I had an emotional week, letting go of my classmates. I am 9 months into my counselling program and a few students, who started before me are graduating. I realized I am sad over having to loose them, and the only safety I have ever really felt in any type of relationship. So in order to show my appreciation for them, plus send them off in style, I solicited the help of Palatable Catering for a send out.
Apparently even with three years under their experience belts, Palatable is still considered a new company. They started during the pandemic and have been able to find consistent work through out it. Whereas restaurants can be seasonally driven, there is a need for catering all throughout the year. With a variety of logistics to consider, different occasions to celebrate, and that each event is different, it keeps things interesting.
And today, for our celebration, they made it completely hassle free for us. They brought with them everything we would need to host a catered lunch, and all we had to do was show up. This included heated troughs to keep entrees warm, dishes for the presentation of appetizers, the tools needed to scoop and serve them, name cards to identify allergies; and all the napkins, plates, and utensils we would need to eat without having to wash up after ourselves. The only thing that wasn’t included was the drinks, but I am sure you can pay extra and opt in for that service as well. Palatable Catering prides themselves of being able to serve all their customer’s needs.
They also offer server services, but we were quite capable with a buffet style meal. Then once we were done, all we had to do was stack the dirty and used dishes in a tote for them to pick up the next day. It was a very smooth operation with 30 minute set up.
The following is a menu they curated for us, that included a few of their more popular options. My only ask was that there be gluten-free and vegetarian options.
The Sweet & Smoky Yam Bite were popular and one of the first plates to go. After one taste you wanted to go back for a a couple more. Sweet, salty, and roasty, it reminded me of thanksgiving dinner. Smoked paprika and maple roasted yam with whipped feta and thyme.
I liked the Puff Pastry Beef Pinwheels. They reminded me of a cross between pigs in a blanket and a ham and a cheese croissant. Hits of salty meat and crispy cheese brought together with butter pastry. Light and crispy puff pastry layered with roast beef, yellow mustard, and sharp gruyere cheese.
Prawn ‘Cocktail’ is a classic appetizer that is recognizable and enjoyed by many. Plated so uniformly and already dressed in their tom yum inspired sauce for easy eating.
The Burrata Board won the show. Most of my classmates never tried Burrata, so to introduce it to them like this was a treat. I also found the accompaniments generous for a small board. Fresh burrata, seasonal mostardas, fruit preserves, balsamic, olive oil, and focaccia. You basically build your own bite. Although there is more bread and dressings than cheese, so I would recommend splurging for the medium or large board to get the full experience. Small = 10 servings, Medium = 20 servings and Large = 30 servings.
For entrees it was the Korean Pork Meal that was 4 dishes in one, each presented separately in the aforementioned heated troughs for your to scoop out of. Thick slices of gochujang roast pork as the main, red cabbage and carrots as the vegetable side, and short grain rice for the base.
There was even a cucumber salad with mixed greens, cucumber, carrot, and sesame seeds; tossed a tangy rice vinegar dressing for some additional freshness and greenery for the meal.
The vegetarian substitution here was a kimchi pancake, and I thought it a clever solution, which still matched the theme and flavours. I didn’t try this one but it looked delicious. Thin, crispy, and eye catching. The iconic neon reddish orange of the kimchi came through and the vegetable was speckled throughout it. Our gluten free diner highly enjoyed it.
The pork loin was impressive to look at, but the meat tough to eat, and made even more noticeable given the use of wooden cutlery. The saw blade of the knife proved useless and the tip of the fork snapped from the stem. I had to use my hands to pry meat with teeth. I would have liked the pork sliced smaller or fully submerged in a sauce that would soak and soften the meat over time. The flavours were there, it was just a shame that we could wrap our teeth around it. I would have opted for chicken as the protein, it is safer to work with, although does run the same risk of drying out if you are using breast meat.
The sides of candied carrots and sautéed cabbage were soft and crunchy, offering a nice distraction from the above. And I was happy for the rice.
There were no dessert, but honestly we had no room for it anyways.
In short, this was a hit with my instructors and co-students. A comfortable way to enjoy one another’s company without having to organize much or leave the building. A great option for entertaining with minimal work for yourself. I can confidently recommend Palatable Catering for their custom services.
Palatable Catering & Events
5755 Beresford St., Burnaby, BC V5J 1J9
(604) 900-4945
palatablecatering.ca
