Working Meals

Meals with Chinese partners frequently have too much of the following: alcohol, food and socialising. More time is spent going around the table toasting people (and vice versa) and chatting than on eating. This particular meal was no different.

First course of cold dish had a variety of items: bittergourd, tripe, chicken and ark shell. No idea who came up with this combination.

Second course: fish maw soup in superior stock. Not bad but could have used some vinegar.

Third course: Some weird shell fish...

....which turned out to be a baby abalone when flipped over.

Fourth course: eggplant.

Fifth course: prawn cooked with black bean sauce.

Sixth course: braised cod. This was quite nice.

Seventh course: beef noodles

Eighth course: Kai lan

Ninth course: Fried rice....

...and finally, fruits for dessert.

Is it possible to finish so much food? The answer is YES, because it helps to eat more when you're trying hard not to get drunk. What I didn't photograph was the wine consumption of approximately 1 bottle per person, myself included, while the more senior members of the party probably had more than 2 each. And it clearly works, since the photographs towards the end are all still in focus : )