At most wedding venues, the food is an afterthought. You pick from a standard catering menu, maybe customize a side dish, and hope for the best.
At Love You Long Time Secret Little Garden, the food is the experience. And the person designing it is not a catering manager — it's Chef Kristina Zhao, James Beard Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow and the culinary mind behind some of San Antonio's most beloved restaurants.
Here's how she approaches every wedding menu.
It Starts With Your Story
The first question Kristina asks isn't "chicken or fish?" It's: "Tell me about your family."
Every couple has a food story. Maybe your grandmother's tamales are legendary. Maybe you fell in love over hand-pulled noodles. Maybe your family's Sunday dinners always featured a specific dish that means home.
Kristina listens for those stories because they become the foundation of your menu. A wedding dinner should feel like the best meal your family has ever shared — elevated, intentional, and deeply personal.
The Tasting Experience
Every couple in our Signature and Legacy packages receives a private tasting with Kristina. This isn't a buffet sample line — it's a curated dining experience where you taste potential courses, discuss flavor profiles, and refine the menu together.
A typical tasting might include:
- Amuse-bouche — A single bite that sets the tone. Think Sichuan-spiced tuna crisp or a delicate dumpling with black vinegar.
- First course options — Seasonal salads, soup, or a shared appetizer plate for the table.
- Entrée selections — From Kristina's signature Sichuan preparations to classic Texas-inspired dishes, always with vegetarian and dietary options.
- Dessert — Beyond the wedding cake. Think mochi, churro bites, or a dessert bar that reflects your heritage.
The Philosophy: Hospitality, Not Just Catering
Kristina's approach to wedding food is rooted in the same philosophy that made Sichuan House and Dashi beloved San Antonio institutions: hospitality is about making people feel seen.
That means:
- Cultural respect — If your family's traditions include specific dishes or dining customs, they're honored, not approximated.
- Dietary care — Allergies, restrictions, and preferences are handled with the same creativity as the main menu. No one gets a sad plate.
- Service excellence — Our kitchen and service team are trained in fine dining standards. Plates are timed, courses flow naturally, and your guests never wait.
- The unexpected touch — A late-night snack station. A signature cocktail inspired by your first date. A family recipe reimagined as a passed appetizer during cocktail hour.
What Makes In-House Catering Different
When your venue and your chef are on the same team, everything changes:
- No coordination headaches — The kitchen is 50 feet from your reception. There's no catering truck, no reheating, no timing disasters.
- Fresh, not transported — Every dish is prepared on-site, finished to order, and served at the perfect temperature.
- Flexibility — Want to add a course? Change the dessert? Accommodate a last-minute dietary need? When the chef is in the building, adjustments happen in real time.
- Cost efficiency — You're not paying a separate catering company, rental company, and venue. It's all integrated, which means your budget goes further.
Sample Menu: A Love You Long Time Wedding Dinner
Here's an example of what a Signature package dinner might look like:
Cocktail Hour (Passed)
- Crispy pork belly bao with pickled daikon
- Sichuan-spiced shrimp with citrus aioli
- Vegetable spring rolls with sweet chili
First Course
- Baby arugula salad with candied pecans, goat cheese, and pomegranate vinaigrette
Entrée (Choice of)
- Pan-seared salmon with miso glaze, jasmine rice, and seasonal vegetables
- Braised short rib with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and red wine reduction
- Stuffed portobello mushroom with quinoa, roasted peppers, and chimichurri (V)
Dessert
- Wedding cake (from your selected bakery)
- Chef's dessert trio: mochi, churro bites, and chocolate truffles
Late Night
- Dan dan noodle station (Kristina's signature)
Book Your Tasting
If you're considering Love You Long Time for your wedding, the tasting is where the magic begins. It's not just about choosing a menu — it's about understanding how food can make your celebration unforgettable.
Book a Vision Call to start the conversation, or call us at (210) 236-2679.
Chef Kristina Zhao is the founder of Love You Long Time Secret Little Garden, Sichuan House, and Asia Market. A James Beard Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow, she has spent her career building restaurants and spaces that honor cultural traditions while creating something entirely new.