Sorry for the late post! We have been working very hard in what is the busiest July I can remember, which is great, of course, but also comes at a cost: less time for the beach, friends, music, exercise, and obviously, blog posts.
We did still have time enough to throw together a Full Moon Dinner, and it was our most popular ever, with 70 guests. Since I had just gone to Thailand and Vietnam to visit some family and had brought back authentic spices and ingredients, it seemed fitting to share that with our guests, especially since there are no real Thai or Vietnamese restaurants in the Virgin Islands, at least that I know of. To keep the experience even more authentic, and to make it (a little) easier on ourselves, we decided to make the dinner family-style, since most meals in Thailand and Vietnam are served this way. I guess that’s why I always want my girlfriend to split entrees with me when we go out. I like variety.
Courses came out one after the other, and since we were in the kitchen getting things out in a hurry, I completely forgot to take any pictures of anything. So, to fill whatever visual cravings you might have, I am going to post some pictures from my trip instead. The trip inspired me to connect with more of my roots and family, and was an opportunity to show my son another side of the world.
We paired up with Southern Glazer’s and brought in a few different Sierra Nevada Beers as well as some Suntory Whiskey for the event.
Here is the menu we designed for July 10th, 2017:
In addition to the Curry Trio (Massaman, Panang, and Green), Green Papaya Salad with fresh, local Papaya, Spicy Beef Salad, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Fish Cakes, Son-in-Law Eggs, Sticky Rice, Jasmine Rice, and Teas, we also had some some Bun (Rice Noodles), Tom Ka Soup, and array of sauces and pickled vegetables. We also finished with a Thai Iced Tea Popsicle.
All of the food was born of the idea that we wanted to treat folks to an experience as close to what they would get in Southeast Asia as possible. The extremely hot weather certainly helped us achieve our goal!
Here are some of the places, faces, and flavors that helped this idea come to fruition…
‘Pon de River!
The mountains above Chiang Mai
Chatuchak Market
Reclining Buddha
Heart to the sky
Our journey to us first to Bangkok, where my son and I met up with many members of our family. It was his first time meeting my father’s side, since we live so far away. From there, we headed to Chiang Mai to spend some time connecting with even more family (28 members in all made it to this part of the visit).
Lyric, Hua, and Nick enjoying lunch
A quick few days in Vietnam took us from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi to Halong Bay, and back to Ho Chi Minh.
With markets all over the place, it was hard to resist filling our suitcases with fantastic flavors. We definitely did not bring back any fresh fruits or vegetables, as per the USDA regulations. Wouldn’t want to risk losing our Global Entry statuses, after all.
Throughout, it was an amazing trip filled with new experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Dreaming about going back as soon as possible and spending even more time there.
I hope that our guests enjoyed the evening and got the feeling that they were transported to another locale for just a few hours.
August’s Full Moon Dinner was another amazing time. Stay tuned for the next update, soon come.
St. John Catering 
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