Friday, June 24, 2011
This is the first installment about my whirlwind tour with the Miss NY Chinese Beauty Pageant. I’m kicking my blog off with a grand party.
Swag bags and smiles
Entering the newly opened Grand Restaurant on the top floor of the New World Mall, the space truly exemplifies the name. What seems to be a football field-sized restaurant, the opulence almost requires sunglasses. The doorway to the special dining room is decorated with a monochromatic balloon arch of a few different shades of violet. Staff from La Peau Day Spa and Beauty Salon quickly check you in and hand you a shiny, gold-boxed gift. When I am seated, I watch one lone violinist still practicing on stage while everyone else is buzzing around her. I sit and listen to the practice as well as soak in all of the energy around me.
Dinner was full of laughs
I run into Everlyn Ho, artistic director of La Peau. She is outfitted in an elegant, black silk dress modestly accented with lace and a train to boot. This event also happens to be the 5th anniversary of La Peau as well. She is on the board for the beauty pageant and rightfully so even though she was being pulled in a million different directions, she remained composed and took time to chat and compliment new arrivals. It seemed like she was able to be in several places at once with staff asking her questions, sponsors wanting to chat, and press wanting photos.
I am seated with the rest of the press who had been invited to cover the event. My colleagues are tasked with taking photos and selling ad space while I get to enjoy the food and just observe. Fourteen beauties take part in the 2011 competition.
Introducing the 2011 Miss NY Chinese Pageant Finalists
All fourteen are in attendance as well as all of the winners from the previous years. Everyone is perfectly coiffed with gorgeous, body-hugging dresses and perfect appointed makeup. The evening starts far later than expected, but over the course of the evening, we see multiple courses served family style in the Chinese tradition as well as many speakers and displays of talent.
Amazing talent all around
After a tribute to previous years of the pageant and a look at the future of the pageant with an upcoming trip to China for a friendship and goodwill tour of the pageant’s sister cities, the first course of appetizers roll in. Beautifully plated, there is a variety of small things to taste such as fried shrimp balls, sesame balls stuffed with meat, nuts, and mushrooms, and many more interesting nibbles. One by one, contestants and past winners take the stage to serenade the crowd with her favorite Mandopop tune. The second dish of large, fried shrimp in a sticky sweet coconut cream sauce and candied walnuts and pecans appear on the lazy susan in front of us. With several songs down, the interpretive dances begin to delight the audience. The third course is a stir-fried lobster dish cooked to perfection. The audience is treated to the precision of ballroom dancing middle schoolers from a local dance school. The fourth dish are thin steaks pan-fried with precision as well to a perfect medium.
Celebrating 10 years of Miss NY Chinese Beauty Pageant
A pair of tango students from the school wow the audience as we drink dragon-phoenix style soup. How apropos! A delicately steamed fish kissed with hot oil with fresh spring onions and ginger graces the table next. At this point, I’m really stuffed even though I know there are still two dishes left of fried rice and stir-fried, hand-pulled noodles. The starches are left to the end just in case someone hasn’t stuffed themselves to the point just shy of bursting. Beyond the traditional eight course meal, there is still a dessert plate of fancy gelatin slices with dried plums, dessert soup filled with baby tapioca pearls, coconut milk, diced mango, and slices of grapefruit reminiscent of Malaysian burbur chacha, and of course, fresh slices of melon.
The night ends with more gestures of appreciation and cake – Asian style sponge cake sandwiching fresh fruit cocktail and a whipped pastry cream. A wonderful night was had by all, and this writer even got to take home a few things to remember the evening.
Celebrating 10 Years
Next up, flying to China.
Stereotype Rebel 