I have some friends who are visiting Thailand from Australia. One of the friends has found a new boyfriend here. I have invited several people for a chicken and dumpling dinner. My friend said that the new boyfriend only likes Thai food so he will bring some carry out for his dinner. Opinions please?
Look for a recipe for Thai Chicken and Dumplings or noodles. Im sure there are many and you can make two smaller dishes, one of each style and make everyone happy with just a little bit more work.
I agree to make a complimentary Thai dish or Thai chick and dump. To me that would be disrespectful for someone coming to my home for dinner bringing carry out. I would not do that to someone, nor would I like it done to me. I might PO someone, but I would request my guests bring no food just their appetite otherwise I would feel like they did not respect my invitation.
The reason I posted this is that I was upset that my friend would decide to bring take out to my dinner party when it was clear that I was serving chicken & dumplings. They had been to my place before for western food and the Thai guy ate it like everyone else. I couldn’t understand the change, but it all worked out since they came without take out and the Thai guy once again ate the same food as everyone else. (There were two other Thais present. When I have dinner parties it is difficult to plan a menu since one friend doesn’t eat beef, another doesn’t eat seafood, another doesn’t eat lamb, another doesn’t eat even slightly spicy food, another won’t eat anything with bell peppers, another doesn’t like coriander, and it goes on and on. I do my best to accommodate all these idiosyncrasies, but I am not running a restaurant and will not prepare separate foods for people. I prepare what I plan and if they don’t like it they just have to decline the invitation. maybe this is not being a good host, but I do go to a lot of trouble when I prepare a dinner party and won’t add more work for myself.
Having that many problems with invites, I would either invite them separately or serve a fondue with a bunch of chunk sized meat and seafood along with several dipping sauces. If you have two pots you may do an oil pot and a seasoned wine pot for cooking the proteins.
You really had a hard decision to make but sounds as if you did it right.
I’m glad you went ahead with your original meal plan, all the time, thought & expense that went into it was done by you.
My only suggestion would be a minor thing. Possibly include a side dish or two that everyone could enjoy, regardless of food choices. Simple steamed fresh veggies could be an option. It’s not only nationality preferences that arise, often people are on lo-cal diets or other special diets & everyone still finds a way to eat some of what is served.
It was rude about the comment “I’ll bring my own food”…unless it was posed as “I’d like to contribute some of my favorite food to share at your dinner party so people can taste Thai food. Would you mind having a spare dish for me to put it on?”
You really handled the situation well and I’m glad it worked out for you.
Thanks.