The other day I some how got conned into being the planner for this years Thanksgiving activity day. Well to tell the truth I know how I got conned but still doesn’t make it any less subversive. Since I only have 5 days to plan the activity and 2 get everything ready I came up with the half hearted idea to do a Thanksgiving dinner, some coloring activities that revolve around English, and a few other small things. When I told my vice principal jokingly of course about the turkey course she jumped all over the idea and before I could explain the joke she was making arrangements for me to cook in the school kitchen. Oh boy. I have never cooked a Turkey before so here is where the topic of this blurb comes in.
By David Chen
STAFF REPORTER
Thursday, Nov 19, 2009, Page 13
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and now is the time to make dinner plans if you haven't started already.
This traditional American family get-together means a roast turkey dinner for most. Die-hards who insist on preparing on their own should look no further than their local Costco store, which is selling uncooked turkeys weighing around 4.5kg to 5.5kg (10lb to 12lb) for NT$1,999. All stores are taking advance orders now for pickup next Thursday.
For those who have big appetites but little time, the Taipei Times looks at the plentiful options for Thanksgiving at Taipei restaurants, which include dine-in and take-out, as well as a few choices in Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Dining In (under NT$650 per person)
Carnegie's serves its standard Thanksgiving meal all day next Thursday, at NT$490 per person for lunch and NT$630 for dinner, with no service charge. Along with the requisite roast turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce, the set includes mashed potatoes, vegetable casserole, stuffing, butter rolls and cranberry and spinach salad with citrus dressing. For dessert, it's pumpkin cheesecake with coffee or tea. Address: 100, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段100號). Tel: (02) 2325-4433
Citizen Cain is offering Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday and Friday. The bar and restaurant's dinner set includes hearty cream of mushroom soup, roast turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes with gravy, broccoli and cauliflower with cheese and homemade pie. If you're too stuffed to move afterwards, stay for another Thanksgiving tradition: live NFL football on TV. The cost of dinner is NT$590 per person; online reservations get a 5 percent discount. Drink specials include Don Paul Malbec (Argentina) at NT$780 per bottle, Carlsberg at NT$299 per pitcher and Stella Draft at NT$399 per pitcher. Address: 67 Dongfeng St, Taipei City (台北市東豐街67號). Tel: (02) 2708-4557
The Tavern is aiming for the late crowd - a day late, that is. Next Friday from 7pm to 10pm, the sports bar serves a Thanksgiving spread that includes the standard roast turkey, gravy, stuffing and pumpkin pie. Prices are NT$550 per person for adults (includes a glass of California white or red wine) and NT$300 per person for children. Address: 415, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路四段415號). Tel: (02) 8789-0892
Dining In (above NT$650 per person)
Capone's is serving a prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday evening for six to eight persons at NT$850 per patron, plus 10 percent service charge. For the same price, there's a set menu for individual diners, which includes a "buttery stuffing celery stick" with Waldorf salad, a choice of mushroom or pumpkin soup, roast turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, and vegetables with gravy. Dessert choices are either pecan or apple pie with ice cream. Those lucky enough to have been born in November get 50 percent off the meal. Reservations are required for the prix fixe dinner and recommended in general. Address: 312, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段312號). Tel: (02) 2773-3782
Chicago-themed restaurant Dan Ryan's offers its traditional Thanksgiving dinner next Thursday, which includes roast turkey, walnut green beans and candied yams, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and homemade gravy for NT$700. The price goes up to NT$825 for an additional salad with creamy Italian dressing, pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie. The children's dinner special is NT$500 and does not include dessert. All dinner sets are available for takeout, and whole 4.5kg to 5.5kg (10lb to 12lb) turkeys with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce are available for NT$3,500. Turkeys without the trimmings are NT$2,500, and whole pumpkin pies are NT$600. Turkeys-to-go must be ordered three days in advance. Address: 8 Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路8號). Tel: (02) 2778-8800
The Grand Hyatt Taipei's Cafe has an excellent buffet spread for NT$880, plus 10 percent service charge. This year the restaurant says its "Thanksgiving Turkey Station" will feature roast turkey with bread and sage stuffing, as well as chestnuts and Brussels sprouts topped with giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. Even though the Grand Hyatt Cafe is a usually a good last-minute choice, call ahead to make sure they're not fully booked. Address: 2F, 2 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路2號2樓). Tel: (02) 2720-1200, X3198 or X3199
Grandma Nitti's celebrates Thanksgiving from next Thursday until next Sunday with a dinner set of roast turkey, a choice of Japanese-style or Caesar salad, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, tea or coffee, and a glass of wine for NT$880, plus 10 percent service charge. Take-out dinner sets, which the restaurant says will feed up to 15 people, include turkeys ranging from 4.5kg to 5.5kg (10lb to 12lb), mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy; prices are calculated at NT$250 per pound of turkey [1kg = 2.2lb]. Pumpkin pie can be ordered as part of the take-out set for an additional NT$400 or ordered individually for NT$560 each. Dinner starts at 5pm. Make reservations or place take-out orders by this Sunday (Nov. 22). Address: 8, Ln 93, Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路93巷8號). Tel: (02) 2369-9751
Adding a French touch to Thanksgiving,La Brasserie at The Landis Taipei (亞都麗緻大飯店) also offers meals from next Thursday until next Sunday. The set menu starts off with bacon and cheese vol-au-vent (a puff pastry), salad and minestrone soup with Merguez sausage. The main course includes a serving of turkey breast and leg with cranberry sauce and truffle mushroom stuffing, and sides of sweet potatoes, chestnuts and seasonal vegetables. For dessert, it's pumpkin pie served with pecan nuts and vanilla ice cream and coffee or tea. The price is NT$980, plus 10 percent service charge. Address: 41, Minquan E Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市民權東路二段41號). Tel: (02) 2597-1234
Take-out Thanksgiving Meals
The Deli at the Sheraton Hotel offers three types of hampers for Thanksgiving and Christmas priced at NT$2,800 each. The turkey set comes with port wine and giblet sauce and cranberry jelly, the "Roasted Virginia Ham" is garnished with Hawaiian pineapple and raisin and apple sauces, while the "roasted US beef hamper" comes with beef gravy and horseradish sauce. An additional NT$700 gets you a full assortment of trimmings, including sausage and cornbread stuffing, mashed red-skin potatoes with fresh thyme, roasted vegetables and sweet potato bread. Eight-inch pumpkin pies are NT$800. All hampers are available until Dec. 31. Orders must be placed at least three days in advance. Address: 12, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路一段12號). Tel: (02) 2321-5858 ext. 8373
The Grand Formosa Regent's Thanksgiving basket includes a 6kg (13lb) roast hen turkey and stuffing made with green apples and chestnuts imported from France. Side dishes are mixed mushrooms, "fresh glazed vegetables" and mashed potatoes. The set is available from now until Christmas and costs NT$3,000. Orders must be placed in at least three days in advance. Six-inch pumpkin pies made by the hotel's French chef are also available for NT$500. Address: 41, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市中山北路二段41號B3). Tel: (02) 2523-8000 ext. 3157
Liz Gastro's at the Landis Taipei offers a take-out turkey hamper for six people or so, which includes a bacon-basted roast turkey weighing around 5kg (11lb) and seasonal vegetables with freshly made cranberry sauce for NT$2,980. The hampers are available until Christmas and orders placed at least three days in advance receive a 10 percent discount. Address: 41, Minquan E Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市民權東路二段41號). Tel: (02) 2598-5558
Wendel's German Bakery and Bistro offers a Thanksgiving hamper for six to eight people for NT$4,500. The set includes a 6kg (13lb) roast turkey, sherry gravy, glazed chestnuts, Brussels sprouts, mashed sweet potatoes, a house specialty cake, baguette and a bottle of Rivaner or Dornfelder rose wine. All items are available separately; contact the restaurant for prices. Orders must be placed three days in advance. Address: 5 Dexing W Rd, Taipei City (台北市德行西路5號). Tel: 2831-4592
The Westin Taipei's Thanksgiving set is NT$3,500 and includes a turkey weighing approximately 6kg (13lb), roast potatoes, buttered broccoli, wild berry sauce and chestnut stuffing. Orders must be placed three days in advance. Address: 2F, 133, Nanjing E Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (南京東路三段133號2樓). Tel: (02) 8770-6565
TAICHUNG
PJ’s Cafe has been offering a price-busting Thanksgiving dinner for 12 years. For NT$195, diners get one plateful of turkey, mashed potato, stuffing, cranberry sauce and coleslaw. The owner, American expatriate PJ McKenna, says that one plate usually manages to satisfy the appetites of most customers, but if it doesn’t, a second plate certainly will. A vegetarian option is also available. Dinner will be served next Thursday and Friday. Address: 23 Dayeh Rd, Taichung City (台中市大業路23號). Tel: (04) 2325-2457
KAOHSIUNG:
The Splendor Kaohsiung (高雄金典酒店) offers a simple Thanksgiving takeout hamper. The set includes a 6kg (12lb) turkey with gravy and cranberry sauce, an assortment of bread rolls and a bottle of 750ml of French red wine for NT$2,600. Three days’ advance notice is needed, and orders placed before Nov. 25 receive a 10 percent discount. Address: 37F-85F, 1, Zihciang 3rd Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市自強三路一號37-85樓). Tel: (07) 566-1149
TAINAN:
The Evergreen Plaza Hotel (台糖長榮酒店) in Tainan has several holiday takeout hampers available until Christmas. The turkey basket, which is NT$2,288, includes a 5kg to 6kg (11lb to 13lb) turkey with black pepper sauce and port wine and giblet sauce, chestnut bread rolls, and a choice of a 7-inch pumpkin pie or four pumpkin cupcakes. An alternative to turkey is the Thai roast chicken basket, which includes the same side dishes and three honey-roasted chickens each weighing between 250g to 300g, for NT$1,988. Orders must be placed three days in advance. Address: 1, Ln 336, Jhonghua E Rd, Tainan City (台南市東區中華路三段336巷1號). Tel: (06) 337-3861
I am Chububobcat wishing you a happy thanksgiving and a happy holidays
No comments:
Post a Comment