Tag: Thanksgiving

Not so Poultry: The Best Takeaway Turkey Dinners for a Fuss-free Thanksgiving

You might be an American expat or you might be a born and bred Hongkonger looking for an excuse to party. Either way Thanksgiving is right around the corner and nothing shows gratitude to friends and family than hosting them for a proper turkey dinner. But cooking is a hassle and it can end up taking you away from the very people you’re trying to spend more time with. Gafencu has compiled a list of the best take-home Thanksgiving turkey dinners so that you can sit back and relax with your loved ones… and a glass of wine, of course!

Thanksgiving turkey

Big Sur
“The noblest ranch in Utah” has been busy at their smoker and is ready to bring you an applewood smoked turkey, parmesan and butter mashed potatoes, sourdough and apple stuffing casserole, roast carrot and kale salad, sour cream and a signature three-herb gravy. If you’ve still got room, then dig in to a slice of their family style pecan pie for afters. Big Sur is only serving up 30 of these so best hurry!
Serves 6 – 8
Available for pick up at: Staunton St, Kowloon and Lantau locations
Order by: 19 November
Price: HK$1600
Dine in option also available at Staunton St location from November 21 – 23
Order from events@woollypigconcepts.com.hk.

Thanksgiving turkey

JOIA
For an elegant and yet truly traditional thanksgiving feast, JOIA bar and lounge can supply turkey, mac & cheese, baked cauliflower, stuffed peppers and two kinds of mashed potatoes. If you’re still hankering for a taste of the USA, there’s even pumpkin pie for dessert. Even the fussiest of feasters will find something to please their palette. 
Serves 5 – 6
Available for pick up at JOIA bar and lounge, Roof Level Elements, Kowloon
7 days advance booking required
Price: HK$1680
Order at contactus@joia.co.hk

Thanksgiving turkey

Porterhouse
Famed for their steak and seafood Porterhouse are branching out to birds. Their comprehensive dinner includes a roast pumpkin starter followed by lemony turkey, bacon-fried brussels sprouts, green beans and spinach with shallot gravy, followed by a sumptuous pecan and pumpkin pie served with mascarpone and cointreau foam. You really couldn’t ask for more.
Serves 8 – 9
Available for pick up at Porterhouse, California tower, Central
Order by: 25 November
Price: HK$2328
Dine in option from 19 – 25 November
Order at porterhousehk.com

Thanksgiving turkey

city’super
Trust the favourite of Hong Kong denizens hunting for western cuisine to bring us the broadest possible range of Thanksgiving dinners – from traditional turkey and super traditional lobster to rule book-burning sushi platters. We love their “Best of city’super” package which features an organic UK sourced turkey, caviar, foie gras, a cooked seafood platter, a luxury selection of vegetables, a lobster bisque, cheese platter, a lemon peel cake and vintage Phillipe Gonet champagne. We might have a little trouble squeezing into our festive frocks but we think it’s worth it!
Serves 6 – 8
Available for pick up at: Harbour City Tsim Sha Tsui, ifc Mall Central, Times Square Causeway Bay and New Town Plaza Sha Tin
Order by: 19 December
Price: HK$7988
Order at online.citysuper.com.hk/

Text: Alice Duncan

Turkey Day tipples: Thanksgiving pairing tips from a wine master

Whether you’re an American abroad or you’re just looking for an excuse to overindulge, Thanksgiving (23 November) is a day to enjoy the finer things in life: good food, good wine and good company.

If you plan to host a dinner at home, you’ve probably already crafted the perfect menu – but don’t forget to put equal effort into your wine selection. A good wine can only enhance a meal, while a bad one can leave an unpleasant aftertaste.  

If you find yourself wondering which bottle to pair with your traditional turkey dinner, American wine master Randy Ullom, from the California-based Kendall-Jackson winery, has some tips.

“Zinfandel is quite nice with turkey, but pairing a Riesling with the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and side dishes is a lot of fun because it’s a spicy wine to go with the spices of Thanksgiving,” said Ullom, who was in Hong Kong recently to promote Kendall-Jackson’s wines.

Ullom attended an early Thanksgiving lunch at Beefbar in Central, during which a range of courses were paired with different Kendall-Jackson offerings. Starting off strong, the first glass on the menu was the winery’s famous Vintner’s Reserve, which has been the best-selling chardonnay in the US for 25 years.

Speaking to its success, Ullom said, “We make a wine that people enjoy. They don’t need a PhD to understand it. It’s a wine that over-delivers on the quality for the price. It smells and tastes really good; it’s mouth-filling, creamy and fulfilling; and it has a nice, long finish.”

The chardonnay was paired with Beefbar’s amberjack carpaccio with wasabi dressing and coriander cress, but Ullom said chardonnay complements any white or rich fish.

Next up was a Hokkaido scallop carpaccio served in a spicy ponzu sauce, paired with Chardonnay Grand Reserve 2015.

“Scallop, crab and lobster are the richer shellfish, and they go great with our Grand Reserve chardonnay,” Ullom said.

For earthy or smoky dishes – like Beefbar’s homemade tagliolini with porcini mushrooms – Ullom recommends serving a pinot noir.  And when it comes to beef, one can’t go wrong with cabernet sauvignon, Ullom said.

Kendall-Jackson Wines, a family-owned business under the umbrella company Jackson Family Wines, recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The brand now owns 12,800 acres of vineyard land in six coastal Californian counties.

Locally, Kendall-Jackson wines can be found at a number of retail shops, including City Super, 3hreesixty, Oliver’s, The Bottle Shop and more.

Text: Emily Petsko

Get in the Thanksgiving spirit with a turkey feast at Lily & Bloom’s

Turkey Day, or Thanksgiving as it is more popularly known, is a national holiday in the United States and Canada which dates back to a 1621 celebration at the Plymouth Plantation, when the English pilgrims first feasted with local Native Americans after a particularly successful harvest.

Thanksgiving now, however, involves overeating, watching the Macy’s parade, a presidential turkey pardon and eating the turkeys the president overlooked in the pardon.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in Hong Kong is not quite the same as in the US or Canada but there are still plenty of places that serve an authentic meal.

Lily & Bloom’s, for example, is offering a Thanksgiving Family Feast set that serves five to six people and costs HK$2650 to eat in the restaurant or HK$2200 to take-away from 21 November till 4 December.

Organic Whole American Heritage Turkey will be served with Giblet Gravy and a Fresh Cranberry Sauce. Accompanying the turkey are sides of Sausage and Sage Stuffing, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Truffle Mashed Potato, Creamed Spinach and Maple Sweet Potato Mashed. To top off the meal is a homemade Pumpkin Pie.

For people with a smaller waistline or fewer friends, Lily & Bloom’s also offers a Thanksgiving three-course set dinner over the same period.

Thanksgiving is on 24 November this year.