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A Spectacular Spread

Cover Story

November 4, 2018

Story By: Caroline Wright | Photos by: Lawrence Tabudlo

Oven Roasted Hot Turkey Package

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us are eagerly anticipating giant feasts with family and friends, daydreaming about big roast turkeys with all the delicious trimmings.

But hosting such a feast can be a challenge anywhere, and particularly on Oahu. Home cooks all over the island know that hosting Thanksgiving usually makes for a long, sweltering day in the kitchen. Honolulu’s average daily temperature runs about 80-84 degrees in November. Who wants to keep an oven hot for the long hours it takes to roast the turkey, candy the yams and bake the pumpkin pie?

Maki Sushi Roll

For the past 40 years, A Catered Experience has offered a variety of menus for all kinds of celebrations and events. This full-service, dedicated catering company provides spectacular cuisine and impeccable service for events small and large at locations all over Oahu, and hosts banquets and gatherings at the Hawaii Okinawa Center.

In the 1990s, A Catered Experience decided to begin offering a Thanksgiving package — and the company has never looked back, according to general manager Ron Hattori.

Napoleon’s Bakery Pumpkin Pie, Custard Pie and Apple Pie

“Last year we sold out the week prior to Thanksgiving, and currently we’re ahead of last year’s sales,” he reveals.

It’s no wonder that the company’s Oven Roasted Hot Turkey Package, which feeds approximately eight people, sells out each year. Each package begins with a whole roasted turkey (10-12 pounds, cooked weight), traditionally seasoned, hot and ready to eat.

Chicken Nishime

The feast continues with 4 pounds of real mashed potatoes, 3 pounds of stuffing, and 4 pounds of poultry gravy to pour over them (plus simple reheating instructions for these sides).

There’s a pound of cranberry relish for a bit of tangy sweetness, and a dozen King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. For dessert, the package includes a classic pumpkin pie from Napoleon’s Bakery. The price for this cozy, traditional Thanksgiving feast is $124.95 plus tax.

Potato Macaroni Salad

Customers ordering Oven Roasted Hot Turkey Packages can choose from a list of extra a la carte side dishes to enhance their dinners. “The most popular are maki sushi, chicken nishime, potato mac salad, and the different types of pies from Napoleon’s Bakery,” notes Hattori. An extra whole roast turkey can be added to packages for just $68 plus tax.

Pick up your feast on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 22) from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hawaii Okinawa Center parking lot, located at 94-587 Ukee St. in Waipio.

Orders may be mailed or delivered to A Catered Experience’s Waipio office or faxed to 678-2025 by Nov. 9. Online orders may be placed at acateredexperience.com/turkeypackage by Nov. 15. (Cancellations will not be accepted after Nov. 15.)

Steamed Vegetables

Though Hattori can’t disclose how many Thanksgiving feasts A Catered Experience prepares each year, the fact that packages sold out a week before last year’s holiday offers ample evidence of their scrumptiousness. “And we added our extra turkey option last year,” he says. “It might be a good idea to order early.”

A Deal You Can’t Pass Up

According to Ron Hattori, general manager of A Catered Experience, the company has received orders for Oven Roasted Hot Turkey Packages from all over Oahu. “We’ve had people order them from as far away as Hawaii Kai and Nanakuli,” he notes. “We also have customers who give dinners away as gifts, even companies that order them for employees.” As a special offer, customers who order five turkey packages or more will receive a gift certificate equal to 10 percent of the total purchase (excluding tax). Certificates will be valid through March 31, 2019.

Waipahu, HI 96797

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