upstairs at Pacific Mall? anyone been there?

[keanefan]

How about the golden regency upstairs at Pacific Mall? anyone been there?

golden regency restaurant is ugly and the noise level is too loud = hate

[chicken_little]

I totally disagree. One thing that I always hear people talking about when they attend receptions is the food itself.

I really could care less about a marching band or decorations. As long as the place is clean with a little decor it's fine with me.
I'm with you on this one. I told my fiancee that I don't mind spending the extra money to make sure that my guests are fed well. Me and a buddy still remember the awful food at a wedding that we both attended. It was 10 years ago and we still remember! :cheesygri

[IronMac]

I'm with you on this one. I told my fiancee that I don't mind spending the extra money to make sure that my guests are fed well. Me and a buddy still remember the awful food at a wedding that we both attended. It was 10 years ago and we still remember! :cheesygri

That's the thing with Chinese weddings/receptions; everybody grouses about a particular wedding's awful food until the next awful one takes its place! :razz:


Oh yeah, I'm not sure if this is still true or not but you'd better have good bottles of alcohol at each table. Was it Johnny Walker Red or what? :lol:

[chicken_little]

Oh yeah, I'm not sure if this is still true or not but you'd better have good bottles of alcohol at each table. Was it Johnny Walker Red or what? :lol:
What's with asians and Johnnie Walker Red? Real whisky should only be single malt. :cheesygri

I was actually thinking of serving Moet & Chandon but I predict that some of my guests will complain that Asti sparkling wine is better. This would be the same crowd that thinks that the only good wine is ice wine. Ew.

[charliebrown]

I'm with you on this one. I told my fiancee that I don't mind spending the extra money to make sure that my guests are fed well. Me and a buddy still remember the awful food at a wedding that we both attended. It was 10 years ago and we still remember! :cheesygri

Pointers from experience -- may not guarantee bigger portions, but seems to have worked for us at Golden Court

1) Ask the restaurant coordinator if the kitchen staff prefers red pocket. (we got a case of coors light for the kitchen after asking)
2) On the day of ur dinner, stop by the restaurant a bit earlier and give out some red pockets (lai see) to the coordinator handling ur wedding (ask him/her how many waiters/waitresses are working ur wedding and give him a stack of red pockets for the waiters/waitresses (i gave a little extra for our coordinator)

Good luck with all the planning!

[IronMac]

What's with asians and Johnnie Walker Red? Real whisky should only be single malt. :cheesygri

You want to be a whisky snob and be gossiped about behind your back about the lack of good alcohol or do you want to be praised to the heavens by inebriated albeit ignorant Asians? :lol:

[chicken_little]

Pointers from experience -- may not guarantee bigger portions, but seems to have worked for us at Golden Court

1) Ask the restaurant coordinator if the kitchen staff prefers red pocket. (we got a case of coors light for the kitchen after asking)
2) On the day of ur dinner, stop by the restaurant a bit earlier and give out some red pockets (lai see) to the coordinator handling ur wedding (ask him/her how many waiters/waitresses are working ur wedding and give him a stack of red pockets for the waiters/waitresses (i gave a little extra for our coordinator)

Good luck with all the planning!
Thanks for the tip. I never thought of that. Never hurts to grease the hands that feed you. :cheesygri

[Ogata]

Try Golden Dragon Dynasty at Brimley and Huntingwood. Their sharkfin soup is amazing!

[saugaboy]

You can try Grand Chinese Cuisine


http://www.internationalplaza.com/GrandChinese.html

It a newer restaurant but its owned by Dragon Dynasty Chinese Cuisine

Its in the mississauga area so it might be far for some pples in scarb. but the thinig you should remember is that its a one time event so you dont want to have your wedding at the same place you eat dim sum in every sunday, at least thats how i feel about it. I booked there last year but they wern't finished consruction, but they booked the banquet room for us in the Hotel. oh also you might get a free hotel stay there too. Kinda good to have a staging area for the bride. (refresh make up after all the day events)

Food was pretty good and service was amazing, i think they had 1 waiter on every table, place is more canadian/chinese looking, very modern. you can ask to use the plasma TV. we had a dvd made with pictures of the ceremony so the pple who missed it could see the day's events if they missed it, much better then just a large portrait of yourselves.

Anyhow try call ing them , its hould be under 100 a person. you might get a good deal.

[chicken_little]

You can try Grand Chinese Cuisine


http://www.internationalplaza.com/GrandChinese.html

It a newer restaurant but its owned by Dragon Dynasty Chinese Cuisine

Thanks. Most of my fiancee's people are in Mississauga. I'll check it out.

[saugaboy]

Actually its borders Mississauga and Toronto, it by the airport, 401 and dixon. There used to be a club there, "Jade". But the main reason we chose it was to have a place that no one else had before. Also Hotel restaurants are usually much more expensive like the Metropolitan Hotel in toronto, not sure of spelling , Lie Wah Hein restaurant , prices start at 1500 a table.

I remember most of my invites were really impressed with the look and service, but the restaurant does have one thing that i didnt like. The eating area is is raised and is enclosed for privacy, but it also makes the celing kinda low. But if you want you could prob rent out one of the banquet halls in the Hotel and get them to cater, thats what we did and it turned out very well. You get a posh look without high prices.

Hey good luck to you man, i know the stress that comes with planning a wedding so if i can save you some i'll be happy.

[civic6url]

did you go when it was times dyansty or when the new dung huan?

It was the new Dung Wong!!! I went just like mid of August!!!

You can really tell how the service is when you are having dinner ... coz if you go for dinner ... it's doesn't affect them what time they get off ...

my friend went to this place at the end of August ... he saw the servers taking off their vest right at the lobby!!!! (right beside the escalator ... so all your guests going to see it when they leave)

[civic6url]

Try Golden Dragon Dynasty at Brimley and Huntingwood. Their sharkfin soup is amazing!

If you go with this place ... ask them if there is any difference having it at "Grand Baccus" ... coz it's a western style of banquel hall serving chinese food~~~

This was one of the best one I went this year!!!

For the wine part ... seriously .. it all depends on your crowd ... if they drink alot or not!!!

Seriously ... wine/whisky/alochol ... it comes after the food~~~

[gmark2000]

lol i also agree...for chinese ppl...all they talk about is the food. Unless you are really really really close to the bride and groom...you dont care and just want to have fun.

Other than that...it's the food and how fun the night was.
I have found a propensity for guests to "eat and run" or "dine and dash" as soon as the last course is served. No sticking around to socialize or dance etc... I find this very rude.

[saugaboy]

I have found a propensity for guests to "eat and run" or "dine and dash" as soon as the last course is served. No sticking around to socialize or dance etc... I find this very rude.

Agreed, but it also depends on your crowd and your host. Ive been to weddings where the host didnt want to have cake served so pple started to leave after the last course. I dont care for the cake myself but it kinda acts like a centre piece and lets pple know that they cant leave at least till after its served.

Also a decent DJ is important. I mean if your in your late 20's early 30's and your Dj starts playing all this 70's disco music, usually no one gets up. I think if you hire one to make sure he playes the music that your audience will like. Some wedding ive seen pple stay till 3 am cuz they were havenig such a good time, its all in the organization.

[oratihsus]

lucky i found this thread.............i'm having my wedding next year and i have gone around shopping for the price...........Larosa is nice.........diamond banquet hall is not that bad.........i haven't been to grand chinese cuisine yet but their prices are around the same............

for grand cuisine at dixon, when you rent out their hall and ask them to carter, do you still get the same food offered on the wedding menu?

thanks for any info

[saugaboy]

lucky i found this thread.............i'm having my wedding next year and i have gone around shopping for the price...........Larosa is nice.........diamond banquet hall is not that bad.........i haven't been to grand chinese cuisine yet but their prices are around the same............

for grand cuisine at dixon, when you rent out their hall and ask them to carter, do you still get the same food offered on the wedding menu?

thanks for any info

Yes, because theie restaurant is in the same hotel they will either cook at the restaurant and bring it up to the banquet hall or maybe use the hotel kitchen. I know when i had mine there the hotel kitchen wasnt equiped for the new chinese restaurant so they just brought it all up the service elevator.

i would recomend the hall, 20 ft ceilings, lots of space so all thatables arent squished together. and for teh main table i think we got a personal waiteress to keep all the glasses full and keep the table clean. the older generation(parents and grandparents) were very impressed with the service.

i think because they want to build a reputation versus all the scarb and toronto restaurnts so they went the extra mile.

[thelefteyeguy]

i have a wedding shot on Saturday at grand chinese cuisine...i fear the hi ceilings....no place to bounce flash ...going to have to use a difuser

i will post some pics later next week

btw...Grand Chinese cuisine is affliated with Dragon Dynasty (Huntingwood and Brimley)...not sure if its the same owner

and most list A chinese restaurants have a server for the headtable...and 1 server per 2 tables...List B restaurants will have 1 server per 3/4 tables...which sucks

[gilboman]

i have a wedding shot on Saturday at grand chinese cuisine...i fear the hi ceilings....no place to bounce flash ...going to have to use a difuser

i will post some pics later next week

btw...Grand Chinese cuisine is affliated with Dragon Dynasty (Huntingwood and Brimley)...not sure if its the same owner

and most list A chinese restaurants have a server for the headtable...and 1 server per 2 tables...List B restaurants will have 1 server per 3/4 tables...which sucks

its not whether its A or B List but how much $$ is spent per table ;)

but most if not all regardless of price will have the captain serving the head table

[saugaboy]

i have a wedding shot on Saturday at grand chinese cuisine...i fear the hi ceilings....no place to bounce flash ...going to have to use a difuser



Well the restaurant itself doesnt have high ceiling, the dining area is raised so the ceiling is kinda low, but the banquet hall in the hotel is high ceiling.

[oratihsus]

thanks guys for your thoughts..........thelefteyeguy, when u have ur picture, please post it up........

w/ respect to La Rosa, someone had mentioned that their portion is smaller compared to others? is that true? i went to see the place and i like their decor in the italian room......man, wedding costs money :)

[keanefan]

Harbourfront wedding banquet- downtown Toronto!

http://www.pearlharbourfront.ca

Pearl Harbourfront Chinese Cuisine
207 Queen's Quay West,
Suite 200, Toronto
Phone: (416) 203-1233

http://bm701.blogspot.com/2006/09/pearl-harbourfront-chinese-cuisine.html

my University housemate was having her wedding banquet in downtown & it's our pleasure to be able to join the party..

after attending so many weddings in past 2 years, frankly speaking, we are a bit tired of chinese cuisine.. out of our expectation, this restaurant did give us a little surprise..

first of all, the view from the restaurant was excellent.. it overlooked the lake.. we could see the ships, cruises passing by for the whole night..

all the food tasted better than average.. esp. the shark's fin soup, very rich with lots of ingredients..
also the rice..
the most important thing was.. the food came very fast.. almost no gap between courses.. & they really did "hot food serve hot"..

[chicken_little]

A neighbour down the street, his daughter had her wedding ceremony and dinner reception at The Mandarin Golf & Country Club in Markham. They had Chinese and non-Chinese food served and he said the food was great.
Went here today. If the price is reasonable, I think this could be the place. What I didn't like about Shangri-La was the fact that there was really no scenery. After all, it's banquet hall in the middle of an industrial area.

[thelefteyeguy]

Well the restaurant itself doesnt have high ceiling, the dining area is raised so the ceiling is kinda low, but the banquet hall in the hotel is high ceiling.


it was the banquet hall...im pooped...started at 7am...ended at 12am...got hammered after 12am...stayed in a room lol

took 970 shots :|

i used a homemade reflector from designs from Dpreview...it worked like a charm :)

btw...the banquet hall was f'ing huge...30+ tables...dance floor larger than most restaurant floors...btw...i did mention im pooped...

food was actually very average for the price they paid...it was about 200$per head (with liquor) but not including the live band setup.

[Anessa]

How about the golden regency upstairs at Pacific Mall? anyone been there?

Parking is a b!tch too plus it's expensive. A definite no-no

[Ogata]

If you go with this place ... ask them if there is any difference having it at "Grand Baccus" ... coz it's a western style of banquel hall serving chinese food~~~

This was one of the best one I went this year!!!

For the wine part ... seriously .. it all depends on your crowd ... if they drink alot or not!!!

Seriously ... wine/whisky/alochol ... it comes after the food~~~

Not for me...it was served during. And no, if u want westernized, Lai Wah Heen gives it the most. Didn't you see the wedding on Food TV? Makes me wonder if the banquet costed more than a house.

[delphine]

I love watching "I do... Let's Eat!" on FoodTV. Great show and it's Toronto based too.

[wasabiangel]

I'm actually an emcee for weddings and I've been to many restaurants around. I host the weddings so I sorta know what goes on behind the guests sometimes...

If you go to banquet halls, such as grand baccus at mc nicoll, or shangri la food is always catered, so you can decide what kinda food you want. They have a nicer atmosphere and decoration. I personally prefere grand baccus over shangri la.
Hotels are the same, but if you get chinese food, it's really crappy cuz it usually gets cold by the time you you start the ceremony, plus the service isn't so great (at least at sheraton and hilton on hwy. 7). They are better when it's western food and caucasian servers.

The place at pmall is horrible, food, quality, and service!

The Dun Huang place isn't too bad, but the servers aren't too professional, although the manager pretends to be. The food is generally ok, but a bit oily. Decoration and atmosphere is ok but not very grand or nice.

Spring Villa (Yu Yuen) on Woodbine has really good service and the food is decent. They try to cater the best service possible. The atmosphere is ok, not as pretty as banquet halls and hotels though.

Wong gum gok at hwy 7 and east beaver creek?/westbeaver creek... can't remember, has really yummy food, except the abalone. The servers are kinda rude though, they try to take the food that's left over. Very traditional chinese style though in decoration though.

Ruby restaurant is not bad with food, but decoration wise you have to get someone else to do it cuz they don't have the option of being done. Servers are overall ok.

La Rosa isn't bad, but they are always fully booked and packed, so be prepared for other weddings being held right next door. Their decoration is also done by other ppl.

The Grand Cuisine in etobicoke is really nice in presentation and service is generally ok. They are new so they are trying to give a good impression and maintain the business.

A few restaurants in sauga are not so great in presentation or decoration but the food is ok. They are usually older restaurants so not as good atmosphere wise.

If you want to do it at golf places or some sort of outdoor hall, it might be a bit chilly at this time of year. There are many of them, but they are more pricey...Same goes for cruises.

Cruises though are more pricey but definitely memorable. If you want the info pm me.

Hope this all helps. :cheesygri

[chicken_little]

Wow...thanks for the scoop wasabiangel. Lots of good info there. :cheesygri

[chicken_little]

A neighbour down the street, his daughter had her wedding ceremony and dinner reception at The Mandarin Golf & Country Club in Markham. They had Chinese and non-Chinese food served and he said the food was great.

Thank you all for your suggestions and inputs. Delphine, special thanks to you on this one. I ended up booking the venue at Mandarin. Chinese food of course. :cheesygri

[astroboi]

Thank you all for your suggestions and inputs. Delphine, special thanks to you on this one. I ended up booking the venue at Mandarin. Chinese food of course. :cheesygri

How much is it per head?

[expergo]

hey,

i just went to 3 weddings in september. i'm glad it's over...exhausting...haha.

first one the reception was at lai wah heen restaurant at the metropolitan hotel downtown. It was the most intimate atmosphere. very elegant. there were probably 25 tables (the couple was having 3 receptions). the bridal party had a whole table at the front and in front of them was the dance floor. on the 2 sides were the tables. It was like a rectangle shape room and the bridal party was on the longest side of the rectangle. food was pretty good. service was excellent. the waiter was always watching our table.

2nd wedding was at the hilton inns hotel at jane/hwy7. very big banquet hall. it was the most entertaining. they had spotlights for each table, and projectors everywhere. it was very big...which some might not like since you're pretty separated. but the good thing is that you a lot of space to walk around (eg. to the bar/bathroom). was not squished at all. food was catered by some other place, but was very entertaining when they brought it in. had a huge dance floor in the middle. rectangle shape room but with bridle party on the short side.

3rd wedding reception was at dragon dynasty at brimley/finch. it was 40 tables...very squished. food was okay. i would not have my wedding there. atmosphere was okay. the bridal party couldn't even fit on the whole table. only the bestman/maid of honor/and bride&groom sat on the table. the rest sat below them.

the first and second were probably the most expensive.

[telix]

I'm really glad I found this thread. I am tieing the knot next year as well.

I have kinda narrowed it down to 2 restaurants.

1. Diamond (1st Markham Place). Please any comments would be greatly appreciated.

2. Deluxe Chinese Cuisine (Gum Chui Heen - Warden and Hwy7).

Prices are about the same. Looking to be around 600 per table type. Nothing really expensive because have to control the costs.

Thanks alot!

[MissFlora]

I went to La Rosa last Saturday for a wedding banquet. The decoration wasn't grandest but the food is not bad at all. I especially like the friendliness of the staffs. The food taste very good, thought not in a very big bowl. They have really creative desserts which I really like. But the organization of the tables weren't as good as Dynasty. If you sit at a table at the back, you won't be able to see the stage clearly. But the food is definitely better than Dynasty. Just my $0.02.

[sterdeus]

I had two chinese weddings this summer. One at Mandarin Golf and Country Club and the other at Deluxe Chinese restaurant, both mentioned above. To compare the two, I would say the food at Deluxe was better. I believe the price at Deluxe was around $20,000 for 30 tables (dont quote me on that).

[charliebrown]

I'm really glad I found this thread. I am tieing the knot next year as well.

I have kinda narrowed it down to 2 restaurants.

1. Diamond (1st Markham Place). Please any comments would be greatly appreciated.

2. Deluxe Chinese Cuisine (Gum Chui Heen - Warden and Hwy7).

Prices are about the same. Looking to be around 600 per table type. Nothing really expensive because have to control the costs.

Thanks alot!

Havent been to #1 - but parking will be a problem for your guests

#2 - went for a wedding dinner in 2004; food was avg; went for a family dinner earlier this yr and food has deteroriated. Family friend went in to get a quote for a wedding dinner next yr. Apparently the restaurant wanted a $100 per table deposit -- so unless you have no concerns about the risk of closing, go ahead and book it.

[telix]

What is the average $ per table for deposit ? I went to Diamond to ask an they wanted $80/ table deposit.

So 100 doesn't sound too far off.

Also, more information about Deluxe Cuisine and Diamond would be very helpful.

Thanks,

[delphine]

Thank you all for your suggestions and inputs. Delphine, special thanks to you on this one. I ended up booking the venue at Mandarin. Chinese food of course. :cheesygri

Kewl! :) When is the big day?? Don't forget to post some pics for us to see. :D

[chicken_little]

Kewl! :) When is the big day?? Don't forget to post some pics for us to see. :D
How do you post pics on this rfd anyways? I was thinking of posting the wedding menus for people to see.

[thelefteyeguy]

some pics from Saturday at Jade Dynasty in North York (Leslie and Finch)
(they did a great job...prob tops for 2006 (of 5 weddings I went to this yr))


http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=283972&page=15

[queen824]

I'm considering:

1. City Inn (Market Village)

2. Spring Villa (Woodbine/ Denison)

3. La Rosa

Anyone has any comments:confused: I'm getting frustrated with finding the right venue~ :(

[londongal]

This thread is so helpful!

Need to plan my wedding reception....Anyone been to a wedding banquet at Lai Wah Heen (Soho Metropolitan Hotel)? Supposed to be a really yummy place, and very classy!
I hear that the dim sum is supposed to be one of the best in North America, but I wonder how the wedding catering is there?

[chicken_little]

This is what I went with at Mandarin:

佳 偶 天 成 宴
Metropolitan Wedding
大 紅 乳 豬 件 海 蜇
Roasted Suckling Pig Slices with Jelly Fish
翡 翠 蝦 仁 配 花 姿
Stir-Fried Shrimps & Squids with Chinese Greens
脆 皮 海 鮮 卷
Crispy Seafood Rolls
紅 燒 海 皇 大 鮑 翅
Braised Imperial Shark's Fin with Seafood
碧 綠 南 非 鮮 鮑 片
Braised Abalone Slices with Vegetables
清 蒸 游 水 魚 皇
Steamed Seasonal Fresh Fish
富 貴 脆 皮 雞
Crispy Whole Chicken
薑 蔥 焗 龍 蝦
Braised Lobster in Supreme Broth
幸 福 炒 飯
Mandarin Fried Rice
金 菇 炆 伊 麵
Braised E-Fu Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms
珠 聯 壁 合
Sweet Red Bean Cream Soup
佳 偶 天 成
Fancy Pastries
$788.00
For Table of 10

Package #3
Full Host Bar For Cocktail Reception
(Domestic Beer, Mixed Drinks, House Wine, Soft Drinks and Orange Juice)
Imported House Wine During Dinner (3 Bottles per Table of 10)
Full Host Bar After Dinner
(Domestic Beer, Mixed Drinks, House Wine, Soft Drinks and Orange Juice)
$250.00 per table of ten

Taxes and 15% Service Charge Excluded

[scan]

Try the restaurant on Bloor and Yonge. Its right across from the Lacoste store.

[saugaboy]

This thread is so helpful!

Need to plan my wedding reception....Anyone been to a wedding banquet at Lai Wah Heen (Soho Metropolitan Hotel)? Supposed to be a really yummy place, and very classy!
I hear that the dim sum is supposed to be one of the best in North America, but I wonder how the wedding catering is there?

They are very good, but also very expensive. $1500 per table and up. Any hotel/Restaurant will be expensive but they do give a nice presentation and you get to say you had your wedding at LAi Wah Hen.

Bragging rights is all part of it. I mean i wouoldnt want to have my wedding at the same place i eat dim sum every week. Unless you do eat here everyweek then you prob need something even better.

[xIcewind]

Personally, I didn't really like the food at La Rosa, when I went there for a friend's birthday party.

[oratihsus]

i actually booked my at La Rosa for this august cuz i like the decoration and the fact that each room is separate.........and one of my friends went to a wedding there and she said the food wasn't bad.........stressing time!!!

[xIcewind]

i actually booked my at La Rosa for this august cuz i like the decoration and the fact that each room is separate.........and one of my friends went to a wedding there and she said the food wasn't bad.........stressing time!!!

Haha, I'm sure that it was a isolated incident for us, then, since it wasn't an absolutely formal event. It was just a group of 30-40 people.

[londongal]

This is what I went with at Mandarin:

? ? ? ? ?
Metropolitan Wedding
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Roasted Suckling Pig Slices with Jelly Fish
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Stir-Fried Shrimps & Squids with Chinese Greens
? ? ? ? ?
Crispy Seafood Rolls
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Braised Imperial Shark's Fin with Seafood
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Braised Abalone Slices with Vegetables
? ? ? ? ? ?
Steamed Seasonal Fresh Fish
? ? ? ? ?
Crispy Whole Chicken
? ? ? ? ?
Braised Lobster in Supreme Broth
? ? ? ?
Mandarin Fried Rice
? ? ? ? ?
Braised E-Fu Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms
? ? ? ?
Sweet Red Bean Cream Soup
? ? ? ?
Fancy Pastries
$788.00
For Table of 10

Package #3
Full Host Bar For Cocktail Reception
(Domestic Beer, Mixed Drinks, House Wine, Soft Drinks and Orange Juice)
Imported House Wine During Dinner (3 Bottles per Table of 10)
Full Host Bar After Dinner
(Domestic Beer, Mixed Drinks, House Wine, Soft Drinks and Orange Juice)
$250.00 per table of ten

Taxes and 15% Service Charge Excluded

Hi chicken_little, just wondering if you sampled the wedding menu before making your decision? Was the food authentic? I'm sure some of my more traditional relatives will be sceptical hosting the wedding banquet on a golf resort!
I was also thinking of this venue as a reception option....looks so beautiful!

[chicken_little]

I'll be sampling the wedding menu next week so I'll post my review then.

I did have lunch at the restaurant there before booking the reception. The mandarin fried rice was actually damn good. The place is chinese run and tries to cater to the rich crowd it seems. They actually made me keep my jacket on cause my shirt didn't have a collar. :cheesygri

[Ogata]

Dragon Dynasty at Brimley and Huntinwood!

[SW20 MR2]

Terrible. This place left our wedding with a bitter taste in our mouth. Here are the major ones:

1. The food was downright horrible. We upgraded a few dishes over the standard menu, including the fish (important for Chinese people). The food wasn't hot when served and just didn't taste great. In fact, I think some of the food was expired or rotten because some of our friends/family got sick afterwards.

2. We had two-thirds of the restaurant booked, and they had a party in the other section with karaoke blaring out the speakers. They also had another party going on in the room across the hall. As a result, they were severely understaffed.

3. When we went back to the restaurant afterwards to discuss the problems (we had a list of 16), the jackass of an owner didn't care. I wanted him to refund me the "upgrade" cost that we paid for the food (roughly $600). I felt we didn't get what we paid for. He didn't care and didn't do a single thing. Nothing. He offered me to go there for dim sum another day. Whopdee do.

Stay away!!! My sister had her wedding at La Rosa. Great food and great service. A little on the expensive side, but you get what you paid for.

How about the golden regency upstairs at Pacific Mall? anyone been there?

[Ogata]

Terrible. This place left our wedding with a bitter taste in our mouth. Here are the major ones:

1. The food was downright horrible. We upgraded a few dishes over the standard menu, including the fish (important for Chinese people). The food wasn't hot when served and just didn't taste great. In fact, I think some of the food was expired or rotten because some of our friends/family got sick afterwards.

2. We had two-thirds of the restaurant booked, and they had a party in the other section with karaoke blaring out the speakers. They also had another party going on in the room across the hall. As a result, they were severely understaffed.

3. When we went back to the restaurant afterwards to discuss the problems (we had a list of 16), the jackass of an owner didn't care. I wanted him to refund me the "upgrade" cost that we paid for the food (roughly $600). I felt we didn't get what we paid for. He didn't care and didn't do a single thing. Nothing. He offered me to go there for dim sum another day. Whopdee do.

Stay away!!! My sister had her wedding at La Rosa. Great food and great service. A little on the expensive side, but you get what you paid for.


+1

My uncles wedding banquet was there too and the food was terrible. DRAGON DYNASTY PEOPLE!! The food is always piping hot no matter what and the quality and portion sizes are amazing. I would go there on my wedding banquet day. :D

[cornholio]

I agree with londongal, if you want the BEST food+service+gain some "faces" from your fiancee's side you have to check out Lai Wah Heen at Metropolitan Hotel (Toronto) or Empire Court at Hilton Suites (Markham). I had dine at both places and I would have to say they are top notch at what they do. I had my wedding at Empire Court at Hilton Suites in Markham, the chef is Joseph Ho, spoke person for "lee kum kee" very well known chef in HK and Toronto. Both place will probably set you back at least 150bucks per head. Mine ended up to be around $200/head, but we didnt have too many tables. One thing I do want to warn you regarding having wedding at restaurant that is in a hotel is that, they have to play by the rule, no such thing as no tax for paying cash or $500bucks bottle opening fee for the night. They play everything by the book.


Good Luck w/ the planning
J



This thread is so helpful!

Need to plan my wedding reception....Anyone been to a wedding banquet at Lai Wah Heen (Soho Metropolitan Hotel)? Supposed to be a really yummy place, and very classy!
I hear that the dim sum is supposed to be one of the best in North America, but I wonder how the wedding catering is there?

[charliebrown]

I agree with londongal, if you want the BEST food+service+gain some "faces" from your fiancee's side you have to check out Lai Wah Heen at Metropolitan Hotel (Toronto) or Empire Court at Hilton Suites (Markham). I had dine at both places and I would have to say they are top notch at what they do. I had my wedding at Empire Court at Hilton Suites in Markham, the chef is Joseph Ho, spoke person for "lee kum kee" very well known chef in HK and Toronto. Both place will probably set you back at least 150bucks per head. Mine ended up to be around $200/head, but we didnt have too many tables. One thing I do want to warn you regarding having wedding at restaurant that is in a hotel is that, they have to play by the rule, no such thing as no tax for paying cash or $500bucks bottle opening fee for the night. They play everything by the book.


Good Luck w/ the planning
J

Went to almost 1 wedding/month last yr; one of which was at Empire Court. Personally, i thought the food was good...not great, and compared to Golden Court @ Hwy 7 & West Beaver (went 2x last yr), i'd say food was better at Golden Court. Pricewise, i'd agree with the $150-200 estimate for Empire Court.

[charliebrown]

Package #3
Full Host Bar For Cocktail Reception
(Domestic Beer, Mixed Drinks, House Wine, Soft Drinks and Orange Juice)
Imported House Wine During Dinner (3 Bottles per Table of 10)
Full Host Bar After Dinner
(Domestic Beer, Mixed Drinks, House Wine, Soft Drinks and Orange Juice)
$250.00 per table of ten

Taxes and 15% Service Charge Excluded

Did they force the liquor option on you??? I mean, $250 per table can buy a lot of wine/beer

We went with byob; got charged $25/table for corkage + the $50 LCBO license.

Once you add the $250 to your $788; that's almost $1100 / table PLUS 15% tax + 15% tip (which probably translates to a 30% tip coz i doubt the restaurant reports fully to CRA)

[chicken_little]

BYOB wasn't an option at Mandarin.

[chucharm]

Thank you for this thread... saves me a lot of stress while I start to plan...

Can you tell me the price range per table at the Mandarin Golf Club (Chinese food)... My fiance and I are golf fanatics so one that caters Chinese food is really promising...

Thanks!

[chicken_little]

Thank you for this thread... saves me a lot of stress while I start to plan...

Can you tell me the price range per table at the Mandarin Golf Club (Chinese food)... My fiance and I are golf fanatics so one that caters Chinese food is really promising...

Thanks!

Prices range from $60 to $138 per person. That's before tax and tips!

[londongal]

I'll be sampling the wedding menu next week so I'll post my review then.

I did have lunch at the restaurant there before booking the reception. The mandarin fried rice was actually damn good. The place is chinese run and tries to cater to the rich crowd it seems. They actually made me keep my jacket on cause my shirt didn't have a collar. :cheesygri

So, out of curiousity how good was food sampling offered by the Mandarin? Did you remember to wear a shirt with a collar this time? hehe!
I have seen their wedding menus, and even though they are pricier than most other places, I don't mind paying more if the quality of the food is worth it (plus I get to marry on site which is convenient for my out of town guests!). :razz:

[chicken_little]

The tasting menu was a bit of a disappointment because it only included the cheaper dishes from the actual menu. I expected shark fin soup, abalone, fish, and lobsters. :cheesygri

The food itself was ok so we went ahead and paid a further deposit to solidify the booking.

Like you said, the place is convenient since guests don't have to go to two different places for ceremony and dinner. And what the heck...the golf course makes a nice background.


紅燒海皇羹
Supreme Broth with Chicken

翡翠蝦仁配花姿
Stir-Fried Shrimps & Squids with Chinese Greens

富貴脆皮雞 (半隻)
Crispy Chicken (1/2)

幸福炒飯
Mandarin Fried Rice

金菇炆伊麵
Braised E-Fu Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms

[londongal]

The tasting menu was a bit of a disappointment because it only included the cheaper dishes from the actual menu. I expected shark fin soup, abalone, fish, and lobsters. :cheesygri

The food itself was ok so we went ahead and paid a further deposit to solidify the booking.

Like you said, the place is convenient since guests don't have to go to two different places for ceremony and dinner. And what the heck...the golf course makes a nice background.

Cool! Thanks for the info....I guess the Mandarin doesn't feel like it needs to impress, as it is confident enough that it will get the booking based on the classiness of the location alone! All the best with the rest of the planning!:razz:

[londongal]

Just thought I'd share this.....found a really cool Canadian-based site for Chinese wedding related topics. Includes tips and advice for planning a Chinese wedding, the traditions, the etiquettes and bridal articles on beauty and dresses. It even has a Chinese wedding directory!

Check it out!:razz:

http://www.redpocketonline.com

[UrbanPoet]

I always thought people made a profit off these wedding banquets!

[normistheman]

Did they force the liquor option on you??? I mean, $250 per table can buy a lot of wine/beer

We went with byob; got charged $25/table for corkage + the $50 LCBO license.

Once you add the $250 to your $788; that's almost $1100 / table PLUS 15% tax + 15% tip (which probably translates to a 30% tip coz i doubt the restaurant reports fully to CRA)


I just had my Wedding Reception at Dun Huang at Times Square a few weeks ago.
The prices are always negotiable. The more tables u plan to have, the more bargaining power u will have.

Basically, they charge their corkage fee at $25/table. But u can talk them down to $12-$15/table.

And u can always customize their set menus to your own preferences. We essentially upgraded the abalone, shark fin soup, roasted pig, etc., yet maintained the set price.

Just a tip for all my RFD'ers who are planning to book a Wedding Banquet.

[acklam]

Has anyone attended a wedding at Mandarin Golf Course (or any outdoor tent facility) in summer -- July/August-ish? Would it be too hot, even during evenings?

We really like Mandarin as well, but we are a bit concerned about the lack of A/C in an outdoor tent.

[Atheral]

Just thought I'd share this.....found a really cool Canadian-based site for Chinese wedding related topics. Includes tips and advice for planning a Chinese wedding, the traditions, the etiquettes and bridal articles on beauty and dresses. It even has a Chinese wedding directory!

Check it out!:razz:

http://www.redpocketonline.com

Hey thanks for the link! Pretty neat site!

This is indeed turning out to be a great thread. I wonder if the OP will be asking for ideas for traditional/modern Chinese wedding games?

I know some couples prefer to disallow it, but I love hitting my cup with chopsticks to get the bride and groom to kiss :D .

[chicken_little]

I know some couples prefer to disallow it, but I love hitting my cup with chopsticks to get the bride and groom to kiss :D .

The OP would like to mock hump the bride from behind the first time someone does this and then see if any others dare to hit their cups afterwards. :cheesygri

[Neb]

Not sure if it has been mentioned, did not go through the whole therad. We had our wedding reception at the Doubletree hotel, dixon rd adn 401. The chiense restaurant is the same group as the Dragon Dynasty restaurant group. The chinese restaurnat there is called "kok gum hien" Don't kow th english, the food was excellent as we were one of the first weddings there. The food was hot since it's cooked onsite, and we had our reception in the ball room. Again like someone mentioned earlier when you go to a hotel there are less negotiations re: tips, alcohol, etc.. the menu can be changed to whatever you like, and the price coudl be negotiated. I think ours was about 150 / head after tax/tips/alcohol. Which wasnt' bad.

[maggers]

A neighbour down the street, his daughter had her wedding ceremony and dinner reception at The Mandarin Golf & Country Club in Markham. They had Chinese and non-Chinese food served and he said the food was great.

i know someone that's holding their wedding there. They have a $10,000 minimum.

[chicken_little]

A neighbour down the street, his daughter had her wedding ceremony and dinner reception at The Mandarin Golf & Country Club in Markham. They had Chinese and non-Chinese food served and he said the food was great.

Delphine, thank you so much for making this suggestion. We just had our wedding ceremony and dinner there. The food was great and service was excellent. The view of the golf course just made it even more special.

We ended up choosing the metropolitan wedding package:


Roasted Suckling Pig Slices with Jelly Fish
Stir-Fried Shrimps & Squids with Chinese Greens
Crispy Crab Claws ($30 upgrade per table)
Braised Imperial Shark's Fin with Seafood
Braised Abalone Slices with Vegetables
Steamed Seasonal Fresh Fish
Crispy Whole Chicken
Braised Lobster in Supreme Broth
Mandarin Fried Rice
Braised E-Fu Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms
Sweet Red Bean Cream Soup
Fancy Pastries


Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.

[delphine]

^^^^^^^^^^ That's awesome, Chicken Little!! :) :) Would love to see some pics. Just faze out the faces. hehehehehe :D :D

[charliebrown]

We ended up choosing the metropolitan wedding package:



Crispy Crab Claws ($30 upgrade per table)




mmmmm....crab claw :D

Best of luck with the wedding!

[hp]

Delphine, thank you so much for making this suggestion. We just had our wedding ceremony and dinner there. The food was great and service was excellent. The view of the golf course just made it even more special.

We ended up choosing the metropolitan wedding package:


Roasted Suckling Pig Slices with Jelly Fish
Stir-Fried Shrimps & Squids with Chinese Greens
Crispy Crab Claws ($30 upgrade per table)
Braised Imperial Shark's Fin with Seafood
Braised Abalone Slices with Vegetables
Steamed Seasonal Fresh Fish
Crispy Whole Chicken
Braised Lobster in Supreme Broth
Mandarin Fried Rice
Braised E-Fu Noodles with Enoki Mushrooms
Sweet Red Bean Cream Soup
Fancy Pastries


Thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.

Do you mind if I ask how much did they cost per head?

hp

[Narci]

times dynasty has now changed names and undergone renovations to dung hua and is "classier" than times dynasty was before.

was there last weekend for a wedding. food wasn't that great, especially the shark fin soup, it was bland. My Gf asked for salt hahaha.

besides the food, dung hua has a horrible set up in the main dining area. The have this huge column that blocks 3 or 4 tables from seeing the stage.

Course, If I got married to mny current Gf, it's going to be like 600 people. Only place that can hold that is Flota in vancouver which can hold up to 1000 people. Suppose ot be Canada's largest chinese restaraunt.

[chicken_little]

Do you mind if I ask how much did they cost per head?

hp

Food: $102
Drinks: $33

These numbers include 15% gratuity, gst and pst. :cheesygri

[tjewel]

I've been to the Mandarin Golf Club for meals on numerous occassions and found the food to be pretty good, and was actually looking into it as a possible venue. My only concern is the humity, temperature of the food and bugs, as their venue for 130 - 200 people is in a tent. Chicken_little, did you end up having your wedding in the tent or in their dining room? Did you have a problem with any of the mentioned concerns? Also, how rigid were they with negiotation of the prices?

Thanks!


Food: $102
Drinks: $33

These numbers include 15% gratuity, gst and pst. :cheesygri

[chicken_little]

I've been to the Mandarin Golf Club for meals on numerous occassions and found the food to be pretty good, and was actually looking into it as a possible venue. My only concern is the humity, temperature of the food and bugs, as their venue for 130 - 200 people is in a tent. Chicken_little, did you end up having your wedding in the tent or in their dining room? Did you have a problem with any of the mentioned concerns? Also, how rigid were they with negiotation of the prices?

Thanks!

I had approx 100 people in the tent and it was roomy. If we didn't clear the dance floor and if the bar was outside the tent, we could probably fit up to 100 more.

I was lucky to get married on a sunny day with lots of wind and not much humidity. Bugs were non-existent during the day but when darkness hit I think some mosquitoes were attracted to the light. But honestly it was ok since my wife who is a magnet to them didn't complain at all.

I myself didn't have much luck with any negotiation. They seemed pretty rigid or else I'm just a bad negotiator. :cheesygri

Not my wedding but here's some pics so you have an idea what it looks like...

http://flickr.com/photos/tags/calvinandgladys/

[dragontea]

I had approx 100 people in the tent and it was roomy. If we didn't clear the dance floor and if the bar was outside the tent, we could probably fit up to 100 more.

I was lucky to get married on a sunny day with lots of wind and not much humidity. Bugs were non-existent during the day but when darkness hit I think some mosquitoes were attracted to the light. But honestly it was ok since my wife who is a magnet to them didn't complain at all.

I myself didn't have much luck with any negotiation. They seemed pretty rigid or else I'm just a bad negotiator. :cheesygri

Not my wedding but here's some pics so you have an idea what it looks like...

http://flickr.com/photos/tags/calvinandgladys/

Congrats! I am getting a quote from them for a wedding luncheon. Any other good ides for a wedding luncheon as we will be doing a destination wedding a few weeks prior to this proposed luncheon.. thanks

[karenb]

Good luck! We're getting married Thanksgiving wekend at Mandarin GOlf Club...though going witht the Western menu. The food we tasted was delish, the setting is cozy, the tent outdoors is heated, and very pretty, not gawdy in my opinion! I'll post after the wedding with my thoughts, but so far, they have been a joy to work with, not pushy, etc

[londongal]

OK, so for those who were thinking of booking with Dun Huang restaurant (Hwy 7), also formerly known as Times Dynasty, AVOID THEM as they have just informed us that they will NO LONGER be doing Chinese wedding banquets as part of their new ALL YOU CAN EAT venture (which apparently is not very good as others have already pointed out in another thread).

We have already paid a deposit with DUN HUANG and booked the date, and 2 months later they have called to casually inform us that they are no longer going to be able to do our wedding banquet next year!!

AVOID them at all cost....they obviously have little respect for their customers if they think it is ok to treat people this way...

Has anyone else had similar dealings with them? Or other restaurants to avoid?:cry:

[jasira]

just do buffet styles if you want to be cheap..i've seen "asian" weddings hosted there im not going to name the ethnicity since it will start a whole racial thing

For my wedding reception, I need to host two different receptions.

One for the buffet style during lunch for the majority of the guests (around 300-400) and then we will hold more "intimate" one of 130-170 at night.

If you have seen Asian buffet reception, that's most likely what they are doing as well.

Culture dictates that we invite the whole community(that's what it feels like) but since we can't afford to have nice sit down reception of 300-400, we are splitting the reception into two.

[profguy]

was there last weekend for a wedding. food wasn't that great, especially the shark fin soup, it was bland. My Gf asked for salt hahaha.

besides the food, dung hua has a horrible set up in the main dining area. The have this huge column that blocks 3 or 4 tables from seeing the stage.

Course, If I got married to mny current Gf, it's going to be like 600 people. Only place that can hold that is Flota in vancouver which can hold up to 1000 people. Suppose ot be Canada's largest chinese restaraunt.


What only 600 - what kind of wedding is that - should be for at least 750 if you use Flota or it will look empty.

[fatpig]

Is there anyone who thinks that Golden Regency at Pacific Mall is a good place to hold a wedding banquet?

[karenb]

DOn't know about Golden Regency, but Mandarin Golf was mentioned earlier, be careful as I am not having any luck in getting my large deposit back, wedding was in October 07, I am getting the runaround from everyone at the club.

[chicken_little]

The first cheque Mandarin Golf sent me had the wrong names on it. It's been a couple of months since then and I'm still waiting for my deposit. And I got married in June. :confused:

[SW20 MR2]

We had our wedding there, and it was a bad experience. I've posted about it here, so just do a search.

Is there anyone who thinks that Golden Regency at Pacific Mall is a good place to hold a wedding banquet?

[gta1216]

this is off-topic, but since its all abt chinese weddings, so i thought i post here.

a friend of mine who got married a few years ago is looking for the really traditional chinese wedding music for her wedding video background or something. you know how in chinese movies (with modern setting), there is this background music when they show the restaurant scene? or in ancient setting, when the bride goes to the grooms house, they have this "live band" playing along the way? these are 2 different music and shes looking for both of these. anyone knows where i can find it or the name of it (if theres even a name to it)?

[tetleytee]

The first cheque Mandarin Golf sent me had the wrong names on it. It's been a couple of months since then and I'm still waiting for my deposit. And I got married in June. :confused:

I'm considering having my wedding reception at the Mandarin Golf in Toronto but I'm currently located in Vancouver. If the admin people are so difficult to deal with, it might not be a good choice for me.. Did you like the place? Was the service & food good?

[chicken_little]

I'm considering having my wedding reception at the Mandarin Golf in Toronto but I'm currently located in Vancouver. If the admin people are so difficult to deal with, it might not be a good choice for me.. Did you like the place? Was the service & food good?

Place: 9/10 - For the same price of a chinese restaurant dinner the guests are treated to a beautiful view of a golf resort instead of the usual restaurant parking lot. Great place to take outdoor pictures.

Service: 8/10 - I don't have anything to complain about. Everything went smoothly and the co-ordinator was a pleasure to deal with.

Food: 7/10 - I'm picky. The shark fin soup could have used more salt among other things but everything else was just as good or better as any chinese weddings I've been to.

Getting my $2,000 deposit back: 1/10 - My wife didn't change her name. So when we got our cheque with the wrong name on it we had to return it. That was a over three months months ago. I've been promised that a new cheque will be sent Jan 18. If I never get another cheque from these people this wedding becomes $2,000 more expensive than originally planned.

Overall the event was a success. It was a beautiful wedding and the guests had a wonderful time.

[nessavl]

I just went to Diamond Banquet Hall today to check out their wedding packages and they seem reasonable. The venue itself is not bad either. Has anyone actually attended a wedding banquet there? Can anyone comment on the food?
Thanks!

[Azxster]

Can't comment until August

[lcschung]

I've been to quite a few wedding the past year. The best Chinese wedding restaurant is Diamond Restaurant in the First Markham Place Mall. I like the food there, the only thing is that the hall is kinda small. But the food is absolutely amazing =)

BTW, if you are looking for wedding favors, check this out:

http://sweetweddingfavor.com

My friend and I have launched this recently.

Good luck and Congratulations !!

[thelefteyeguy]

best wedding banquet was at the Chinese Community Center Foyer (sheppard/markham rd)...catering staff was private...12 tables

most chinese food I had in my life :|

typical dish had twice the portions (except for the crab claws)...for example 4 2-lb lobsters per table....wtf

:confused:

I was full by the 6th dish :cheesygri and im a big guy

[Jaytee]

Avoid Ruby at McCowan and Finch, the food at that Chinese banquet there was disappointing. Dim Sum there is decent though.

[wamtt]

I just went to Diamond Banquet Hall today to check out their wedding packages and they seem reasonable. The venue itself is not bad either. Has anyone actually attended a wedding banquet there? Can anyone comment on the food?
Thanks!


My wife and I had the wedding reception at Diamond last year, and they are excellent, both food (taste and portion) and service (caring). We've been to a lot of chinese wedding receptions, and Diamond is the best out of all of them.

Also, you can take a look at the one at Brimley and Huntingwood inside Chartwell Mall (dont remember the name of the restaurant in english), that one is second in the taste of the food but we cannot comment too much of the service.

If you ask me, La Rosa is by far the worst one can pick to host their wedding reception.

[nessavl]

My wife and I had the wedding reception at Diamond last year, and they are excellent, both food (taste and portion) and service (caring). We've been to a lot of chinese wedding receptions, and Diamond is the best out of all of them.

Also, you can take a look at the one at Brimley and Huntingwood inside Chartwell Mall (dont remember the name of the restaurant in english), that one is second in the taste of the food but we cannot comment too much of the service.

If you ask me, La Rosa is by far the worst one can pick to host their wedding reception.


If you don't mind sharing, how much did you end up spending per table? Did you negotiate with them? Make any changes to the menu? Were they flexible and willing to work with you?
Thanks~

[tly8]

chicken_little, could you let us know how much you paid in total for your wedding at the manderin? I'm thinking of having my wedding there too. Also, were you able to negotiate a better price with them or were they able to "throw" anything in to close the sale with you?

I was also considering the Diamond restaurant, has anyone tried to negotiate pricing there? I.e. corkage fee.

Thanks.

[chicken_little]

chicken_little, could you let us know how much you paid in total for your wedding at the manderin? I'm thinking of having my wedding there too. Also, were you able to negotiate a better price with them or were they able to "throw" anything in to close the sale with you?

I was also considering the Diamond restaurant, has anyone tried to negotiate pricing there? I.e. corkage fee.

Thanks.

I wasn't able to negotiate anything but that may be due to the fact I'm a lousy negotiator. I think mentioned somewhere in this thread how much the total was.

Note that they still owe me my $2,000 deposit and failed to respond to my last email. If you're still going to go with them, use your credit card to pay the deposit fee and let them know that chicken_little is getting impatient. :cheesygri

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=536087

[chicken_little]

chicken_little, could you let us know how much you paid in total for your wedding at the manderin? I'm thinking of having my wedding there too. Also, were you able to negotiate a better price with them or were they able to "throw" anything in to close the sale with you?

I was also considering the Diamond restaurant, has anyone tried to negotiate pricing there? I.e. corkage fee.

Thanks.

Food $102 and drinks $33 per head. So that's $135 per guest. These numbers include 15% gratuity, gst and pst.

Hey...if you want to help a fellow RFD member out, give them a call and ask them what they are doing to rectify the fact that some people are still waiting for their deposit from as far back as June 2007. :cheesygri

[tly8]

Chicken_litte, thanks for your response. I have a meeting with Alan on Sunday and will ask him about "what they are doing to rectify the fact that some people are still waiting for their deposit from as far back as June 2007".
BTW, what is your name... I don't think they'll know who chicken_little is. :cheesygri

[chicken_little]

Not sure what 2008 prices are like but this is what was offered to me for 2007.

http://download.yousendit.com/504729EB45B43616

[conbabes]

Hi Aritizia

Sorry for hearing the bad news. In regards to La Rosa, can you PM me?

tks

[bestbargains88]

My fiancee and I are planning a wedding reception for about 300 guests, and are considering hosting it at a banquet hall with catered Chinese food. Our top choices are:

- Paramount Conference Centre in Vaughan (catered by Dragon Dynasty)
- Grand Baccus Banquet Hall in Scarborough (catered by Dragon Dynasty)
- Paradise Banquet Hall in Vaughan (catered by Grand Lake)

Can anyone share any good or bad experiences about the above venues and caterers? A main concern is the quality (hot enough?) and quantity of the food versus a Chinese restaurant

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

We also considered the following, but decided against them due to ().
- La Rosa (old banquet hall, small portions)
- Markham Event Centre (high minimum charge, fiancee didn't like decor)
- Shangri-La (heard the food was bad)
- Hilton Suites (small portions, guests need to pay for parking)

Thanks in advance!

[iris1026]

My mom went to a wedding catered by Grand Lake at a banquet hall in Vaughan and it was definitely NOT good. The shark fin was barely there. The vegetables were not fresh (difficult to chew). And the service wasn't up to par. The abalone wasn't worth mentioning.

The hosting family paid good money for the food, but at the end the quality wasn't there.

[1cherrylane]

My fiancee and I are planning a wedding reception for about 300 guests, and are considering hosting it at a banquet hall with catered Chinese food. Our top choices are:

- Paramount Conference Centre in Vaughan (catered by Dragon Dynasty)
- Grand Baccus Banquet Hall in Scarborough (catered by Dragon Dynasty)
- Paradise Banquet Hall in Vaughan (catered by Grand Lake)

Can anyone share any good or bad experiences about the above venues and caterers? A main concern is the quality (hot enough?) and quantity of the food versus a Chinese restaurant

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

We also considered the following, but decided against them due to ().
- La Rosa (old banquet hall, small portions)
- Markham Event Centre (high minimum charge, fiancee didn't like decor)
- Shangri-La (heard the food was bad)
- Hilton Suites (small portions, guests need to pay for parking)

Thanks in advance!

:arrow: Have you looked into these ones yet?

1. New Jaasmin Banquet Hall : www.newjaasmin.ca

2. Grand Victorian Convention Centre (next to Radisson Hotel): www.grand-victorian.ca

3. La Vita Banquet Hall

[jojoli2009]

Hi Bestbargins88

do you know if the Dragon Dynasty cater - same as the Dragon Dynasty Chinese cuisine? Do you know what other banquet hall they will cater?

Thanks :)

My fiancee and I are planning a wedding reception for about 300 guests, and are considering hosting it at a banquet hall with catered Chinese food. Our top choices are:

- Paramount Conference Centre in Vaughan (catered by Dragon Dynasty)
- Grand Baccus Banquet Hall in Scarborough (catered by Dragon Dynasty)
- Paradise Banquet Hall in Vaughan (catered by Grand Lake)

Can anyone share any good or bad experiences about the above venues and caterers? A main concern is the quality (hot enough?) and quantity of the food versus a Chinese restaurant

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

We also considered the following, but decided against them due to ().
- La Rosa (old banquet hall, small portions)
- Markham Event Centre (high minimum charge, fiancee didn't like decor)
- Shangri-La (heard the food was bad)
- Hilton Suites (small portions, guests need to pay for parking)

Thanks in advance!

[jojoli2009]

hi Iris1026, by any chance do you still remember which banquet hall?


My mom went to a wedding catered by Grand Lake at a banquet hall in Vaughan and it was definitely NOT good. The shark fin was barely there. The vegetables were not fresh (difficult to chew). And the service wasn't up to par. The abalone wasn't worth mentioning.

The hosting family paid good money for the food, but at the end the quality wasn't there.

[asianhoney]

Thanks. Most of my fiancee's people are in Mississauga. I'll check it out.

website doesn't work

[asianhoney]

They are very good, but also very expensive. $1500 per table and up. Any hotel/Restaurant will be expensive but they do give a nice presentation and you get to say you had your wedding at LAi Wah Hen.

Bragging rights is all part of it. I mean i wouoldnt want to have my wedding at the same place i eat dim sum every week. Unless you do eat here everyweek then you prob need something even better.

lai wah heen is NOT at the SOHO met. it's at the Metropolitan (the older hotel).

[redbaby]

we had our wedding in grand lake back in may, good food & good price. before our wedding, we attended to a wedding in a banquet hall name ( le jardin) last year which was cater by grand lake too. The food was good & everybody was haveing a good time. But we choose to have a wedding inside the restaurant instead of catering because they newly renovated & had a special offer with a free hotel at Hilton suite.
As far as i know, they have lots of banquet halls to choose (over 30). My friend had just booked the cater from them next year.( the cater manager name Same is very helpful.) check out their website
www.grandlakecuisine.com

[dragonfattie]

Did anyone hold their wedding at Sherton Parkway on HWY 7?

Just wanted to know if you can share your experiences with me. We are in the mist of booking one of the rooms but just want to be reassured. It seems to me that they might be overpriced, and not open to negotiations because they paid full taxes and service charges.

Thanks!

[Katadare]

My fiancee and I are looking for a place for our wedding.
We are leaning towards the Mandarin Golf and Country Club.
Have any of you had a fall wedding there? How difficult is it to get
a booking there?

K

[Sahana]

If you are looking for a venue for your wedding...DO NOT go with NEW JAASMIN!

They don't have to decor properly...

Their decorations are ghettoo...

Their horrrribleeeeee with coordination...

Lasly the dj does not know what he's doing, and inappropriate music.


The only thing that's some what okay is their food..sri lankan food...

I signed up for on red flag just to let people know, don't make this mistake with choosing New Jaasmin, I'm telling you with experience.

[cutesnoopydoll]

Have anybody went to "Markham Event Centre" lately? How was the food/service/decor etc?

Your comments are really appreciated.

http://www.markhameventcentre.com/ (MEC).

[Advan77]

Have anybody went to "Markham Event Centre" lately? How was the food/service/decor etc?

Your comments are really appreciated.

http://www.markhameventcentre.com/ (MEC).

Was there a couple of months ago. Venue was ok, but the food wasn't hot when it came out which sucked. Who wants to have cold Shark Fin Soup?

Anyone been to any of these places for a wedding banquet recently:

1. Dragon Boat Fusion Cuisine
2. Casa Victoria
3. Golden Court Abalone

I've been looking around for a possible venue.

[MTOU]

Anyone been to any of these places for a wedding banquet recently:

1. Dragon Boat Fusion Cuisine
2. Casa Victoria
3. Golden Court Abalone

I've been looking around for a possible venue.


I wanna know more about the Dragon Boat (on East Beaver Creek) too... www.dragonboatcuisine.ca
Anyone been to this place? Is it good for wedding if we only have around 10-15 tables? :confused:

Compare to La Rosa, which one is better???

[duckdown]

Lai Wah Heen

[booblehead]

Only criteria for this restaurant ... DEEP Pocket of $$$$$$$$$$$$

I know the Exec. Chef since 1980's

Lai Wah Heen

[armadan]

Are there more chinese restaurants that have websites that display wedding menu?

[jimmyjamez]

i'm looking into having it at mec! hope it goes good