Per another couple's recommendation, I reached out to Real Food Catering for catering for our wedding. A very detailed excel sheet was sent back, and we emailed requesting a breakdown of drinks included vs. no drinks included, given that the recommending friends suggested we do the same. When no response was given, I called Yen, who stated that as a company, they needed to make money, so were no longer doing the option of drinks bought separately (which I said was fine, just contradictory to her document as well as my friend's experience). At that point, she said that food and labor costs so little so drinks would be needed to make it financially worth it. An hour later she emailed to say that she changed and that we could do the drinks. In any case, when we reached out again a month later, she declined to take our wedding. In the end, it wouldn't have mattered but what a strange feeling having to deal with all this for a simple proposal. Asked about this company from other vendors and they were definitely not surprised with this story. They said "you either love her or hate her." Just a friendly FYI to all those out there! read more

A Cornell classmate got married before COVID and this company was the caterer.  I don't know anything about weddings or caterers, but I know food and this food was not very enjoyable. My  plus one guest and the rest of our table didn't enjoy their food very much either.  Open bar was a plus and the decorations in the venue were nice, but I think my classmate's partner arranged those aspects of the wedding reception. My review and rating are just on the food which was served buffet style, so we tried a variety. read more

Real Food Catering is nothing short of spectacular. They are worth every cent and more. The investment you make with Yen is a memory that will last you a lifetime. We had the pleasure of working with Yen and her team for the past two years for our October 2021 wedding. Thanks to Yen our wedding was magical. We had the most incredible dinner service and the most wonderful staff. Our guests are still raving over the food and drinks; our wedding had restaurant-quality food and white-gloved service. Yen's attention to detail is like no other. When you hire her, she only brings the best of the best. Yen truly is a vendor who puts her heart, love, and dedication into every event. You can tell that this is her passion. Yen is sweet, honest, and an elite professional. Hiring Real Food Catering was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding day. Yen truly is a wonderful human being and befriends all her couples. I never felt lost or worried with Yen as my vendor. I trusted her wholeheartedly because I knew that our wedding day was just as important to her as it is for us. Real Food Catering offers extraordinary talent at an affordable price with the most loving, humble, and caring staff. It will be one of the best decisions you can make for your wedding day. It was most definitely one of ours. read more

Despite all of the raving reviews here, I unfortunately had a similar experience as Jeremy's review below. I reached out to Real Food Catering in January and never heard back. Last week (we are into March at this point) I emailed again and had my boyfriend call and leave a voicemail because they didn't answer. We finally heard back from Yen, who, I admit, was polite throughout our email communication. She provided a quote and we were excited with all of the services that were included in addition to the menu. I asked if we can schedule a tasting and she said that they don't do tastings until after booking. I was so blown away by that time that I actually came back to Yelp and reread Jeremy's review (one that I had hoped was a one-time event until this point). Now, I'm not sure what kind of person makes a $15,939 purchase without having seen, let alone tried, the goods that they are paying for, but food is important to us and $16k is no small amount. Maybe if you are okay serving possibly mediocre food (see another review below stating this was the case at her coworker's wedding), then that's fine, you get to cross off "book a caterer" on your to-do list, but that's not the case with us. We had also had a disappointing tasting earlier in the week with a different caterer who also had glowing reviews, cementing the fact that good food is a priority and tasting is a must. I asked if there's any way we can try the food and what the cancellation fee is, to which she responded: "I completely understand. It is hard to book a caterer without tasting the food. However, we are in the midst of talking with another couple for this date and mostly likely will book them. We appreciate your reaching out and good luck with your planning." I would like to take this moment to point out that she says she will "book them." Last time I checked, the customer is the client who is doing the booking, not the other way around. Freudian slip? Oh, how lucky the lowly couples are to be accepted by their business. And did I mention the date is over a year out? I didn't get the straight up rejection like Jeremy did in his review, but jeez. -- update -- Upon posting this review, I got a condescending email from Yen who said: "I hope one day when you have a business, you will understand how difficult it is." ...But I guess I'm lucky that she didn't go as far as to harass me like she did to the girl who posted about her coworker's wedding. -- update -- Regarding Yen's response, caveat emptor: this is whom you will be working with -- someone who thinks every bad review is by a competitor trying to sabotage her. Paranoid, and wrong. I had been more than polite in every interaction with her (I have paper trails for proof) so basically, anyone who asks to do a tasting is unreasonable and she won't have chemistry with. Yen, please stop contacting me. This is getting ridiculous. read more

What can I say about ONLY great things about Yen & Gary! They are such a well run engine that they think of everything you won't even think of! They made my wedding planning process so easy as they are NOT only caterers! They help with the floor plan, day of coordinator and just made everything so seamless for our big day. The food was amazing! Our guests rave about it till this day! We did floating dinner style during our wedding at Studio 450 and the guests have never been to a floating dinner before. So when they finally came to our wedding, it went way over their expectations! They were full, well fed and drank well! We had an open bar with top shelf liquor which our guests were so happy as both sides of the family like to drink top shelf! This company is great! Hire them for your wedding or event! They will not let you down!! read more

I attended a co-worker's wedding a couple months ago and this company catered the dinner. The food looked delicious, but really it was nowhere as good as it looked and everyone at our table's dinner arrived cold. The food needed salt, but none was to be found. The servers were nice, but were not very organized and one seemed shocked when someone at our table asked to have his plate re-heated. He was nice, but he just sort of stood there like he didn't know what to do. It took forever for the servers to bring his plate back and he said his food came back still only lukewarm. We all ate our bland dinner and kept our mouths shut. Flavorless, cold food on a winter evening = not good. The bar was a hassle and overall pain in the neck. There was a constant back-up at the bar because there just weren't enough bartenders. They really needed one or two more people serving drinks for so many people. I just don't understand why they didn't have enough bartenders. I mean, they had a guest count in advance, so why not be prepared? The bartenders were probably nice, but totally frantic all night and were barely able to look up. I really felt sorry for them. Again, it was just not very well organized, in my opinion. My co-worker (whose name will not be a part of this review, LOL) is notoriously cheap. I am certain he and his fiancé/wife searched the city for the cheapest caterer they could find. How unfortunate. 2 stars because the servers were nice. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Update: I just got a nasty note from the manager/owner of this company ("Yen") regarding my review I left 2 months ago. Wow! I had forgotten I wrote this review. That wedding was months ago and I had also forgot the name of your company. But thanks for the reminder, Yen. I won't forget again. Yes, I attended your event. It was a wedding and I was a guest with some co-workers for another co-worker. Our food was not very good. It wasn't terrible and I didn't say it was. It just had little flavor, needed some seasoning and didn't arrive hot or even warm for that matter. I can say everyone at my table would agree with my statement. Our servers, however were very nice. Maybe one of the other reviews you mention was from one of the people at my table. I haven't a clue and can't be bothered to check your reviews. I already had my experience and don't care about your other reviews. Just learn to deal with the fact that not everyone will like your food. As for your comment about all your other positive reviews, good for you. I don't know how long you've been in business, but if you have good reviews, congratulations. What's that have to do with me? And if all your good reviews are from clients and not guests, perhaps you need pay more attention to guests and not just the people paying you. Regarding your comparison to someone else who booked you and left a bad review, I've eaten at Chopotle on 6th Ave dozens of times, so maybe someone else who has booked your services has also been to Chipotle on 6th Ave. What does that matter? Your comments make no sense and just sound defensive and ridiculous. In conclusion, make sure your party guests also get decent service. And that means the bar. A wedding guest shouldn't have to stand in line for 15 minutes to get a drink. Those poor bartenders looked like they were going to have heart attacks. We tipped them well and they deserved it. But it sucked for us. BTW, If you had written me asking to discuss my experience instead of attacking me and claiming I'm a competitor, I would have discussed it with you and helped you out. After all, I was a guest at a wedding you catered. I was served your food. The fact that you refuse to acknowledge that it would be absolutely impossible for someone to not love your food shows immaturity and bad management. My review stands. Do not write me again. You sound a little unbalanced to me. read more

While I never reached the phase of becoming a "paid client", I did spend weeks working with Real Food while researching caterers for my upcoming wedding. Initially, it was really hard to get in touch with Real Food. They had sent us a breakdown of their services after my initial inquiry, but it took weeks to merely set up a phone interview. I understood early summer is likely a busy time for caterers, but I was having to constantly followup with them to try to get a phone meeting. After our phone meeting, it took us another 3 weeks to get an in person meeting with them. Predictably, the business owner stated that it was due to the busy period. We met in person with them finally, and all seemed to be fine initially, though there were a few things that had us feeling pretty uneasy: 1. If you meet them in person, do not expect them to offer you any kind like many other welcoming caterers. We weren't expecting a full tasting by any means, but every other caterer we have met offered a sample of one or two of their hors d'oeuvres typically as a little taste of what they can do/general hospitality. 2. Since we were obviously a little taken aback by point #1, they told us that the only way they would allow us to try their food is to come to one of their events and sneak a plate - which, by the way, would have to be at the wedding they had booked in 3 weeks. 3. Off-handed comments about how only "Indians" like their food piping hot. What? In the end, I received a phone call the next day from Yen (the business owner) stating that they felt they we did not have the right kind of chemistry for them to take us on as a client. Good riddance... If your reading this, ask yourself, do you really want to deal with a caterer that is more high maintenance than yourselves - the bride/groom? Don't exhaust yourself with constantly having to fight for a conversation or meeting on their schedule, because in the end it seems that they only cater to people when they want to. read more

I hired Yen and Gary of Real Food Catering for my wedding last November at the Foundry and had a wonderful experience. Our wedding was a bit complicated because my husband and I decided to have two different cultural wedding ceremonies back to back. As a result, we had significant decor/stage changes in short periods of time. Additionally, per the Foundry's policy, we had to rent all of our chairs, tables, silverware, etc. from a third party vendor. When I first began researching and speaking with various caterers, it was immediately apparent that Yen knew how to plan for a wedding better than others I had spoken with. Within minutes of chatting with Yen, she brought up various logistical considerations that other caterers had not thought of. In addition to catering our wedding, Yen and Gary's team took care of everything on the day-of--they managed all the rentals and logistics, arranged everything beautifully, and transitioned the stage between the two ceremonies in minutes. They worked with our other vendors wonderfully and executed everything in an organized and professional manner. Additionally, the hors d'oeurvres and dinner were delicious, and were exactly like what we had tried during the tasting! Last, Yen was very sensitive to our budget and, when asked, gave us some great ideas to help keep our costs down (outside of just food/drink and catering related costs). There were no surprises on our final bill amount. All in all, Real Food was a delight to work with and I would absolutely recommend them. read more

I used Real food for my wedding and I can tell you they are the best! Not only are Yen and Gary super organized and meticulous but they have awesome personalities to boot! The food is amazing, I still have guests who rave about our cocktail hour and the sea bass they are during dinner. They worked with my budget and turned out amazing food and service. My husband and I are super picky about food and real food surpassed our expectations. If you are a picky bride or have picky parents and want a reliable, organized, true to their word catering company who holds quality above all else book real food. read more

It doesn't get better than this. Yen and Gary were incredible, perfect in every way. They are personable and thoughtful. They will implement your vision and they know how to make it even better. The food was outstanding, truly. Our guests, foodies and not, haven't stopped raving about the food. They all say how delicious it was and then start listing their favorite items, and these are long lists. Here are a few things worth noting before deciding on a caterer other than Real Food: 1. Yen's food should be Michelin rated. 2. Yen and Gary are super knowledgeable about weddings. They seem to have experience in all the major New York City venues and know how to maximize the space. We had ideas for our use of The Foundry and they validated our ideas and also made great suggestions based on their experiences there. They knew what colors worked best, what chairs looked the nicest, what rooms were the best value, what candles and flowers were necessary and not, and just generally what works and what doesn't work. 3. We had a "flow dinner" instead of a sit down and Yen and Gary made suggestions for how to run it. Every suggestion they made was the right one. I'd go into specifics, but I'd run out of room. 4. They effectively ran the wedding as party planners would. Gary had servers cue the wedding party, the flower girls and ring bearers, and me at our respective times. Because we had a "flow dinner" we didn't have a head table or a designated time to sit and eat. Gary made us plates of food and made us sit eat it. He brought food and drinks to us during our photo shoot. He told us when to cut the cake. He helped us pack up our gifts at the end of the night. We joke that we owe them our first born child. My only regret is that we don't have any future events, at least in the immediate future, that need catering. The second we do have something, though, we will go back to Real Food Catering. You guys are the best! Amanda and Zach read more

We worked with the Yen for our wedding and she was by far the best vendor that we had. She is warm and funny and takes time to understand each couple and their tastes. She was willing to accommodate all requests, but also gave us her opinions as an experienced caterer, which is equally important. I wish we had asked her advice about other vendors before booking them, because she has great insight into all aspects of the NYC wedding industry from doing so many weddings and provides a much less biased opinion than the wedding planners who tend to recommend the same vendors regardless of value. She clearly takes great pride in her work and manages to deliver exceptional quality at a very reasonable price. She is meticulous about her planning to eliminate unnecessary food waste, which I really appreciated. The food at the wedding was amazing and everyone raved about it! read more

From the minute we met Yen and Gary, we knew they were the one (I didn't even have that feeling when I met my husband). And we couldn't be happier with their incredible work at our wedding this past weekend! Yen and Gary were patient, understanding and went out of her way to work out all the details for our wedding. We emailed back and forth often... over 300 emails!!! From the beginning, they welcomed our questions and provided us with their honest feedback. I cannot begin to tell you the overwhelming positive response we received and continue to get from our guests about our food! ANDDDD I know the food was delicious because when I walked around to greet our guests at dinner, I noticed many plates that were scraped clean! Yen, Gary and their incredible team worked hard to make our wedding run smooth, STRESS-FREE, and most importantly, delicious! We could not be happier with our experience with Real Food Catering. read more

Real Food Catering - Dinner being served! pc: Chaz Cruz - Caterers Near Me - New York, New York

I cannot express how grateful my husband and I are to have worked with Yen and Gary, they really went above and beyond our expectations. Not only was the food delicious, but their service was amazing and they were a lot of fun to work with. They truly understood my needs and helped me create a quality menu that was also within our budget. The attention to detail was amazing. When my husband and I were taking photos during the cocktail hour, they made sure to bring down some of the food for us. As the bride and groom it is very easy to forget to eat but they made sure we made time to eat so that we could have energy to dance the night away. I am still getting comments from our guests about the food. It was delicious! read more

There is no doubt in my mind to continue Real Food Catering's long history of getting 5s in all categories. Yen and Gary (and all of their staff for the wedding night) were ABSOLUTELY amazing. My wife and I looked at several caterers, including taste tests, and nothing compared to the flexibility, professionalism, and TASTE of Real Food's catering. We met with their team about 6 months in advance and designed a pretty custom menu - including a Mediterranean-style mezze appetizer course with cheese/charcuterie, to be followed by Latin American themed passed appetizers (mini arepas, tequenos, and empanadas), and then a great French Style meal (steak, chilean sea bass, and a vegetarian option with amazing sides). ALL of the guests raved about the food and the attentiveness of the serving staff. Our wedding went off without a hitch and we owe a GREAT deal of that to the Real Food team - they continuously adjusted the timing of events and servings throughout the night based on the guests' feelings (ready to dance vs. not). They also worked seamlessly with our florist, DJ, and officiant - we couldn't have been happier with all of their support. We would highly, highly, highly recommend working with Real Food Catering. If you make the circuit to meet with caterers, make sure you include Real Food....you'll be sorry that you even tried the others. read more

Yen and Gary did an AMAZING job with our wedding. I would recommend them for anyone looking to get married in the NYC area. Few areas they were especially awesome at: - Personalization - we are a Chinese - Filipino couple and they made a menu that was inspired by both cultures; they also allowed us to bring in a Chinese bakery wedding cake, lechon, and found a mochi vendor for dessert - Taking care of us on the day of - making sure we had enough food - Planning - they had a great balance of having a plan while being flexible given any changes on the day of - Cost Optimization - they helped us save money by figuring out ways we could save (table type, etc) We got only the most enthusiastic compliments from our guests who all raved about how amazing the food it was. read more

I cant even begin to describe how amazing it was working with Yen and Gary of Real Food Catering. They are more than "just a caterer." I really dont think my wedding would have been as perfect if it wasnt for them, and I definitely wouldnt have had as much fun because I would be worrying about everything. Yen and Gary and their team took all the stress off my shoulders, not just the day of, but the whole wedding planning process. The food was out of this world, and they really went above and beyond to deliver exactly what we wanted! They made special dishes just for us to fit in with the Mediterranean flare we wanted the menu to have. It's been almost a month since our wedding, and we are still getting compliments about how delicious the food was (ohhh lamb chops I still think about you). Not only was the food perfect, but so was the service and rest of the staff. From now on I will only recommend Real Food as an events caterer going forward to anyone. Real Food Catering is the best in the business, and they really know what they are doing. Not to mention Yen and Gary are wonderful people and I miss interacting with them and bothering them with all my questions! read more

We are so happy to have chosen Real Food for our wedding. Throughout our planning process, we left each meeting and phone call feeling very happy and assured that we were in the right hands. We could not have imagined our wedding day turning out any better than what Yen and her team accomplished. The tables were beautiful, the setup of everything was beautiful, and the transitions of everything from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner were seamless. We are still hearing from our guests, raving about how delicious the food was. There is a reason why Real Food is listed as a preferred vendor for every venue that we had looked at! With Yen and Gary running the show, we did not have to worry. They are true professionals! read more

We had absolutely no clue going into wedding planning what it was all about. We...i made a lot of decisions during the wedding process and the easiest decision was selecting our caterers, Real Food Catering. I reached out to three and Yen/Gary easily stood out from the rest. It also helped knowing they were a preferred vendor of the Foundry (our wedding venue) and had and continue to win awards annually since they've started. My husband and I are probably one of the worst couples to work with. We always feel bad for whoever works with us. We perform detail level of diligence whenever we make a decision in life but Yen made the job easy for us. She responded to all my inquiries promptly. Sometimes responding at 2 in the morning. Her level of client service impressed me even before we booked her. When it came to selecting dishes for cocktail hour, reception, dessert etc i was lost. There was a comprehensive list of dishes for each segment of the wedding from all types of cuisines to choose from. Yen gave us a lot of suggestions/input and basically told us she can make anything we wanted. When we went to the tasting - we were even more impressed. It was a cute setup with two other couples at the Foundry's Albra room. They served wine, ten types of hors d'oeuvres, and different entrees she created for each couple. It was a great time and the food was amazing especially the hors d'oeurves. The tasting confirmed our thoughts that selecting them was a great decision. But it did not stop there, not only are they first a caterer but they also act as a pseudo planner. I did not hire a planner but with Yen/Gary i did not need one. They knew the foundry so well they gave us suggestions on table layout, wedding day timeline, ceremony process, and dealt with all my furniture rental. On the day of wedding, Gary came by on countless occassions to make sure we were eating and enjoying ourselves. Our table cloth was never left unfolded if we were not seated at the table. My mom noted that shes never seen waiters serve all 16 guests at a table in unison before. You could tell the bartenders and waitstaff are well trained and polished. A few weeks leading up to the wedding i sent Yen/Gary countless amounts of excel spreadsheets for wedding day logistics/decoration setup..they were probably thinking i became a bridezilla if not already but they assured me they had it all under control. The level of attention to detail, care and professionalism Yen/Gary had displayed is rare. They will make your wedding day dreams come true if you select Real Foods as your caterer! I cant rave about them enough. Everyone in the NY wedding industry knows they provide the highest level of service. Thank you Yen & Gary! read more

My husband Sam and I got married on April 10, 2015 in NYC. Hiring Real Food Catering was one of the best decisions we made. From beginning to end, we experienced nothing but utter professionalism, expertise and joy in working with Yen, Gary and the team. As a Type A personality and someone who's done special events before for work, I want to commend them especially for: - Superb planning and organization - helping us navigate the complexities of catering a large event, from choosing a balanced menu, to choosing the right rentals to fit our budget. Our planning meetings were not only fun but relieved us both in a major way, as each time it was clear that we were in the hands of experts. - Prompt communication - anyone planning a wedding will know that prompt responses make your life so much easier. Yen and Gary respond to emails and requests in a timely manner, further expediting our planning process. - No hidden costs - everything was laid out and communicated to us clearly and early. - Day-of execution - everything was as we expected, with no delays or issues. The set-up was just beautiful, and they took such great care of us, so that we could just enjoy the day. The team was very professional and responded to changes and adjustments supremely well. - The FOOD! - the most important part and the number one reason why we were so happy to have hired them. The food was out of this world, with such amazing flavors. We got lots of positive reviews from our guests, which we weren't surprised by. I don't think anyone will regret hiring Real Food Catering. They are extremely easy to work with, and are awesome at what they do. It is so evident that they truly love their work, and have a deep care for each couple they work with, for their wedding day to have the very best food, service, prep... you name it. Sam and I would highly recommend them for any event. read more

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Since our very first meeting, my husband and I knew that Real Food was the right partner for us. And our wedding last weekend confirmed it 1000%. We had super high expectations for our wedding day, and the Real Food team went above and beyond (answering ALL OF OUR MANY questions, keeping us calm before and during the event, and delivering DELICIOUS food) - we will never forget the unbelievable time we had! Yen and Gary are true collaborative partners. They are experts in wedding planning and execution and left no detail untended. We looked forward to every meeting with Real Food - especially the tasting! - and on the day of our wedding they handled every aspect brilliantly...we never once had to lift a finger. I've lost count of how many guests commented about the food and service ... Real Food really blew EVERYONE away. I am a very happy newlywed, but I'm slightly bummed out that I won't have another chance to plan another wedding with Yen and team - kidding (sorta)! Work with Real Food - it'll be the best wedding decision you make! read more

We got married in October and it has taken me until now to write this review because I honestly did not know how I would he able to put into words how amazing Yen/Real Food Catering was. The truth is that choosing Yen/Real Food Catering was the best decision we made for our wedding. We could not have pulled off a wedding at the Foundry without them. First, Yen's food is not only the most spectacular wedding food we have ever had - it's the best food we've ever tasted. Seriously rivals the top restaurants in the city. Our wedding was 9 months ago and our guests are STILL raving about the food. Literally everything served at our wedding (and we served quite the variety) was amazing. But Real Food Catering is much more than just a wedding caterer. Yen and Gary are event coordinators who knew our venue like the back of their hands and went out of their way to give us the wedding of our dreams. For example, my husband is in the spirits industry and it was very important to him that our bar be stocked with particular spirits and that the bartenders be top-notch (career bartenders able to make obscure classic cocktails on demand - rather than your typical wedding/event bartenders) and Yen made it happen - and without upcharging us for it. I honestly cannot say enough about Yen, Gary and the entire Real Food Catering team. They are the real deal. Not only are they the absolute best at what they do, but their primary motivation is to give couples the wedding of their dreams. Unlike most vendors who are primarily concerned with finances/making money, Yen went out of her way to try to save us money even when we didn't ask her to. I will never be able to adequately thank Yen, Gary and the Real Food Catering team for all that they did for us. Trust me, if you are getting married at the Foundry (or any similar venue), have your first call be to Yen and Gary at Real Food Catering. read more

Our wedding was almost a year ago, so this is long overdue but we absolutely had to post this review to thank Real Food Catering for making our NYC wedding at Studio 450 absolutely amazing. Yen and Gary are simply the best. They were so attentive to all of our requests and nailed every single detail. Most importantly, they made the both us feel so at ease because we knew they were on top of everything and we were really able to enjoy every moment of the night. We got rave reviews from all of our guests about the amazing food throughout the night. I think every single person I have spoken to has said it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding, and my dad, who is a big steak fan, said the main course was one of the best pieces of meat he has ever had, period. We felt the same way and have been thinking of ways to sneak into one of their tastings so we can eat their delicious food again. Many guests also complimented us about how attentive and friendly the staff was. Yen and Gary not only oversaw the food and service with flawless execution but were a huge help in the planning process from food selection, seating arrangements, vendor recommendations and arranging an amazing dessert table that surpassed our expectations. They also were our day of wedding planner and made sure that all of our vendors arranged everything exactly as we had planned. Leading up to our wedding, a lot of my married friends had told me that they regretted spending as much as they did on their weddings. Well we are almost a year removed, and I can tell you that Real Food is worth every penny and more. I really wouldn't change a thing. Thank you Yen and Gary (and your staff) for making our wedding day perfect. We had so much fun working with you and are actually looking for excuses to use you again for a future event ;-). Karen & David read more

We wanted to find a caterer who would step out of traditional wedding menu to help us create a menu you would see at a restaurant. Yen worked with us to execute a unique and delicious menu that our guests are still raving about. The entire process from planning to the day of execution with Yen and her team was effortless on our part because they make everything seamless, it will feel like you're planning with a friend! read more

I got married in 2013, and this review is long over due! But, honestly, over four years after the wedding, we're still getting comments from relatives about how delicious the lamb chops were! Our menu was eclectic and inspired by the origins of our families: Spanish, French, Israeli, Moroccan. She did it all. Yen's team is a delight. She is a true partner. Organized and professional. We're so glad to have found such a talented vendor for our special day. She'll be in our memories for years! read more

I have worked with Real Food catering on several occasions and have had nothing but a seamlessly smooth experience with them and Yen especially! I could go on for days at how extremely helpful and knowledgable she is in her craft! And last but definitely not least important... The food has managed to hit all levels of creativity while still remaining absolutely deelish! read more

My husband and I can't thank Yen and Gary enough for everything they did for us on our wedding day! They are such a joy to work with and absolutely made our dream wedding come to life. I can't imagine anyone actually planning a wedding without these two! And the food - what can I say! Our guests are still raving about the food from our wedding to this day! We saw from other reviews that another couple was able to curate a Chinese-Filipino wedding with a whole roasted pig. Of course when we saw that, we had to get it for our wedding day as well! Thank you Yen and Gary! If you are reading this and debating about whether or not to book them, just do it! read more

Phenomenal, memorable, incredible. That is how we describe Real Food Catering in three words. Wish we could provide 10 stars to illustrate our happiness. When selecting our caterer and reviewing the countless 5/5 star ratings from past clients, I thought "Can Real Food be that good?" I now speak from the experience of a truly outstanding evening - the Real Food team is absolutely amazing. As you consider your catering options for your special day, Real Food has to be on your very short list. We had the absolute pleasure of working with Yen and Gary for our October 5th wedding. From our very first phone conversation through the wedding evening, Yen and Gary went well beyond our expectations to ensure our event was an absolute success in every respect. The food was unique, fresh and delicious. Our guests still rave about the food. The entire flow of the evening was perfect. Gary was our wedding day coordinator. We couldn't have been happier; he was calm and relaxed and you were quickly assured you were in the right hands; he was always in control with a smile on his face. Real Food Catering's staff was extremely pleasant and accommodating; many of our guests commented on the courtesies of the staff. Yen has a terrific eye for design. We let Yen have creative control; she flawlessly managed the look and feel of the food and overall table presentation. She did a phenomenal job. We are honored to provide Real Food Catering our highest endorsement. Yen and Gary become emotionally invested in your party. Not only do they promise a successful event, they deliver above and beyond expectations. Megan and Tim Wedding: 10/05/2013 read more

We are currently in the process of planning our wedding come up this August and are using Yen and Gary as our caterers. The experience so far has been nothing short of wonderful. They have been a great resource in helping us work with other vendors who have been a challenge. The food that we had at our tasting was truly fantastic. We can not wait for our wedding (and I promise to update this review with how the day goes). read more

We used Real Food for our wedding last September at The Green Building and our only regret was not having a picture taken with our amazing chef and coordinator, Yen and Gary. Their food was absolutely mouthwatering! My husband and I were so fortunate to have Yen not only create wonderful amazing dishes catered to the palates of the guests but also work with me to personalize my wedding with an assortment of DIY ideas. Gary had so much patience with all the chaos only a wedding could bring and made sure everyone was in place, fed, and happy. I would like to add, my husband and I are very appreciative that Gary also made sure we had time to enjoy the moment together alone after our ceremony, which I believe is pretty rare in weddings. We absolutely recommend Real Food and was genuinely confused about the reviewer that rated them so low. We only heard good things from our guests and personally experienced an amazing time at our wedding. In fact, after I told my husband about the negative review, he felt Real Food had been so wronged that he decided to write a review himself! There is a reason Real Food has so many 5 star reviews on Yelp and Wedding Wire. If interested, below is my original review on Wedding Wire: It cannot get better than Real Food. Yen and Gary is the best there is and made our wedding truly ours. Their food is amazing and Yen was able to cater to the needs and palates of the guests. We knew if nothing in the wedding turned out well, the food would be delicious and it will be ok. When we see friends who attended the wedding now, they talk about how beautiful it was and then they talk about the food. We were told the servers, which were hired by Real Food, were personable, friendly, and did not miss anyone with the food or alcohol, truly seamless. Yen and Gary themselves are miracle workers and made everything we wanted for our wedding come true. I am a hands-on, do everything myself, crafty person and was no different when it came to our wedding. I had lots of ideas and Yen coordinated everything perfectly. She got everything done without a blink of an eye and will not hesitate to help you in anyway giving you valuable suggestions. Gary is a sweetheart and made sure we ate and got pampered. He has so much patience dealing with the bridal party and guests it amazes us how everything ran so smoothly. We highly recommend Yen and Gary. It was them that allowed us to unwind, relax, and enjoy the company of our guests. We did not have to think about anything else making our wedding truly memorable and special. read more

Real Food Catering is OUTSTANDING!!! Yen and Gary are the sweetest, nicest people we met, and very professional. They do catering like clockwork. Super organized, quick to respond, honest, prompt, trustworthy, and well-connected people. Our first meeting with them was extremely thorough, we went through the whole day, the timeline of events, the whole menu, colors, decorations, etc. etc. No detail left unattended. They served more like day-of coordinators for us. I had a bunch of extra decorations that needed to be set up, and they took care of it all because they go above and beyond. They kept the party on schedule and made sure everything went smooth. They used their connections to help us find an awesome DJ (DJ Kahn), and affordable photo booth (Fresh Pressed Photo Booth), and took care of ordering all the rentals. Their food was amazing! My husband and his brother had seconds at the wedding. I had one guest tell me that the miso chilean sea bass "touched lives." We highly recommend Real Food Catering. They are THE BEST. Consider yourself lucky if you get to work with them on your day. They are catering GODS! read more

Five stars is really an underestimate. Yen and Gary definitely deserve 10 stars, especially in the areas of flexibility and quality of service. We hired Yen and Gary for our wedding at the Foundry in November of 2012. My husband and I went into the planning process wanting to make our wedding extremely "us" and not caring so much about tradition. However, as we searched for caterers, we realized that many caterers were unwilling to execute some of our ideas. For example, we wanted to have appetizers from one of our favorite restaurants.... caterers gave us long lists of reasons why this was "not possible." Yen and Gary didn't think twice about it, and in fact, they spoke to the restaurant and organized everything themselves! Yen and Gary embraced our ideas and executed them in an effortless manner. It really made our day easy! Oh and of course their food---- delicious!!! Our entrees included duck and salmon. Our guests are still talking about the duck! We had our proteins served french style and our side dishes served family style which really helped create the communal atmosphere that we were hoping to attain during our dinner. Also, Yen and Gary are sweet and really fun. We loved meeting with them in their office and our families fell in love with Gary. By the end of the wedding, our families were treating Gary as if he was a guest at the wedding instead of our caterer/day of coordinator. The night was fantastic and we couldn't imagine it without Real Food Catering. read more

THANK YOU YEN! Our experience with Real Food was fantastic from the start. We actually hit a bump in the road when the original caterer we contracted went out of business. After meeting Yen and Gary, we knew this was definitely a blessing in disguise!! Yen is just so sweet, professional, and overall a Wedding Guru! She made it so easy to create our menu and our fam + friends LOVED everything! Yen knew our venue so well, and we truly cannot thank her enough for the guidance she provided throughout our planning. Gary was our right hand man on our big day and such a dream to work with! He made us feel super calm throughout the day, guiding us and helping with absolutely anything/everything. He even helped us with our honeymoon planning since he visited our destination. Go with Real Food!! read more

Yen and Gary are the best, and Real Food Catering made our wedding. We had originally hired a different caterer four our wedding at the Foundry. Two months before our wedding, however, that original caterer greatly increased their pricing. We contacted Yen and Gary in a bit of a panic, to say the least, and they saved the day. In just the two months we had until our wedding, we were able to work with Yen and Gary to finalize all the details and create a truly spectacular evening. Their food is amazing! Since our wedding we have heard from guests numerous times that ours was the best wedding food they have ever had - especially the appetizers. Real Food Catering offers many options to choose from, and if what you want isn't on their extensive menu, they will make it! Their aesthetic and attention to detail is second to none. We worked with Yen and Gary to transform the Foundry in LIC into an even more elegant and chic venue than it already is! Their wait staff, bartenders, etc. are all professionals. The staff handled our 150+ rowdy guests with poise and elegance. If you are having a wedding in NYC, you really should choose Real Food Catering. Yen and Gary go above and beyond and words simply cannot describe how amazing they are and how happy we are that they were able to cater our wedding! read more

I don't even know where to begin, I wish I could give 10 stars. As many people have said, Yen and Gary are more than just caterers. I got married just two days ago and adore them so much that I couldn't even wait to write their rave review. They go above and beyond in every way to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Besides the food being amazing, they literally relieved any stress that I had on my wedding day by handling all wedding day logistics. They are just the kindest, calmest, most knowledgeable people and I cannot say enough good things about them and I am seriously hoping I get to attend weddings in the future where they are catering. Anyone would be incredibly lucky to have them as their caterers. read more

I cannot thank Yen and Gary enough for the amazing job they did for us on our wedding reception. It has been a pleasure working with them over the past several months to plan what turned out to be a spectacular, unforgettable event. Yen and Gary were so much more than caterers to us - they were our 'go to' people for many decisions - related to the menu as well as other aspects of the event - music, flowers, décor, tipping - anything that came up - we felt comfortable asking them. I think that was the best part about working with them. We felt so comfortable. My husband and I are not originally from NYC and hosting an event here can be intimidating. Yen and Gary made it so manageable, enjoyable, and exciting. We ended up with a wedding reception that truly reflected 'us'. But of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the best part of our reception - the food. After several meetings and a fantastic tasting, we were able to create a menu with Yen and Gary that was so unique, fresh, creative, and delicious. Guests are still talking about specific appetizers and dishes that were served. Yen went out of her way to create an amazing, distinctive dessert for us, as well as perfecting some special cocktail requests. Presentation was top notch, as was the wonderful, warm Real Food staff. They made us feel like a million bucks and followed my husband around making sure he did not miss one bite. We have even heard some guests mention that they made a point to dance by the doors where the food was coming so they would not miss a thing either! We had such an unforgettable wedding day and reception, thanks to the efforts, professionalism, ease, and sincere care from Yen, Gary, and their staff. The only thing left for us to do is to get on their waiting list so they will be available for our 10th anniversary party! Big thanks, Yen and Gary. read more

From the first meeting with Yen and Gary we knew they were the right candidates to help host our wedding. My wife had millions ideas running across the table and of course with her vision who can keep up. Real Food listened to her and took all of it in and let our imagine run wild. Giving us ideas of the food items and even helping us opening us up the idea of family style in which I always love. When we got closer to the date of final meeting we had to break the news that we needed to lower our cost for the whole wedding. They took it so wonderfully with understanding and helped us figure out where we can cut cost. Well, who knew on that special day they came through so amazingly with the decor and even helped up amp of the place with little things I'm sure would have cost us hundreds. Evenmore setting up everything just the way we wanted as Yen helps you as a "day of coordinator" not just a caterer. Food was so delicious and yes we got to eat. Yen and Gary made sure we ate and always had a plate for us so we may enjoy the food. These guys are not like the caterers you hear about at those wedding venues where you're just one time business. They really want to have relationship with us and acknowledging its their job to make sure they create an amazing venue not matter what it took. We hope you get to meet Yen and Gary and see first hand how amazing they are! read more

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I can not recommend enough Real Food Catering with Yen and Gary. My wife and I had our wedding last September at The Green Building. Right away, they were responsive to our needs and were truly mentors to us in how to plan a wedding. Yen and Gary had worked with The Green Building many times before and were able to suggest, plan and make better the layout and all the arrangements for the wedding day. When we got to the food tasting, the food was so good I remember thinking, "I can't wait for our guests to enjoy this food!" Our wedding day could not have gone better. The weather was great and Yen and Gary were at the helm! Gary was fabulous as our wedding day coordinator. He thought of everything we couldn't or didn't even think about. We were told that this was going to be OUR day and they made sure of that. Immediately after the wedding we were told over and over again how good the food was. Even now, our friends are still telling us how good the food was! Thank you Yen and the kitchen staff. As for the wait staff, we got nothing but positive experiences from our guests. All the people Yen and Gary brought in had the biggest smiles and were eager to help and serve. A wedding is an affair that most of us go into knowing absolutely nothing about. We were so very lucky to have found Yen and Gary. We thought we were just hiring them for food and wait service but instead we got a full service team! You want people like Yen and Gary to help you, to provide amazing food, and to execute the most professional service on this your most important day. The only regret we have is that in the fun and craziness of the day, we neglected to get a photo with Yen and Gary! read more

Yen and Gary are the two single most professional, helpful, honest, and talented caterers in NYC. They are the real deal. You will not be disappointed. read more

Yen and Gary are the best of the best. We knew the moment we met them, that they were the ones that were going to make our special day spectacular. Not only are they warm, genuine, and calming (during a typically stressful year of planning); but they are professional, personable and take that extra step to make sure everything is perfect. My husband and I chose a raw space, that we had to piece together vendor by vendor. This was a daunting task at first, but Gary and Yen helped to make it all come together, and when the day arrived, our jaws fell to the floor. We were blown away by how seamless the day went, how attentive everyone was to us and our guests. Gary and Yen just GOT us. They got our vision. They nailed it, spot on. Their staff is extremely professional and courteous. Aside from Gary making sure my husband and I were happy and comfortable all night, they had 2 other staff members constantly checking on us to make sure everything was as perfect as it could be. There were tons of appetizers being passed around the room. There was never a moment where a guest had to go in search of food. The drinks were flowing, and lines never formed at the bars. All important aspects to a wedding, if you ask me. Gary and Yen just know the game, and know how to run one smooth wedding. Our guests raved about our food. From the appetizers (truffle grilled cheeses, pork buns, tuna tartare, among many more) to the seated dinner (buttermilk fried chicken & ribeye steak) every single guest was beyond satisfied. Even the side dishes were just fantastic. Truthfully, my husband and I are so sad the day is over for many reasons, but a huge reason is that we no longer get to work with Gary and Yen. They truly became our friends throughout the process. We will miss them and will be forever grateful for helping us put together the wedding of our dreams. We couldn't have done it without them. read more

I cannot believe it's been more than a year since our wedding! 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! read more