Christmas is one of the biggest events of the year and we know how much of a headache it can be to organise a get-together, be it a private dinner with your loved ones or corporate parties involving hundreds of guests.

When it comes to Christmas parties, one of the major components when it comes to planning is food—and it can make or break your party! Having to please everyone’s taste buds is not an easy task but yes, we are telling you that it is possible to have a fuss-free Christmas party without going through much hassle.

For Christmas this year, Orange Clove Catering is collaborating with Celebrity Chef Eric Low who is leading the festive theme buffet ‘A Christmas Full of Life’, with six exclusive creations that are bound to impress your guests. Who says that catered food has to be boring? We beg to differ!

FESTIVE MENUS HEADLINED BY CELEBRITY CHEF ERIC LOW

Established in 2008, Orange Clove Catering is a reputable brand in the F&B industry, serving mid to high-end gastronomical fares in aesthetically pleasing presentation styles.

For the first time ever, the catering company is collaborating with Celebrity Chef cum cookbook author Chef Eric Low who is well-known for his culinary talents. An experienced chef with over 28 years of experience under his belt, Chef Eric Low has won numerous accolades and is a certified culinary judge for international and national level culinary competitions.

Judging from his expertise, you can feel assured that your buffet spread is left in good hands under his guidance. There are four festive buffet menus designed under Chef Eric Low’s guidance—Spirit of Christmas (S$20/guest), Merrymakers of Yule (S$25/guest), Season of Gaiety (S$32/guest) and Joyous Revelry (S$42/guest).

The highlights of these four festive buffet menus are six exclusive dishes created by Chef Eric Low that focus not only on taste but also on using healthier cooking methods so your guests can stuff themselves silly without too much of that guilt from all the festive feasting.

Now, are you ready to find out what Chef Eric Low has to offer? You have to read on!

ROSEMARY & SMOKED PAPRIKA BAKED CHICKEN WITH DOUBLE MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE

Inspired by Spanish recipes, Chef Eric Low came up with his own marinade using flavourful ingredients such as rosemary, paprika, garlic bits, mustard, olive oil and more.

The chicken pieces are marinated overnight before they are placed in the oven so that the flavours are more pronounced and indeed, we could taste the harmonious blend of savoury and slightly spicy tones.

CHEF ERIC’S SPECIAL VIETNAMESE JACKFRUIT SALAD WITH POACHED PRAWNS

The idea for this dish was born out of a conversation Chef Eric Low had with his Vietnamese friends one day and it is a reflection of the classic Vietnamese diet that showcases light and balanced ingredients.

Be prepared to be greeted with a complexity of flavours from the prawns and coconut cream which is well-balanced with lettuce and jackfruit salad at the side.

COLD SALAD OF ROASTED PUMPKIN WITH WASABI CRABMEAT, TOASTED KERNELS, CORAL GREENS & YELLOW FRISSE

Always begin your meal with a bowl of cold salad because it piques your appetite without filling your tummy too much. Although this may look like any other cold salad dishes out there, the taste was unforgettable. The key ingredient? Wasabi mayo.

Imagine the fiery burst from the wasabi coupled with sweet pumpkin chunks, creamy crabmeat and crunchy kernel bits—that is definitely a wild party of flavours in your mouth!

TRILOGY OF BRUSSEL SPROUTS, YELLOW ZUCCHINI, CARROT WITH HOMEMADE THAI-INSPIRED PEANUT SAUCE

Before you think that there is nothing special about these vegetables, we would just like to stop you right there; Chef Eric Low’s homemade Thai-inspired peanut sauce is probably the best condiment we have tried at a festive buffet and it heightened the taste of this dish to perfection.

The secret to this wonderful red curry paste sauce is the addition of peanut butter as a natural thickener instead of gelatin. You have to try it to believe just how a simple sauce like that can transform the taste of vegetables.

LONG GRAIN SPANISH INSPIRED BAKED RICE WITH SAUSAGES & TRIO OF BELL PEPPERS

Basmati rice is valued for its high nutritional contents and for being low in calories. Sticking to his aim in providing wholesome eats that do not compromise on taste, Chef Eric Low created this dish with long grain Spanish baked rice that is mixed with Cajun spices.

Other ingredients you will find include sausages, blended nuts, smoked paprika, garlic and a few drops of lemon juice. Imagine a cross between the rich Indian biryani and aromatic Spanish paella—that is what you get with this fragrant baked rice.

CAJUN STYLE OVEN BAKED SNAPPER LOIN WITH ROMESCO SAUCE

There are so many items on the menu for you to pick from but if you are looking for a crowd-pleaser, the Cajun Style Oven Baked Snapper Loin with Romesco Sauce will do the trick.

The tender fish meat was doused with generous portions of Romesco sauce and it was the full-flavoured, tangy sauce that won our hearts. If you are looking for recommendations, we would suggest having the baked fish with Spanish baked rice—they are a match made in heaven.

FULL RANGE OF DESSERTS

And of course, the desserts. These sweet treats make up an important aspect of a Christmas party—or any party as a matter of fact—so you should spend some time browsing through the options Orange Clove Catering has.

Some of these delights include Assorted Choux Pastries, Deluxe Fresh Fruits Platter and an unbeatable array of cupcakes, tarts and cakes.

A Christmas Full of Life Festive Buffet Menus
Spirit of Christmas (S$20/guest)
Merrymakers of Yule (S$25/guest)
Season of Gaiety (S$32/guest)
Joyous Revelry (S$42/guest)

Orange Clove Catering
1 Kaki Bukit Road 1
#05-03/04, Enterprise One
Singapore 415934
Tel; +65 6515 0991
Nearest Station: Ubi
Website: www.orangeclove.com.sg

This post is brought to you by Orange Clove Catering.

From cocktail reception to Christmas parties, seminar luncheons, weddings and birthday celebrations, buffets and sit down dinners for your corporate events, there are many gatherings every year and what better way to unite people than to feed them well?

However, it can be a challenge trying to put everything together; those who have had to bear the responsibilities of organising an event would know the pain. And the biggest and most common problem is to find the one caterer that is reputable, reliable and has options to satisfy all palates.

Options are aplenty, and there are many players in the market. Orange Clove Catering (orangeclove.com.sg) is always a top-of-mind name, and having sampled their culinary skills lately, we are even more convinced that they are the ones to turn to when you need a caterer – whatever the occasion may be, they will offer the most ideal solutions and have you earn the title of a heroic host.

ORANGE CLOVE GREAT GATSBY APPRECIATION NIGHT

Some time this month, we had the honour to attend Orange Clove’s Great Gatsby appreciation dinner. It was a glitzy night with elaborate set-up that was every bit befitting of the Great Gatsby theme, a night to celebrate another year of success, a night to remember all the happy clients whom Orange Clove had catered to for the past year.

We were pampered by Sous Chef William and his esteemed team, and dinner was a beautiful 4-course spread which featured Pan-seared Scallop with black olives, tomato tapenade with asparagus, and petite salad drizzled with balsamic; Double Boiled Chicken Consummé with quail egg roulade; Slow Cooked Cod Fish with wild mushroom roulade; and Poached Pear with French Vanilla Ice Cream.

Your every day ingredients were used, but with the team’s creative minds and impressive culinary skills, we were treated to creativity and surprises beyond those seemingly simple dishes.

Now, who said caterers only dish our boring and predictable food?

LAUNCH OF CAPTAIN 500 – A FOOD TRUCK THAT SERVES LOW-CALORIE FOOD OF 500 KCALS AND BELOW

Fancy having a food truck at your event or party? Mark down Captain 500 – a new service that has recently been introduced by Orange Clove. It is essentially a food truck that serves low-calorie food of 500 kcals and below to promote a healthy lifestyle for consumers. All that talk about being a health nut need not be ditched just because you have a party! You can still merry-make with guilt-free indulgences.

Besides, it makes you look so cool to have a food truck, right? As kids, we used to be so excited about Milo trucks. But hey, this is even better! This truck comes with so much food! Definitely Instagram-worthy too, we’d say. Your guests will be very pleased.

ORANGE CLOVE CHRISTMAS MENU 2014

Christmas won’t be the same without the usual festive goodies like ham, roast turkey and log cake, but the team at Orange Clove has been working hard to come up with new creations including Strawberry Panna Cotta and Sliced Beef in Barbeque Black Pepper Sauce. Tis’ the season to be jolly, and feast!

ORANGE CLOVE TEA BLEND

Orange Clove has also partner Clipper Tea to introduce its exclusive OC Tea Blend – a comforting brew of Ceylon green tea, peppermint, orange peel and marigold flowers.

ORANGE CLOVE CATERS TO ALL OCCASIONS

Orange Clove caters to all occasions and they are your best catering partner to work with to put up a splendid show for your guests. If you have an upcoming event/party, you can refer to Orange Clove’s website to see the menus for the various events.

Besides offering consistently good food and services, Orange Clove also provides thematic planning. The bankers can entrust their events to the Finance team for they know best what you are looking out for, as with the Property team, as with the Fashion team… you get the idea. Also in alliance is a list of venue partners that they work closely with – like The Arts House, Changi Cove, Goodman Arts Centre and The Star Performing Arts Centre – and this further expands your venue planning options and possibilities.

No more fretting about your catering issues, just leave everything to Orange Clove and they will make you a hero in your guests’ eyes.

To request for a quote for catering, you can call Orange Clove at +65 6515 0991, email enquiry@orangeclove.com.sg, go to orangeclove.com.sg  and like Orange Clove on Facebook.

This post is brought to you by Orange Clove.

One of the questions that I get from readers frequently is to recommend caterers that offer good and reliable service at reasonable prices. The next time you are looking for a caterer to feed your guests, we have a recommendation.

Foodline (www.foodline.sg) is a Singapore based catering review website that partners with over 50 caterers. We all know how challenging it is to organise an event, but when you search for your caterer via Foodline, life will be a lot easier because there are real reviews and photos by customers who have engaged the service of the caterers listed.

You can search for your ideal buffet catering by your budget, cuisine and requirement. Whether you are organising a mini buffet on a shoestring budget for a gathering, looking for a halal buffet caterer for your party, picking a high end caterer for your company’s corporate event, throwing a high tea for your baby’s first month, or choosing the right wedding caterers for your big day – Foodline will help you find the best buffet caterers in Singapore.

When your event is over, write a short review of the caterer’s service (with a photo) on Foodline to share with everyone your experience, and Foodline.sg will provide a cash reward (ranging from S$10 to S$30). Foodline.sg is also having a lucky draw where you can win S$500 worth of catering vouchers simply by joining their mailing list. Read here for more details. For the latest updates, ‘like’ Foodline on Facebook.

This post is brought to you by Foodline.sg