Private Dining & Banquets
Private Dining and Banquet Catering in Cordova & Memphis, TN
This is the menu for the table where the guests already know what the food is supposed to taste like. A milestone anniversary, a naming ceremony, a memorial dinner, a Sunday gathering for relatives who flew in for it. The room is smaller than a wedding and the standard is higher, because at least three people sitting at it can cook every dish you put down.
Build the swallow table first, since that is what the meal gets judged on. Pounded Yam and Amala decide whether the spread reads as authentic or as approximate. Egusi Soup, Banga Soup and Pepper Soup (Goat/Beef) are the three worth setting beside them: Banga is the one guests from the Delta will remark on, and Pepper Soup belongs early, served in cups, while people are still greeting each other. Half Pans hold enough for 10-12 people and Full Pans for 20-24, so one Full Pan of each swallow gives thirty guests 40 to 48 servings across the two — the right kind of generous when people take some of both. Match the soup to that same pan count. Thin soup stretched across a small, knowledgeable table is the single most common way one of these evenings disappoints.
Rice belongs here as a second movement rather than the centre of the table. Ofada Rice, the unpolished native short-grain, and Coconut Rice both suit a spread meant to feel considered instead of merely large. Goat Meat (Asun) and the Assorted Meat Mix quietly tell the room the host spent money, which on this occasion is part of the point.
Keep the drinks from being sweet the whole way through. Ginger Drink cuts the pepper heat, Zobo is the traditional pour people expect to find, and Butterfly Pea Tea gives a seated table something to look at between courses. Gallons pour for 8-10 guests each and the 2-gallon jug covers 16-20, so thirty guests at a cup and a half is forty-five servings, or six gallons, or three of the 2-gallon jugs.
Dinners like these are usually planned weeks ahead. We need quote requests at least 72 hours before pickup and 48 hours’ notice for any date change. Everything is collected from our Cordova kitchen in aluminium pans built to sit on chafing racks; for a seated dinner, plan to decant into your own serving dishes at home, because the racks and the serving pieces are not part of the order.
A Swallow Table Built For People Who Can Cook
Two swallows, three soups including the Delta one, two rices that belong to the second course, the two proteins that announce themselves, and drinks that are not sugar all the way down.
Half Pan: Serves 10-12 guests
Full Pan: Serves 20-24 guests
Getting A Seated Dinner Right
Match Soup To Swallow, Pan For Pan
The failure mode on a small table is a generous swallow and a thin soup. Order them in the same pan sizes and the plate stays in proportion.
Decant Before Guests Arrive
Food is packed in food-grade aluminium pans meant for chafing racks. For a seated service, transfer to your own dishes at home; we do not supply racks or serving pieces.
Set The Heat When You Quote
Pepper level, allergies and any dish you want made a particular way go in the dietary notes box, and are handled at prep rather than at the table.
Questions We Get About This
For a seated table the details are what matter: how the food is packed, how far we will bend a recipe, and how early the order has to be with us.
Hot delicacies (like Jollof Rice) are packaged in food-grade aluminum pans (Half or Full sizes) ready to be placed on chafing racks. Drinks are packaged in secure cups, bottles, or multi-serve gallons depending on your selection. Chafing trays and serving utensils are not included by default.
Yes! You can specify any dietary notes, allergy concerns (e.g., peanut-free, gluten-free), or preferred spice levels in the "Dietary Notes & Special Requests" input box when submitting your quote. We will customize your dishes accordingly.
All catering quote requests must be submitted at least 72 hours (3 days) prior to your event date. This ensures our chefs have sufficient time to source premium fresh ingredients and prep your delicacies to perfection.