Tips on How to Plan the Ultimate Surprise Party

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Birthdays come once a year, which means a celebratory activity is considered to make the day more enjoyable.  But, over time the means of celebrating may end up becoming too repetitive if an idea is overused. Try something new for a loved one by planning a unique surprise mystery dinner and cooking experience that they will never forget!

Hosting a surprise party may seem a bit tricky at first, but don’t get discouraged. The surprise and reaction of your loved one will make the process well worth it. While planning the event, keep in mind that arranging a surprise party is just the same as organising a birthday party except there is some element of surprise or reveal at the beginning.

Tips on How to Plan the Ultimate Surprise Party

Guest list

As the host and creator of this delightful surprise, it is vital that you invite your honoree’s closest friends and family, and other guests that he/she was not expecting. The great thing about this is kids can join in too! Once your guest list is completed,  organise your guest RSVPs and collect deposits as soon as you know they’re coming, so that you can then easily secure your reservation. In the invitation, be sure to let all of your guests know that this is, in fact, a surprise and remind them to keep this a secret from the honoured guest. For an additional element of surprise, hide your guests in a back room or the dark, so when the birthday guy or gal arrives, they’re in for a great awakening! If you have a long guest list for the mystery dinner experience, it is essential to ask if they have any dietary restrictions or food allergies to prevent emergency trips to the doctors, allergic reactions or stomach aches.

Properly prep for the party

To properly prepare the perfect dishes, work with an OTAO kitchen chef to gain insight on how to complement the guest of honours pallet. Your personal OTAO chef can advise you to meal options from a healthy balance menu.
Quick tip: consider menu items such as the popular dumpling party or our Vietnamese cooking party, as guests can cook and prepare their own meals with the option of eliminating certain ingredients from a recipe.

Have fun 

Upon arrival, walk your blindfolded guest into our cooking kitchen and remove their blindfold to reveal the excitement! Once the reveal is complete, let the cooking begin!

Allow your guests to choose their cooking partners or pull names out of a hat to keep the mystery element of the experience going! If you want to assign partners, consider pairing a more experienced chef with a novice, so everyone learns from one another. Matching a non-experienced chef with one with more cooking credibility can assist in building better relationships too! Interactive cooking is all about having fun while creating something new and learning new techniques that you can incorporate into your cooking repertoire.

After your exceptional and interactive cooking experience, keep the entertainment going by heading over to The National Hotel with your guests! We hope that you found these tips and tricks useful in the party planning process. Consider OTAO for exceptional services and an experience that is one of a kind.


Book with us today to reserve a spot for your next birthday celebration!

The Social Cooking Party

The Social Cooking Party

Our cooking experience is a great way to bond people by cooking, eating and sharing great stories. Have a fun,...

Duration 3 Hours

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