Chinese catering: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What chinese catering is

A Chinese caterer prepares dishes for your event, including noodles, rice, stir fries and dumplings, served buffet style or family style. Hosts hire one for birthdays, graduations, office lunches and family gatherings where a varied menu of shared dishes suits the group.

Signs you need it

  • You want a mix of noodles, rice and stir fried dishes that the whole table can share
  • Guests will enjoy dumplings or buns as a centerpiece of the meal
  • The event is casual and you want food that is served hot in batches
  • You need a menu that includes vegetarian dishes alongside meat and seafood
  • You want the food delivered and set up without cooking it in your own kitchen

What the pro does

  • Takes the guest count, the menu, the service style and the dietary needs
  • Plans the dishes across noodles, rice, stir fries, dumplings and sides
  • Cooks the dishes at a permitted kitchen, often in batches to keep them hot
  • Sets up the buffet or family style platters with serving utensils and labels
  • Refills the dishes through the meal and keeps the food at a safe temperature
  • Clears the table and packs leftovers as agreed

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Guest count and the number of dishes on the menu
  • Number of proteins, including seafood and vegetarian options
  • Dumplings or buns, which take extra preparation time
  • Service style, such as buffet, family style or plated
  • Staffing for batch cooking, refills and cleanup
  • Equipment such as warmers, platters and disposable ware

What a written quote should spell out

  • Each noodle, rice and stir fry dish, and the dumplings or buns, with the portion size
  • Protein options, including seafood and vegetarian choices
  • Service style and the number of servers or refill staff
  • Equipment and disposable ware included
  • Setup, service and cleanup times

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Which dishes contain shellfish, peanuts, soy or wheat?
  • How do you keep the noodles from drying out at a buffet?
  • Do you prepare the dumplings on site or in your kitchen?
  • Can you make vegetarian dishes without animal products or sauces?
  • How do you keep the food hot during a long meal?
  • Do you hold a health permit, and where is the food cooked?

Red flags

  • Cannot list the allergens in each dish
  • Will not label shellfish or peanut content
  • Serves noodles or stir fry that have been sitting out for a long time
  • Has no plan for batch cooking during a long service
  • Refuses to say where the food is cooked

What you can do yourself

A host can make a simple stir fry and rice for a few guests at home, cooking the food fresh and serving it right away. Hire a Chinese caterer for a large group, a range of dumplings and noodles, or a menu that must be cooked in batches and kept hot through a long event.

Licenses and permits

Food businesses commonly need a health permit or a food handler card from the local office that oversees food safety. Ask the caterer for its permit and staff cards, and check the rules for the kitchen and the site where the food is served.

Chinese catering questions

Can the caterer make a gluten free version?

Some can. Soy sauce and many noodles contain wheat, so ask the caterer whether it has a gluten free sauce and noodle option, and whether they are cooked apart from regular items.

Do the dumplings hold their texture at a buffet?

They hold best when served soon after cooking. Ask the caterer how it times the batches and whether it will bring the dumplings in small rounds.

How do I plan the amount of rice and noodles?

Ask the caterer for its portion guide. Rice and noodles are filling, so many hosts order them with a smaller portion of meat and a larger portion of vegetables.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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