Held on 30th July 2016 at Sunway Carnival Convention Center, The North Banquet – The Hosts & The VIPS was the first red carpet gala dinner in Butterworth. Proudly organized by CHT Network in collaboration with Ichi Media, the North Banquet showcased the Northern region’s influential personalities as The Hosts, providing them with a platform to invite their respective VIPS to a lavish gala dinner to network and promote various business industries.
I was lucky to be invited by CHT Network & Ichi Media to this luxurious extravaganza and I must admit that I was really excited to be attending my first red carpet event!
Cocktail session
The event’s main sponsors include big brand names such as Rado Switzerland, Airmas Group, Royals Blue, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya & Shiseido Professional. Other sponsors include Lamborghini Kuala Lumpur, GST Group, Starbucks Malaysia, Red Box Karaoke, DCOVA, Gartien & Passionis.
The highlights of the evening include a mouth watering 5 course dinner menu featuring two seafood appetizers by Chef Peter Fehr, glamorous Hair & Fashion show and Charity Auction.
Rado Hyperchrome Automatic Chronograph Match Point (limited edition) – one of the charity auction items
Tennis inspired plasma high tech ceramic watch (only 999 pieces available in the whold world)
Royals Blue “The Heirloom” – a brainchild from the Founding President of One East Musuem to showcase the significance of the Baba Nyonya (Straits Chinese Peranakan Culture) was another eye catching piece for the Charity Auction
Specially designed by Royals Blue team to celebrate the success story of The North Banquet – The Hosts & The VIPS, “The Heirloom” was designed using handpicked precious stones such as emeralds, rubies, Alexandrite, multi color Saphire, diamonds and Tourmalline. A beautiful masterpiece!
Bronze sculpture entitled “Relationship” as a reminder to all not to take life & relationships for granted – also up for auction
Sunway Convention Center transformed…
I must give my hats off to the banquet staff too for they were attentive and gave their best during service.
Chocolate truffles sponsored by Passionis
Menu for the night
Opening Speech by the President of CHT Network, HT Ch’ng
Hair & Fashion show by Shiseido Professional & fashion designer Richard Rivalee
Fashion Designer Richard Rivalee taking the stage
Songstresses belting out tunes for the evening
Honoring the sponsors
Honoring the Hosts
Launching of The North Banquet – The Hosts & The VIPS
A special coffee table book was also printed and distributed to all guests featuring the Hosts and the sponsors as a token of appreciation.
Appetizer 1 by Chef Peter Fehr, seafood sponsored by GST Group – Hokkaido Scallop Carpaccio, Black Caviar, Spicy Orange Shallot & Coriander Vinaigrette
The scallop carpaccio was delicious and succulent pairing well with the sweetness from the prawns. The briny black caviar added another dimension to the flavours. A light and refreshing start to the dinner.
Glorious Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cheese Stick
I love anything pumpkin and so this pumpkim soup was right up my alley.
Appetizer 2 – Blue Crab Meat & King Crab leg, Marinated Raw & Cooked Vegetables with Beetroot Lemon Sauce
This was another pleasing appetizer which showcased the freshness of the seafood. I enjoyed the sweetness of the crab meat which I thought went well with the earthy beetroot sauce.
Palate Cleanser – Lemon Sorbet with Mint Leaves
Entree – Two Combinations
Poached Black Cod Fish & stuffed Chicken served with mango salsa sauce and green tea puree
Two combination mains seem to be trending at the moment, which suits me just fine for I do love the variety. The poached black cod fish was lovely and melt in your mouth. While I enjoyed the mango salsa, I thought it would have suited a fried fish instead of a poached one. Meanwhile the stuffed chicken was juicy and tender.
Dessert – Double Chocolate Hazelnut Praline by Passionis
I love the cakes from Passionis so I was most delighted to see their dessert on the menu. The double chocolate hazelnut praline is decadent and rich, with the nutty crunchy praline layer at the bottom. A chocolate lover’s haven. I ate my piece and stole another half from my dining partner! 😛
The dress code for the night was Formal with a touch of gold… I tried my best to adhere to the dress code and my ‘gold’ elements were my accessories (bangle, earrings, necklace & clutch) plus my nails in glittery gold… hehe
With all the bloggers who attended the North Banquet red carpet gala dinner… all looking dapper & fabulous indeed!
Congratulations to CHT Network & Ichi Media for organizing such a successful and lavish event – the first red carpet gala dinner in Butterworth, Penang!
