The perfect guide for hosting a Mahjong Party!
Have you heard of Mahjong? If not, it’s a rummy type tile game that originated in China, and it is literally taking over the world pickleball style!
My friends and I’d been dying to learn, so I sourced Chicago Mahjong expert, Lisa of the Mahjong Guild. She came to my home and gave eight of us a private lesson.
It was a BLAAAAST.
So much in fact, we have another lesson with her coming up.
All of us agreed how fantastic it felt to do something DIFFERENT. Especially from the default “come over for wine and chit chat” night. We used our brain and experienced something new together – the ultimate bonding time. Talk about a breath of fresh air.
Lisa, the founder of The Mahjong Guild, is based out of the Western Chicago Suburbs. She’s an absolute DOLL and I highly recommend her. She mastered Mahjong while living in Singapore and is an excellent teacher. She’s knowledgeable AND fun. Plus I knew we’d be soulmates based on her incredible taste in tablecloths, tile sets and mats. Haha!
So if this is of ANY interest, book Lisa RIGHT now. She’s blowing up and is averaging four to five private lessons per week. You can also follow her on Instagram to see where she’s hosting local Mahjong events.
After receiving a high amount of responses from Instagram stories, I compiled a whole guide addressing your questions. Some of you’ve already booked Lisa which I LOVE! Below you’ll find tidbits on…
- What food did you serve?
- Was there background music?
- Where did you get the cute “Mahjong” party accessories?
- And what to expect in general if you book Lisa too!
So here you are!
THE MAHJONG PARTY INVITE
WHEN:
We did a Thursday evening which I personally find most people are available due to busy weekends.
WHO:
8 of us total – the game requires groups of 4 people (no more, no less) so we had two tables of 4.
(Side Note: If you can’t get an exact number of 4 or 8 people, Lisa can easily work with you. She offers one-on-one lessons too.)
WHERE:
My house
THE SET UP:
2 Card Tables with 2 side tables at each table for drinks (so 4 side tables total). The game itself takes up full table realestate.
PRO TIP: Lisa taught me if you angle the tables next to each other, there’s more room for flow.
HOSTING TIP: Take advantage of another place in your home that rarely gets used. I think most people default to their living room , but why not mix it up! I planned our Mahjong night in our library/office. It was super cozy and since we were all sitting down, the smaller room was perfect. If the weather is nice, I’d love to do our screened in porch or patio next time!
SCHEDULE
- 6 PM – Arrival – drinks and apps
- 6:30 – 9 PM – Mahjong Lesson
- 9-9:30 PM – Snack, final beverage and goodnight!
MENU
The surprising thing about hosting a Mahjong party is the minimal time to eat and drink. This ain’t no BUNCO girls! Your hands are in constant motion and your beggining lesson requires a great deal of concentration.
Also, since the first lesson lasts 3 hours I told my guests it’s important to EAT welllll before the game begins.
I served hearty apps and I took a few guests up on their offer to bring something.
To stick with the theme, I ordered Chinese food delivery. So EASY and yummy!
Mahjong Party Menu
You can see my spread here if you’re curious!
- 2 Orders of Chicken Fried Rice (delivery)
- 12 Chicken Dumplings, 8 Egg Rolls, 10 Pan Fried Pot Stickers (I cut everything in half for easier eating!)
- 2 people brought different apps and 2 people brought desserts
- Wine and Aperol Spritzes were the drinks of the night
PARTY ACCESSORIES
Lisa provides the tableclothes, tiles and game itself. But in terms of Mahjong party stuff, the accessories out there are SO stinking adorable. I couldn’t help myself! Just be sure to order anything 1.5-2 weeks in advance because the cute stuff is not on Amazon Prime.
I personally loved and ordered…
- These cups
- These cocktail napkins
- Drink stirrers // these and these
- How darling are these earrings?! Hostess must have.
- An easy, cute evite
- A cute winner takeaway gift
- More finds at the bottom of this post 🙂
OTHER
MUSIC – I played some light background music because I despise quiet. But at one point, I turned it all the way down so we could hear every word.
WHERE TO FIND A TEACHER – If you are in the Chicago suburbs, Lisa is your girl. Otherwise you can find a teacher by state here!
THE MAHJONG LESSON ITSELF – So Mahjong is definitely not something you “pick up”. So a lesson with a professional is pretty much the only way to go. OR if you have a friend who knows how to play and they’re willing to sit down with you.
Your first lesson will be the longest and most important. You do not need ANY experience prior (none of us knew one thing). Also – that tile match game online is NOT Mahjong.
The first hour you learn about the different tiles, lingo and lay of the land. The rest of the time you spend playing. We started out VERY slow but by the end we had picked up speed.
NEXT LESSON – So our next lesson will build off of what we learned previously. And will only be two hours. I’m also having my friends come an hour earlier so we can catch up more 🙂
A huge thanks again Lisa for such a fun evening!
