My Mother-in-Law's Grand Birthday Party Bash

My Mother-in-Law celebrated her birthday recently at a hotel restaurant in Kuching. The venue was at this little place called Mandarin Restaurant at Li Hua Hotel.

Nee & I haven't really been to this place a lot, but since we had a little gathering with Brede & the Lions Club, it has always been there at the back of our heads. The food here is not bad, despite it's Ah Lien Auntie kinda atmosphere.

When you step inside the ground floor, you're greeted by very-the-Ah-Beng, flourescent-blue, seafood water musical show.

Nolah, it was actually just some seafood swimming in a lit up tank.

And when you go up the stairs, the first thing that you'd notice is the karaoke stage.

Confirming Nee's utmost fear, whenever her mother celebrates anything in a restaurant, it automatically comes with one the most favourite past time of all Malaysian aunties - the dreaded Karaoke.

But I'm glad we had food to distract our attention cos once the karaoke started, all conversations had to stop. The first dish for the night was this curious looking soup with pork leg & cuttlefish, which is a very signature Foochow dish. Yum!

For a dish like this, it's very important for the cuttlefish not to be overpowering. And that night, it was perfect cos the cuttlefish behaved very well.

And then came this showy cold dish spectacle with the usual jellyfish, drunken chicken, fruit and lobster salad (That is why the lobster is there), & what we thought to be an interesting 'sausage siew mai'.


Nee particularly liked this combination of mango duck in fried man tou.


Then there were more singing & drinking. The uncles were on a roll, & there's no way they'd be stopping.

And the aunties were just, well, auntie-ing away.


And the distraction kept coming. This was yam & fish. Another very Foochow dish, which features in many Foochow restaurant.

The suddenly out of nowhere, my father-in-law jumped on stage & in super-hiao-ness sang a duet with mom. My body couldn't decide between having goosebumps or feelings of romance. Nee and siblings could not decide between hiding under the table or signing them up for Astro Old Folks' Idol Competition.

And in all filial piety, Nee baked mom two cakes for the evening - Napolean & Strawberry Cream cakes.


Nee's two younger brothers are still single & available for booking.

I hope Raymond's funny faces is not the reason why he's still single.

The Chinese food at Mandarin Hotel was really pretty good, especially the Foochow style and lard was in abundance in every dishes. Definitely rated 7/10 for food alone. Other than that, hmm...you can tell for yourselves. It is located along Song Thian Cheok Road next to the old Upwell Supermarket.