Real Food Catering

Real Food Catering did a FANTASTIC job at our wedding. The food was delicious, the bar was well stocked, the service was impeccable. From our very first meeting to the day of the wedding, Yen was such a pleasure to work with; helpful, knowledgable and flexible. I can't say enough good things about our experience with Real Food- if you can get them for your wedding, book right now!

We got married a month ago. Last week my wife was at dinner with a friend and a couple she didn't know well, who are getting married soon. My wife asked who their caterer was, and they said "Real Food." Everyone at the table immediately exploded with praise for Yen and Gary, and for all the people that help them. True story, told about good people. First, the food was a SMASHING success. The passed hors d'oeuvres were show-stoppers. At least half of my friends took the time to tell me that ours were the best passed apps that they had ever tasted. We ultimately settled on 8 different passed apps, but you could tell that Yen could have done a hundred more. We went with salmon and steak to suit the relatively conservative palettes of our guests, but each of the entrees had just enough idiosyncrasy to know that the cook REALLY knew what she was doing. Second, the level of organization was jaw-dropping. Yen and Gary could have run this event in their sleep - and I don't mean that to sound like they didn't pay very careful attention to our unique preferences. I just mean that they are so good at choreographing all the other vendors - and at executing logistics generally - they can take the time a lesser caterer would waste running around barking orders and spend it with the families, making sure that everyone gets exactly what they want. Gary ran the whole night like a Broadway production - no mistakes, nothing off time, and he did it all with a big smile. My mom has a little crush. Finally, it's obvious from the beginning that Yen and Gary are not trying to milk every cent from you. They have access to the stuff they have access to at the price they can pay for it, and they are very up front about when their price might be more than you might spend getting it on your own. I saved thousands of dollars because of their refreshing candor. Of course, they can do everything for you, but they were incredibly thoughtful about and respectful of our financial limitations. There's a reason that people get excited when they talk about Gary and Yen. I can't imagine getting over the finish line...

I cannot believe it's been almost 6 weeks since our wedding! We have been meaning to write this review for a while now because we had the BEST time at our wedding, and a large part was because of 2 very wonderful people, Yen and Gary of Real Foods Catering. Honestly, from the moment we met them, we both felt instantly that we wanted and HAD TO work with them. We were actually just at the first stage of looking at different wedding venues, and happened to meet Yen while she was setting up for another wedding at Studio 450. She has an amazing way of reading people, and even though my husband and I didn't exactly have a clear vision of the day yet, Yen was able to present to us a picture of what she could offer after just a short conversation with her about what was important to us. We were immediately drawn to her energetic and positive personality and decided then and there that we wanted to work with her... and we never looked back! From our first formal meeting with Yen and Gary at their office, we felt all the stresses of wedding planning dissipate. They were incredibly organized and made us feel like we were their most important client, even though we know they are quite busy. Every email, every concern, every question we had was immediately answered. They paid attention to every detail while helping us keep our eye on the big picture. Then came the tasting which was an amazing culinary experience! Even though they were preparing for another wedding, we were whisked to a private area as if it was an event just for us, and served wine and various hors d'oeuvres. Then came servings of each entree that we had chosen -- amazing! Everything was beyond delicious and it made us all the more excited for our guests to experience the feast. The wedding day itself was flawless. Amazing is really the only word to describe it. Gary was our day-of coordinator, and he took care of everything to bring it all together. Our only job was to enjoy the day and our guests. The entire staff was amazing -- from their presentation to their interaction with our guests. Abel, the captain of the group, also took special care of us, bringing our own platters of hors d'oeuvres and drinks to the bridal suite so that we could enjoy it all before heading out to mingle with everyone. People are still raving about how amazing the night was. Yen and Gary, and the entire staff truly are the ultimate professionals, and it has been such a wonderful experience working with them. We have already recommended them to everyone we've seen planning a wedding (every time we were at our venue we would meet another couple). We give them the strongest recommendation to anyone looking for an unforgettable wedding that you will actually have the ability to enjoy in real time! The only sad part of the whole experience is that since we're no longer planning, we don't have regular contact with Yen and Gary anymore, but we're both hoping our paths will cross again. Thank you guys again, from the bottom of our hearts, for making our wedding so special!

The food and service provided by Real Food Catering was OUTSTANDING. In my opinion, a weedding planner is not needed because Yen and Gary provide many of the services that you would pay a wedding planner. All of our guest commented on the how delicious the food was, but also on the outstanding service provided by the wait staff/bar tender. Gary was the Day of Coordinator and he made sure everything ran smoothly without any problems. Not only was the service exceptional, but Yen and Gary and the rest of the Real Food Catering staff were so kind and wonderful. If you are looking for a caterer for an event, please consider Real Food Catering as you will not be disappointed.

i cannot say enough about this vendor. They were more of our wedding planner, helping us with every detail. The day of the wedding, they took care of everything and if I had to mention anything of concern it was taken care of before i even thought about it again. They were so accessible at all times yet not intrusive the entire day. Our guests could not stop raving to us about how delicious the food was and how great the service was. We went through a few rough spots at the beginning with our families and our budget and Real Food Catering was so patient and understanding and must have modified our proposal for us 10 times, never once even mentioning money or a deposit until we sorted it out. After the wedding was over, they were again immediately available and genuinely interested in what we thought of everything. I want to have a party again just so I can work with them again - we will miss them!

We could NOT have been happier with Yen and Gary at Real Food Catering. Throughout the entire process they were the very definition of calm, cool, and collected. They took the time to explain the entire process—and if you've never worked with a caterer on a large event, there is a huge learning curve. It's not as simple as "here's the food, and here's how much it costs." But Yen and Gary helped educate us on everything from ways to cut down on rental costs to the best dishes to serve a large group with varied tastes. They listened intently, were incredibly accommodating, and refreshingly direct. Their expertise is apparent from the first meeting, but they were never patronizing. It really felt like a wonderful, collaborative relationship. The day of the wedding was understandably chaotic, yet Yen and Gary kept the entire evening running smoothly. They made sure we were fed (thankfully!), tended to our guests' needs, oversaw the other vendors. In short, they are so much more than just caterers. They even remembered that we liked our waiter during our tasting and brought him back to take care of us during the reception. It's the little things that go a long way. So, what about the food??? Amazing. It's been two months since our wedding and people are still commenting on the food. The appetizers— duck buns and truffled grilled cheese—were a huge hit, as was the salmon. A number of guests also mentioned how much they liked the hot cider that was handed out as they arrived. Everything was delicious. Period. We HIGHLY recommend Real Food Catering and hope we have the opportunity to work with Yen and Gary again...maybe something on a slightly smaller scale next time! -Amy & Jeff

From the first time we spoke to Real Food Catering, we had a great feeling about them and by the end of our wedding night, they exceeded even our highest hopes. Our wedding was challenging in that our families are from very different backgrounds so we needed to make sure we had a menu that would meet the taste preferences of and impress everyone. Yen and Gary nailed it. Passed appetizers made their way through cocktail hour until people were so full that they couldn’t eat anymore. We actually made the decision to push dinner back 30 minutes just to give people some time to digest a bit. Smart move on our part, because I was trying to discretely find a way to lick my dinner plate. We kept things simple with a traditional steak and fish dinner. The steak was great and the sea bass was like nothing I’ve ever had at a wedding. Yen even made vegan meals for two of our guests. Our friends/family continue to rave about our food. The bartenders poured great drinks and the wait staff was both attentive and courteous. They did an amazing job setting up the room – everything looked beautiful when we walked in. Yen and Gary are a great team who really gave us a tremendous sense of comfort throughout the process. They are very organized. When we were in the process of choosing a caterer, I asked all caterers to provide a detailed list of costs. Yen was the only one that gave me a 200 line spreadsheet breaking down every single cost. When it's all said and done, Real Food was also the most reasonably priced of the caterers that we interviewed but Real Food's food was twice as good as anything we tried during our tastings. We recommend retaining Gary for the Coordinator of the Day services – he really did a great job making sure all the vendors were in sync, arranging the wedding party for all the announcements, etc. He’s amazingly calm during even the most hectic situations. I almost wish that Yen and Gary were guests at our wedding so they could sit down and enjoy the amazing food and service that their team provided for us. We could write all day about how great these guys were to work with, we HIGHLY recommend them and can’t wait to work with them again.

We cannot say enough wonderful things about Yen and Gary and the entire Real Food Catering team. They made our wedding truly fantastic and executed our vision perfectly. Yen and Gary really worked with us to create a menu we loved and were flexible so that we could stay within our budget. They took care of everything from the food to the rentals and made the entire process extremely easy and stress free. They answered all of our emails and phone calls right away and took the time to really go through everything with us, making sure we were happy and comfortable with each decision along the way. They were so patient with us and we really appreciate everything they did and how hard everyone worked. The food was fantastic! So many people came up to us at the wedding and after and told us how much they loved the food and a few guests even asked for the recipes. The food was innovative and delicious - we only wish we had gotten to eat more of it at the wedding! We highly highly recommend Real Food Catering! Thank you Yen and Gary and the entire team!

Yen and Gary were organized, responsive, competitively priced, and such a joy to work with! I had looked at her stunning reviews before choosing Yen, and now understand why they were all so positive....she and Gary made my wedding day and the planning leading up to it so much easier on me and my husband. The food was fantastic and their help with planning the day and coordinating between vendors was amazing. I simply cannot recommend them highly enough!

Yen and her team recently catered our wedding at Studio 450. We had 140 guests for a sit down dinner and everything was flawless. From the very beginning of our planning process, we knew we were in good hands with Yen; after a long phone conversation, she put together a very comprehensive proposal for us that was considerably cheaper than others we had received. We were initially nervous at the idea of working with a completely blank space like Studio 450 but after our first meeting with Yen and Gary, we knew that we could pull it off. They helped us plan every aspect of the day – not just the food and drinks, but the timeline, rentals, décor, and the other vendors we worked with. Gary was our day of coordinator and with his help the day went off without a hitch. Also, the staff they brought in were professional and hard-working. Most importantly – the food was absolutely delicious and there was plenty of it! We got so many compliments on the food and the general set-up/décor of the room, and it was all down to Real Food Catering. We would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone planning an event of any kind, and hope we get the opportunity to work with them again in the future. Thank you Yen and Gary!

Yen and Gary are the best. They truly made our wedding the night we envisioned it would be. Our family is still talking about the delicious food and an amazing evening.

If I could give Real Food Catering a million stars I would! We had our wedding in the middle of Hurricane Irene, a couple blocks from an evacuation zone, but it went off without a hitch thanks to Yen and Gary. The food was absolutely phenomenal and had all of our guests raving. One guest loved Yen's Miso Cod so much that he was craving it the next week and ordered it in a restaurant, only to be disappointed that it wasn't as good! Even our 80-year-old great aunt (who's been to her fair share of weddings) said that it was the best food she's ever had at a wedding! Everything was delicious, cooked to perfection (medium rare actually had a hot pink center!) and was even hot when served - something unthinkable at weddings! :) Yen is an absolute delight to work with and brings her passion and creativity to the table with the elegant and unique menus she creates. For our dessert station, she came up with a beignet station and even ordered ingredients from New Orleans so that we could surprise our guests with something different! She goes above and beyond, but always works within your budget to get the best bang for your buck. But it's not just the food that makes Real Food Catering such a valuable vendor, it's their professionalism and dedication that puts them at a higher standard. The day before our wedding, we found out we had to move everything up 2 hours and change our outdoor tented reception indoors to avoid the hurricane. I would have started panicking, but I didn't have time to since Yen and Gary immediately jumped in and took care of everything, from figuring out new floor plans and schedules to renting new tables and linens for the indoor space. It was really amazing to see how effortlessly they accomplished all of this while also coordinating changes with our other vendors. Our guests couldn't even tell that the setup wasn't what we had originally planned because the new setup was so elegant and intimate. On the day of our wedding, Gary coordinated everything to a tee so that the day flowed perfectly and the only thing we had to worry about was having a good time. His attention to detail and experience allowed him to make small changes throughout the night that improved the overall flow and mood of the reception, all while keeping us laughing, happily fed, and where we needed to be. Their staff was friendly, professional, and attentive to our guests and always had smiles on their faces. We had an amazing wedding thanks to Real Food Catering and we really can't say enough good things about them. Consider yourself lucky if you get to work with them!

Yen and Joseph and their team at Real Food Catering are AMAZING!!! They are beyond helpful when it comes to the entire process - from menu planning to rentals to general wedding selections. They are both consummate professionals AND a lot of fun. I had a blast working with them, and they were so flexible, super realistic and helpful when it came to the budget, and willing to do/try different things for our multi-cultural wedding. On top of it all - the food is DELICIOUS!!! Even hurricane Irene did not get in their way. It was an amazing wedding and very much thanks to everyone at Real Food's and all their hard work.

Real Food catered my wedding on 8/19/11. In addition to providing the typical catering services, they were also extremely helpful in working with me to plan the sequence of events for the day and lots of other logistical details I would not have thought of on my own. Yen and Gary were excellent to work with and very professional. I was able to make menu changes up until a week or so before they wedding and they even agreed to do the wedding cake with only a couple of week's notice! The night of the wedding, we got TONS of compliments on the food AND the service. The wait staff was phenonmenal. Both Gary and Yen paid close attention to me and my husband the night of the wedding to make sure we ate, had a drink at all times/when we wanted one etc - and I really appreciated that extra touch. We did our ceremony and reception at the same venue and Gary was so helpful in getting everyone organized (and keeping them that way!) right before the processional. Real Food was great and I would highly recommend them!

My husband found Yen and Gary through weddingwire.com so it would only be appropriate to wrap up our wedding 'to do list' here. We went with Real Food Catering, after a few email exchanges with different caterings and venues, simply because they were the most prompt & professional vendor, we could not find 1 single bad review and based on the estimates, they offered the best value. I must admit, I was a challenge to work with, we didn't have a date or a venue but my husband would not book anything without knowing we could definitely land Real Food Catering. He wanted them so badly, we worked our wedding date around THEIR schedule and when they gave us the green light, I ran to the venue during my lunch break to put down a deposit. It was the best decision we ever made; Yen & Gary worked with all the challenges we had come in with: we had vegans, we had foodies, our family members were picky and we had kids that ate like adults! I didn't know how to plan a wedding, I wanted a menu that really flowed and worked with each course and I HAD to have a sit down meal ON A BUDGET! All our needs were met with a smile, they answered every wedding question possible- even the ones that didn't involve food... they pretty much planned our wedding. She helped us pick the venue, the date, the food (I even nixed my own choices in favor of hers!) and Gary was a dream as my day of coordinator, accommodating my entire family above everyone else (including 3 over-active children). For an indecisive anti-bride, they were god sent. As for the food- it was fresh, it was delicious and EVERYONE loved it and was full by the time dessert came around. Its hard to pinpoint our favorite things since the entire menu was delicious and reflective of our favorite foods. I heard great reviews about the fig and prosciutto, the chicken quesadilla and the grilled cheese (made with my favorite cheese- manchego!). They recommended Yen's favorite dish for one of our entrees (Seabass with Cherry Tomatos & Basil in a mushroom risotto) and it was a huge hit. My father ended up having 3 or 4 servings. From what I am told, my guests who were typically meat eaters liked their steak but felt like they had done something wrong when they realized, the seabass was the better option!..so if you work with Yen, get the seabass, it's her favorite dish and all your guests will love you for offering it. Yen & Gary were so easy to work with, my family forgot they were even working for us. My father had to get to know her, my cousins had to dance with her! My sister was saying how at ease Gary was making her feel when her children were driving her nuts! Saying good bye was probably the hardest part of our wedding but lucky for us- our friends booked them as well. =) Can't wait to see you guys again!

This is the best catering company EVER! From the very beginning, Yen and Gary were super professional-they always got back to us very quickly with answers to our MANY questions. They also gave us their true honest opinions on whether they thought certain ideas of our were going to work or not (since this was, after all, our first time planning a wedding). They catered many occasions at our venue (The Foundry) so they knew the place inside and out. The whole party was perfect and it is all thanks to them. They set up the space perfectly-the food was AMAZING-every person that I spoke to that attended our wedding raved that the food was the best they had ever had at a wedding-it was truley high end restaurant quality. Not to mention, Yen and Gary don't act like catering weddings is their "JOB"-you can tell that they really truley enjoy what they do for a living, and that is what makes them so good at what they do. My husband and I AND our guest felt very taken care of throughout the whole evening-the service was impeccable-which really means a lot on your special day. You want everyone to enjoy themselves to the fullest and to be comfortable the whole night, and that is what Real Food did for us. I couldn't say more great things about this company...they really did themost amazing job, and I can't thank them enough. Money well spent!!!

If you get Real Food catering your wedding,... (consider urself LUCKY) and get ready to have THE BEST WEDDING COCKTAIL AND DINNER EVER! Our guests LOVED LOVED the food!! the sangria was amazing,.. this coming from a bride who doesn't drink much... LOL. most of the time when you do the tasting, the food is great,... its even BETTER at your wedding! AND Gary the day of coordinator, is the savior for the day of! b/c on the day of, the bride tells everyone to ask Gary not her! So all you have to do is look pretty, smile for pics and have a blast!

Real Food Catering was fabulous, and that is an understatement! From the first time my now husband and I met with Yen and Gary, they were professional, creative, and most importantly, open to our budget. They did not ever intimate that our desires for good food at a good price were unreasonable, despite being in New York City where everything is expensive! We had a tasting with them, and their food was delicious and service was impeccable. This remained true on our wedding day - they set up each table beautifully and had servers going around with drinks and appetizers. I realized it's the little things that make a wedding, and their attention to detail really set them above other caterers that I've seen. Their vision for our reception was beyond what my husband and I had imagined ourselves, and we're so glad because it was a lot better! Dinner was again delicious, and we even heard from several of our guests that it was the best food they had ever eaten! They made a sea bass that literally melted in your mouth... Yum. We also heard from our guests that they loved interacting with the servers! It's rare that servers are so good that guests comment on enjoying their company. I can't forget to mention that during the entire 6 month or so period between us hiring them and our wedding, they replied to all our emails and phone calls promptly and courteously. I know they were busy with other weddings during this time, but I always received a response that made me feel like I was their only client! If you're getting married in New York City, I would recommend not looking elsewhere and going with Yen and Gary. They are willing to work with any budget, meaning if you're tight on money (which we were) they can still do a phenomenal wedding for very little cost. On the contrary, if you have some to spare and want all the trimmings, they can do that too and will exceed your expectations, guaranteed! My husband and I are not only extremely happy we went with them, we are also happy to just know them, as they are fantastic people that we'll probably continue to keep in touch with.

Dear Yen (manager of Real Food Catering), I would like to express (again and again) my sincere delight and appreciation of the food catering that you and your staff provided for my daughter's wedding on July 3, 2011. During my life in New York for almost 22 years I attended various wedding, some more luxurious than others, some in NY Botanical Garden, some in private country clubs in NJ and NY. However, none had a class and such a distinction as your appetizers, main courses and desserts. I was first amazed during the sampling time. BTW, it was one of the most unusual and wonderful dining experiences in NYC. But during the wedding your food made a whole new difference. Night lights of Manhattan combined with asian touch of your dishes and modern design of appetizers and the way they were served, luscious buffet, all of this added such a great tune and spirit to the wedding that I do not have words to express my gratitude and appreciation of your talent as a cook, as a chef, as an extremely creative person and as a manager who like a captain of the ship was always alert and left the wedding scene the last minute, making sure that everybody was properly fed and satisfied. Your warmth and professionalism was also reflected in your staff, especially Gary who was calm, alert and paid attention to details all the time. Thank you again and again for the memorable catering during such important event in my family. Please, feel free to use this as a testimony on your web site. If you do, I wish to advise your potential customers who shop for the caterers: "Stop shopping right now and call Yen immediately to make an appointment! And do not bargain with her!" Feel free to send any potential hesitant customer my way and I will be happy to share my experience with them. My e-mail: yuri.gorokhovich@gmail.com All the best and have a wonderful business! Yuri Gorokhovich

Yen and her staff at Real Food catering are just top notch. She is such a pleasure to work with and from the moment we met her, she was nothing but cheerful, professional, efficient, adaptable and completely on top of everything. We had a 180 person wedding in Manhattan with nearly 20 kids at a venue without a professional kitchen or elevators, and her staff pulled off an amazing wedding which included a separate kids' buffet. Our guests were raving about the appetizers and entrees and they were even better than the delicious teasers we had at her complimentary tasting!! She strives for unique and creative menu items and she put together an Asian/Latin fusion menu for us that was absolutely delicious. We had a dual entree with Miso Chilean Sea Bass and Ribeye with Chimichurri. Everything was cooked perfectly and presentation was beautiful :) She took care of rentals for us as well as event planning and provided a day of coordinator, Gary, who was calm and always on hand at just the right moment to keep things moving smoothly. Her staff kept our guests merry and filled with food and drink while maintaining stealthy discreteness and utmost professionalism! And to top it all off, you'd think she would cost a fortune for such amazing service, but she has extremely competitive pricing and is wonderful at working within your budget to meet and surpass your catering needs. She has worked at so many different venues, that even while we were still shopping around for venues, photographers and florists, nearly every one of our vendors had mentioned working with her in the past and had nothing but glowing reviews. If you are considering Real Food catering, look no further! I feel so lucky to have been in such good hands :)