Review: Wonderful food and presentation. Amazing variety and creative menus. A bit disorganized at first, but they pulled through in the end.
When quizzed on the best Indian restaurant in NJ, most Indians will respond with Moghul. I still remember those random trips to Edison, NJ (AKA: little India) as some of my earliest memories...going from shop to shop for groceries, jewelry, or saris, and finishing up with lunch or dinner at the restaurant. I've always known that I wanted Moghul to cater our wedding. Moghul handles several events throughout the year, all over the country. We were lucky enough to have them close by, and also have them be an exclusive outside caterer of the Hyatt.
The good:
*The food is outstanding. People still come to us and rave about our wedding food...and not just the dinner at the reception. Our guests remember the kati rolls served at the Saturday lunch, and the assorted mithai artfully displayed for consumption at the Friday night dinner. Because our guest list was mixed, we requested that the food be mild to moderately spicy. Moghul came through without sacrificing flavor!
*Moghul has grown tremendously in the last decade or so, during which time they opened Ming, a Pan-Asian fusion restaurant. Ming-inspired food is available through the main catering wing. Thus, we had Manchurian chicken passed out during cocktail hour, and a few other Asian-inspired pieces to mix things up.
*Our main liaison was Payal, who has been working in the family business of catering and food management for years. Although she appeared disorganized at first, she was critical in helping design a creative and varied menu for the entire weekend...from every lunch and dinner, to the warm kachoris provided at the Sunday brunch. She was also quite patient with us as we adjusted our guest list numbers and finalized menu options...always drawing up new contracts and negotiating reduced rates here and there where she could.
*Moghul's presentation of the food was superb. They'll take a plain, long catering table, and display the food so well...it's almost too pretty to eat! Our cocktail hour featured a few food stations manned by staff, housed underneath sequined umbrellas and canopies. It was a spectacle, but in a good way!
*The food tasting is generous and thorough. We left stuffed, and confident in our choices. We also were able to bring the entire family to enjoy the free food!
*Like many of our other vendors, Moghul has worked with the Hyatt, and Elegant Affairs in the past. The setup and communication between vendors happened seamlessly and behind-the-scenes.
*Moghul provided detailed cards next to each food, with a name and brief description. This was greatly appreciated by many of our non-Indian guests.
*They are not limited to North-Indian fare...in fact, our Friday night dinner was pretty authentic South-Indian! If an item isn't specifically on the menu...the chefs will try and create it!
The not-so-good:
*As previously stated, they were a bit disorganized at first. We were originally in contact with one liaison, only to be shuffled to another...and then another! Our tasting was scheduled quite late (even though we booked them over a year out), and only after we sent a gentle reminder. This disorganization disappeared as time went on, and we were able to have timely and productive meetings in the month or so leading up to the wedding.
Tips:
*Be familiar with the rates and contracts up front...catering has several 'hidden' costs in my opinion, that can really add up. Having your guest list numbers ahead of time (or a good approximation) can help tremendously.
*Keep an open mind during the food tasting, but go with your gut (har-dee-har). Yes, many people love pav bhaji...but I don't, and argued not to include it in our menu. And rasmalai is my favorite Indian treat, so I insisted it be served at lunch just after the wedding, when most guests could enjoy it.
*Make sure you inform each of your vendors about each others' main contact people. Moghul has so much staff, that it was imperative I keep the Hyatt in the loop about who I was working with.
As you can see, we have so few gripes, and only praise for Moghul. Strangely, I have spoken to a few people who were less than pleased with their catering experience. In fact, I've had Moghul-catered food at other events, and was less than pleased! I'd say that you should keep things fairly simple...choose standard but flavorful dishes that will appeal to a variety of people. They aren't cheap, and they certainly aren't the only Indian caterer in the tri-state area, but they are the best (in my opinion). If you can't use them for a wedding...consider them to cater your next lunch party! Really, our only regret with Moghul Caterers is that we were so busy during the wedding festivities, that we were unable to eat and enjoy the food ourselves!
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