Return To The Bonaventure

 

If you remember my previous posting a few years ago on the Chinese banquet food at the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown LA, which was the awfulest meal I ever had, you might be interested in this update. Things have changed as most of the food was quite edible, but this was still not a typical banquet. For one, when the doors opened the appetizer plates were already on the table, and white rice was served on a dish like an entree. 

 

 

This was the annual dinner of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association.  I actually was a member of the group over 40 years ago, but dropped out when my job duties took on a National Office focus.  Festivities started with an extended lion dance presentation.

 

As noted in the 2022 article, almost all the food was inedible.  However I had heard that the food had improved in subsequent years, and indeed this food was quite edible.  But while the food also looked Chinese, the taste and feel of the food wasn't. The shrimp in the walnut shrimp was not crunchy, though not soggy, it was meaty.

 

While the soup looked the part, it turned out to be tofu mushroom soup in a dark broth, something I have never ever seen in a Chinese restaurant.  And the waiter did not put a big tureen of soup on the table and spoon it into the individual bowls.  Rather, he carried a relatively small tureen that only contained enough soup for five bowls.  After dishing that out, he disappeared and we thought that it was it.  Only five or ten minutes later did he come back without another tureen to fill the rest of the bowls.

 

 

 
Meanwhile, the beef was not the customary filet, and while not tough came in hard chunks--sort of like brisket meat, but not tender. 

 

The giant scallops had an undistinctive flavor.

 

 

Worst of all was the fried rice.  It wasn't even fried.  Looks like Uncle Ben's and tasted like it too.  Dish wasn't touched by anyone at our table.

 

 On the good side, the jellyfish and the seaweed in the appetizer plate were very good.

 

And the mango pudding was as good as it gets, very naturally flavored.

 

And afterwards I found out that two of the entrees missed our table completely. Outrageous!  While I didn't go hungry this time, certainly nobody for whom the quality of the food is a major consideration should have their Chinese banquet at the Bonaventure.

No complaints for the event as a whole, though, as I got to visit with Dolly Gee, Chief Judge of the Central California US District Court, pioneering Chinese-American attorney Nowland Hong and Congresswoman Judy Chu. Also got to see my grandson Eli on stage banging a gong held by my son Eric.