How to throw a (Haute) Dinner Party?

Ever felt that you've been challenged by the mid-week syndrome and just wished for the weekend to come sooner rather than later? And when the weekend came, you either have became an item with the bed, or whined about there is absolutely nothing to do... because its too hot, too crowded, too jammed and too lazy to get out of the house.

And if you don't want to, that's perfectly fine. We suggest you throw the perfect dinner party for a couple of your friends and relatives ;) But here's a couple of tips on how to spruce the things up to make it into one haute party without wrecking up the bills.

First tip. Set the theme. Dim lighting, candle lights and jazzy house tunes would go extremely well with a dinner party. Most importantly, set the dining table and get everyone seated around the dining table. We suggest that you go paperless and stick with the proper cutlery, drinking glasses and porcelain plates. Paper plates encourages people to roam around the freakin' house, and you'll end up having a bunch of them munching away to the sights and sounds of American Idol.

Second tip. Add small touches that matches the theme of your dinner party. Although small touches are unnecessary, your family and friends will appreciate the fact that you have put in alota initiative in hosting this dinner party. Behind the scenes, you can choose to outsource the nitty-gritty bits to your younger sister or your mother-in-law. (Floral printed paper napkins were from IKEA and hardly cost anything)

Tip no. 3. Aggravate the tastebuds! Appetizers are usually a great way to do the job and we suggest something special which you won't be able to get from your local supermarkets. We chose Muji's wacky Japanese tidbits - although a tad bit expensive (S$2-3 per pack), it certainly got some tai-tais on the route to diabetes.

We can't emphasize any further just how important presentation is. Your mother's Chinaware should come in handy at dinner parties like this. Just don't take those which are as old as you.

You can also choose to cook up some savory appetizers. We prepared some Hawaiian Chicken tapas. Extremely easy... slice the baguette to bite-size, place some chicken ham and sweetened pineapples on the individual slices. Then top it with mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper and sea salt. Chuck it into the oven for 5 minutes before serving. Simple?!

When it comes to the main dishes, do plan your food list and shop a few days in advance. You can choose to cheat by cooking some and catering some. Muahaha. Try to think of some favourite local dishes that your dinner guest will enjoy. You can't go wrong with satays and yeong tau fus. A roast lamb from EuroDeli nicely does it as well ;)

Last but not least, the perfect party requires a perfect host. Greet everyone like you've not seen them in donkey years. Catch up on the good times and most importantly, have some crazy fun!