Format and order in formal Chinese (Cantonese) banquets

[hzrt8w]

I have not lived in Hong Kong for a long time, and it's been a while since I attended a formal Chinese banquet. Can anybody refresh my memory of the customs used in a Cantonese dinner banquet?

From what I remember:

The formal banquet features 8 courses:

The first course is appertizer. e.g. Roasted suckling pigs, hams, BBQ pork, jelly fish, etc..

The second course is soup.

The third course is usually "the best stuff", e.g. abalone and black mushrooms.

The four and fifth one is up to the hosts.

The sixth one is fish.

The seventh one is fried chicken.

The eighth one is fried rice or fried noodles.

At last, they will bring out the dessert buns for birthdays or some sweets. In the event of a baby's first-month, then red eggs. And fruits (e.g. oranges)

Are these correct (the item and the order)? What are your observations?

[skylee]

You can find some typical banquet menus here -> http://www.cdmc.com.hk/menu1.htm

This is the menu of a wedding banquet from the Maxim's group in Hong Kong -

龍 鳳 呈 祥 全包宴(粵)

脆皮乳豬全體 (Barbecued Whole Sucking Pig )

金銀明蝦球 (Sauteed and Deep-fried Prawns )

發財瑤柱脯 (Braised Whole Conpoy with Sea Moss )

百花炸釀蟹拑 (Deep-fried Crab Claws coated with Shrimp mousse )

紅燒菜膽鮑翅 (Braised Supreme Shark's Fin with Cabbage )

花菰炆原隻鮮鮑魚 (Simmered Whole Abalones with Mushrooms and Lettuce )

清蒸大東星斑 (Steamed Red Spotted Garoupa )

富貴脆炸雞 (Deep-fried Crispy Chicken )

美滿鴛鴦飯 (Fried Rice Topped with Tomato and Creamy Sauce )

幸福水餃麵 (Shrimp Dumplings with Noodles in Soup )

濃情蜜意 (Red Bean Soup with Lotus Seeds )

情深款款 (Chinese Petits Fours)

[hzrt8w]

Thank you, skylee.

That indeed looks like the banquets that I had been to. In the USA, the Chinese banquets have been transformed. I have been away from Hong Kong for too long to remember the differences... For example, soup is counted as a course (not shark fin), and they bring out all 8 courses at once instead of one by one.